”For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:30New International Version (NIV)
Matthew 11:30 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
My yoke is easy and my burden is light
In Matthew 11:30, Jesus tells you and me that “His yoke is easy and His burden is light“. But what did He really mean?
Jesus is the Messiah
Matthew 11 is a chapter about the confirmation that Jesus Christ is the Messiah,. He is therefore God’s ordained servant who provides rest. But He provides rest to the people who believe that He is the Messiah.
Therefore, Matthew chapter 11 opens with John the Baptist in prison. And while he was there, he heard about the deeds of Jesus.
John, therefore, sent his disciples to Jesus to ask Him if He was the One. And Jesus told them to tell John what they heard and saw – that is His preaching of the good news and His miracles.
The nature Kingdom citizens
Additionally, Jesus informed His disciples that John was more than a prophet. But the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him.
Non-believers
Consequently, Jesus compared the people of His time to children sitting in the marketplaces, who inform their playmates of their non-responsiveness to their actions. Essentially, he compared them to non-believers because of their non-responsiveness to His gospel.
Moreover, the people of Jesus’ time were non-responsive to Him and John. They, therefore, didn’t believe in either and both of them. And they, therefore, didn’t repent, an action that wouldn’t make it less tolerable for them on the day of judgment.
Matters of the day of judgment
Additionally, matters of the day of judgment are hidden from the wise and understanding. However, they are revealed to the little children, according to God’s gracious will. For the little children know God because Jesus has revealed the same to them.
Jesus is the giver of rest to those who are laboring and heavily burdened
Finally, Jesus called those who are laboring and heavily burdened to Him so that He could give them rest. He, therefore, called upon them (that is the Jews) to take His yoke and learn gentleness and lowliness from Him.
Moreover, Jesus informed them that His yoke was easy and His burden was light (1 John 5:3). Because the Pharisees had burdened the people with additional laws to the Mosaic Law which comprised 613 commandments, that they couldn’t observe (Matthew 23:4 and Romans 3:20). And, therefore, Jesus invited them to be yoked to Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Yoke
Therefore, a yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals so that they can pull a cart or a plow. Therefore, a yoke is part of a harness that is used to pull a cart or a plow (load or burden).
Consequently, the yoke helps the master to keep the animals under control and guide them in their work. And in so doing, the yoke brought together the strength of two animals so that they could pull a load (burden) that neither of them can’t on their own.
Therefore, Jesus invited the overburdened Jews to be yoked to Him so that they could bear the burden of righteousness easily and lightly. And He is also inviting you and me to be yoked to Him so that we bear the burden of God’s righteousness easily and lightly (Galatians 2:15-16, 5:6, and 5:22-25).
Prayer/Blessing
May your belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah who provides rest to you never be undermined. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Luke 4-5 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
