My Yoke is easy, and my burden light

My yoke is easy, and my burden light.

It might not sound all that appealing to take on a yoke at this point in your life.   You may well be busy with preparations for Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrations, maybe feeling anxious about daily events or overwhelmed by past and current  speeches.   And all of this comes on top of your everyday duties: work, carpooling, maintaining your household!

Rest and retirement sound much better than a burdensome yoke.   What we want is a break.   But Jesus tells us his yoke is easy, his burden is light, and we will actually find the rest we are looking for as we let him place this yoke on our already weary shoulders.   How can this be?

Yokes were made to help a team of oxen do their work faster and more efficiently.   Wearing a yoke, the oxen walk side by side; they work side by side.   They still have a job to do, but they share the burden.   Their cooperation makes the task so much easier because they are both pulling together.

When Jesus invites us to take his yoke, he promises to be the one walking next to us, working right alongside us.   Sharing a yoke with Jesus doesn’t make our responsibilities disappear, but it sure does make things easier!   Not only does he help us carry the load, but we learn from him as we spend time walking beside him.

Let’s follow the example of the yoked oxen.   Walking side by side with Jesus, our task becomes easy and light as we keep our eyes on the next step.   And the next one.   And the one after that.

So don’t focus on how many steps there are.   Just take a breath, and take the next step—with Jesus beside you.   Over time, you’ll get there.   You will learn from Jesus, your teammate, and you’ll get there faster and feel stronger!

That’s not such a discouraging prospect, is it?   Far from being a burden, Jesus’ yoke can help you work more effectively.   It links you to the best Companion you could ever have.   You are no longer alone as you face the tasks at hand.   Jesus is with you, right beside you, sharing the load.

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