Articles
The Yoke of Christ
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me…" (Matthew 11:29). God calls us to be many things. Christians are priests, royalty, and children; we are special. While many of God’s calls take the form of commands, we also see Jesus our Lord calling us with an invitation. This invitation is extended for all who “labor” and are “heavy laden,” and is for them to be joined with Him in a yoke. That is something we don’t talk about muc h anymore. Since the invention of tractors and tillers, we don’t really have a need for animals of labor on the farm, much less the yokes they would wear. A yoke is simply a wooden crosspiece fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull. While it typically brings to mind hard work, the yoke Jesus talks about is twofold.
The idea of a yoke generally conveys an image of arduous labor in the heat of a summer’s day. The yoke of Christ is not so. We are not being yoked so that our burdens may increase. Before we are in Christ, we bear the burdens of our sins. We are slaves of sin. In Romans 6:12, Paul tells us, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.” Anytime we sin, we feel the unbearable weight of the sin we cannot carry. We are weighed down with grief, guilt, regret, and separation from our Lord. However, in Christ we can put off that heavy yoke and take the “easy” yoke of Christ and His “light” burden. He wants to make our way easier — to make our life less of a drudgery and more of a delight. The result of wearing the yoke of Christ is comfort and peace!
Not only are we able to share our load with our Savior, but we are also able to learn of Him. In the agricultural realm, younger animals were often yoked together with older, more experienced animals for training purposes. It is similar to the idea of older children helping to train the younger children in a family. When we are connected to Christ in His easy yoke, not only is he helping to carry our load but we are forced to follow His movements. Recall Matthew 10:29: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (emp. mine). We must remember then that our actions must be governed by the direction of Christ, not how others around us may choose to live.
These are two very positive outcomes of taking on the yoke of Christ. However, we must remember that this is an invitation. Jesus is offering this to us, and requesting that we accept His help. He does not force it upon us. Many feel as though Christian living is nothing more than getting baptized and having to wear a heavy, uncomfortable yoke that cramps our style and prevents us from living how we really want to live. Just as the yoke is voluntarily taken on, we must choose whether to keep it on. In our weakness, we sometimes rebel against His yoke and we may be tempted to remove it. Then there are times when we choose to go our own way, leaving Christ and refusing to put the yoke back on.
Consider this: when we remove the easy yoke and put down the light burden of Christ, we are not free from any yoke or burden — we are just back to square one, trying to carry the load of sin all alone! Never forget the simple teaching of Christ, and do not refuse His invitation of peace. Only you can decide to accept Him.
