"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light:"Matthew

  • Thread starter Thread starter georgemiller
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

georgemiller

Guest
Why does Jesus tell us His yoke is easy and His burden is light? It seems to me that His yoke is very hard and His burden is anything but light. I see in myself and with so many others that try very hard to live the Christian way but still experince spiritual moral failures. I often wonder how many religious, especially priests, who have dedicated their lives to the Gospel and still often fail in their own spiritual life think about this Scriptural teacching? With the above reality in mind please help me understand just what does Jesus really mean when He teaches that His yoke is easy and His burden is light?
 
I think it is because it is a labour of love. We struggle to live the Christian life because we love our heavenly Father and not because we are slaves! The expectations are high because we are hus children. And though standards are high, God’s grace and forgiveness are higher.

I also propose that peace makes the burden lighter. When you are at peace, it is easier to want to live the Chistian life.
 
The yoke of Jesus frees us from our own selfishness, our pride, our burden of imagined self-sufficiency. Jesus helps us realize that we are creatures responsible to yet frequently unfaithful to our Creator, which reveals how weak and in need of grace we really are, while His words and sacrifice simultaneously provide us with hope of receiving forgiveness and the supernatural strength required to stay in God’s favor. Jesus’ yoke, it seems to me, is not only light, it actually pulls us along, rather than being a burden.
 
A yoke is a crossbeam placed upon two animals to plow the land. This way they both work in unison to achieve their goal. Before Jesus said “my yoke is easy” he said “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is …” He wants us to join with Him and let Him be the lead in our lifes works so that we may learn to imitate Him. He wants us to be humble and meek and when we are, we will find rest in our souls. When we are joined with Christ anything that comes our way in life good or bad can be handled with the certainty that our Lord is beside us, so our yoke becomes easier and lighter to carry.

In summary, God wants to be joined to us in order to give our souls rest, no matter if our burdens are light or heavy or non existent. He also wants us to be like Him, like Father, like children. What a wonderous Lord and God we have!

God Bless
 
Aelred_Minor said:
The yoke of Jesus frees us from our own selfishness, our pride, our burden of imagined self-sufficiency. Jesus helps us realize that we are creatures responsible to yet frequently unfaithful to our Creator, which reveals how weak and in need of grace we really are, while His words and sacrifice simultaneously provide us with hope of receiving forgiveness and the supernatural strength required to stay in God’s favor. Jesus’ yoke, it seems to me, is not only light, it actually pulls us along, rather than being a burden.
Click to expand...
Very good way to put it.
 
Thank you spirit 1333.
I think your response is best but still imcomplete. I like especially your explanation of the yoke and how two working together pulling is a lot easier than one. My frustration is that even when two are pulling together and one of those two is God there is still often major failure and sometimes many failures. I pointed out that priests, often famous priests have fallen, left the church. Did these individuals not want to be one with God, did they not want to grow in grace, did they not want to grow in spiritual strength so as to avoid grave sin? It seems to me that they all wanted this , at least for a time, and eventually found out that the ways of the world were more seducing than the way of the Lord and as such they probably don’t think that the yoke of Jesus is so easy or His burden so light. Where am I wrong in my thinking?
 
This is another verse that is often quoted out of context and it drives me crazy. Look at a more complete quote:

“Come to me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: And you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light”

It is clear that he says his yoke is easy and light, if you come to Him. That is the key. Jesus did not contradict Himself. It is ease and light if we are with Him, else it can be quite difficult. So I would say, develope a prayer life, go to mass often, go to confession often. Then see what happens.
For the longest time, going to mass in the morning seemed like such a struggle for me. Now, it is something I truly enjoy and look forward to. When I can’t make morning mass, my day never seems as good.
 
I feel I can relate to the original post here. When you are undergoing times of persecution and your faith is being tested, it certainly does not feel light. When people are gossiping and lying about you even in the church, and you feel like you would have more friends if only you didn’t have to stand up for old fuddy duddy mother church, it certainly doesn’t feel light. BUT, in the blink of an eye, if we persevere, this world will be gone. It won’t seem like anything anymore but just a drop in the vast ocean of a happy eternity. In terms of a life without God or an eternity in hell, my life and reputation and friendships are such a small price to pay!!
 
georgemiller said:
Thank you spirit 1333.
I think your response is best but still imcomplete. I like especially your explanation of the yoke and how two working together pulling is a lot easier than one. My frustration is that even when two are pulling together and one of those two is God there is still often major failure and sometimes many failures. I pointed out that priests, often famous priests have fallen, left the church. Did these individuals not want to be one with God, did they not want to grow in grace, did they not want to grow in spiritual strength so as to avoid grave sin? It seems to me that they all wanted this , at least for a time, and eventually found out that the ways of the world were more seducing than the way of the Lord and as such they probably don’t think that the yoke of Jesus is so easy or His burden so light. Where am I wrong in my thinking?
Click to expand...
God so loves us that He gives us and respects our free will. When He ask us to come and join Him in the yoke it is an invitation not a mandate. We are human beings and we sometimes chose not to work alongside God because it takes obedience and following the will of God. This can be difficult for we like to be in control of our own destiny. It was even difficult for our Lord Jesus when He was in the garden praying that His own destiny not be fullfilled. Instead He chose to be obedient to the Will of God and continue on with His mission. We fall because we are human and God understands, all He asks for is that we reconcile and try and try again.
 
Thank you all for your observations. I ask for your prayers and I will continue to ask God for a better understanding of His Gospel and the grace to live it as He wills. God bless.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top