“Come to me”

As we go through life, we all do a lot of struggling: ppt struggling with marriage, struggling with our children, struggling with depression, struggling with anxieties about the unknown future, and so on. We often call these struggles loads or burdens. I stared at the gospel reading for today many times before preparing my sermon wondering what on earth it meant. Have a look at this picture and think to yourself, what does it mean? And answer for yourself. Now, let’s read the words of Jesus together. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The yoke of Jesus

Well, first we need to know what a yoke is: a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals (such as oxen) are joined at the heads or necks for working together.  The ground in Palestine is rough and gravelly, so when ploughing the land, two or more animals are yoked together.  When they are first yoked together, they struggle for dominance; then they both lose strength; and finally, when one moves at the will of the other, they find it easier. That sounds right! The phrase ‘my yoke is easy’ doesn’t mean that the yoke itself is light, or that Jesus takes over the yoke for us, but that if we entrust our lives to Jesus, the weight of the yoke is the same, but it feels light.

I am going to read the Message Bible which has an excellent interpretation of this: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out [in your life]? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

After Paul’s conversion, he suffered many persecutions, but he kept going for the sake of proclaiming the gospel. His letter to the Philippian church, while he was in prison, describes many of the hardships he endured. When he enumerated his sufferings, he said he has worked much harder than others, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times he received from the Jews forty lashes minus one.

Three times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned, three times he was shipwrecked, he spent a night and a day in the open sea and has been constantly on the move. He has been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from his own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. He has laboured and toiled and has often gone without sleep; he has known hunger and thirst and has often gone without food; he has been cold and naked. Besides everything else, he faces daily the pressure of his concern for all the churches.

Nevertheless, he exhorts his recipients to rejoice and confesses “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13

What’s the secret? The thing is in Romans chapter 7, Paul had his own ongoing struggle between the law of sin in his flesh, in his mind, and the law of God. No wonder he confessed, “O wretched person that I am, who will rescue me from this body of death?” However, for him it wasn’t the weight of the yoke (or suffering) itself that made life heavy, but the choice of which path to take, like Paul was struggling between two laws. But in Christ, he realises that he is not a descendant of Adam, but a child of Jesus Christ.

Folks, anxiety and worry can weigh down our lives, yet as Paul learned how to lean on Jesus he experienced his weakness becoming a strength. When he felt his yoke and his burden was heavy, he trusted that Jesus would help him.  In every moment of your life, from the very best to the very worst, God is with you. He cares for you. You will never walk through a hard time alone. He has never left you. He is with you now. He has been with you all along. Hear what God is saying to all of us, “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you.

Jesus our Lord invites us, “Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”