Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Yoke of Christ

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." said Jesus in Matthew 11:28-29.

A yoke is used to tether animals to work in the field or pull wagons, etc., with the farmer or master directing the animals to go on a specific route, making sure to guide them along to accomplish the master's tasks.  On the part of the animals there is a complete dependence on the master to lead them along and meet their needs. Tethered to a yoke, it does not allow the animals to do what they please, they have to rely on the one who put the yoke on them for guidance, directions and instructions.  A good master/farmer always guides his animals along the best pathways.

As you read the Bible verses preceding what I quoted earlier in this blog, Jesus prays to the Father, "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike." (Matthew 11:25)  Here Jesus addresses his father as "the Lord of heaven and earth." A master who has power, authority and control over the heavens and the earth, and everything there in or there out. Then he says that this is revealed to those who have childlike faith. The faith of a child in his father is complete, perfect, fully entrusting to meet the child's needs: to feed, clothe, protect, and nurture the child's emotional and physical growth. My dad was just that man!

Then Jesus reveals another point, "My Father has given me authority over everything.  No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Matthew 11:27) Jesus has the authority over everything that we see and cannot see, that we understand and that we do not understand.  He has the authority to calm the raging seas and the hurricane wind (Matthew 8:26-27).  The spirit world recognizes him for who he is (Matthew 8:29). Life and death, healing and deliverance are in his word.

It takes faith, child like faith (total belief) for his promises to manifest. Well, you may say, it's hard to believe in things unseen and unknown.  If you need faith, pray for it, ask him to nurture in you faith of those mentioned in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11. He will not deny it to you for Apostle Paul teaches us that Jesus Christ is the "Originator and Perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

Taking the yoke of Christ upon oneself is a commitment to leave our sinful ways behind, subject ourselves to the will of God, seeking his will in our lives through prayer and studying the Bible. You can never go wrong by seeking his will, as Christ tells you that he has authority over everything as given to him by the Lord of heaven and earth. Taking his yoke upon oneself is not a yoke of slavery, rather of mutual dependence. He is a God who loves you and wants your love in return. The first and most important command in the Bible is to love your God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength.

Are you tired of living in sin? Have you become weary of the life you are living? Are you weighed down with the pressure of expectations to perform from those around you? You don't have to go about it by yourself.  Come to Christ, for he will give you rest. Take his yoke upon you, let him teach you because he is humble and gentle. You will find rest for your souls. His yoke fits perfectly and his burden is light for he is the Lord of heaven and earth, with authority over everything.
The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! BY his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for the young to submit to the yoke of his discipline.  (Lamentations 3:22-27)

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