R
redactorab
Guest
Is the way to heaven easy (“my yoke is easy, my burden is light”) or is it difficult (“strait is the gate, and narrow is the way…and few there be that find it”) ?
- Status
D
Didi
Guest
Yes to both.
Sometimes it is easier than others, but only when we place His yoke on our shoulders and labor WITH Jesus instead of trying to do it on our own. The yoke is meant for a team – a pair of oxen. Notice the verse begins with “Come unto Me, all ye that labor, and I will give you rest…” We must labor as well, but He will refresh us.
The way is sometimes narrow and difficult, because like Jesus we have to pick up our cross and follow Him. He never promised that this would be an easy thing to do, He only promised He would be with us every step of the way and at the end of this life we can look forward to eternal life with Him forever.
Sometimes it is easier than others, but only when we place His yoke on our shoulders and labor WITH Jesus instead of trying to do it on our own. The yoke is meant for a team – a pair of oxen. Notice the verse begins with “Come unto Me, all ye that labor, and I will give you rest…” We must labor as well, but He will refresh us.
The way is sometimes narrow and difficult, because like Jesus we have to pick up our cross and follow Him. He never promised that this would be an easy thing to do, He only promised He would be with us every step of the way and at the end of this life we can look forward to eternal life with Him forever.
R
redactorab
Guest
Well, he did say, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
D
Didi
Guest
Hmmm, did you read my previous reply? He also said that we are laborers. “The harvest is plenty but laborers are few, come with me into the fields.”
The problem with trying to define all of Jesus’ teachings with one or two phrases is that people miss the entirety of His message. We must read the entire gospels, then continue to study the whole bible, Old Testament and New Testament to gain a fuller understanding of Jesus, for the New Testament is concealed in the Old and the Old Testament is revealed in the New. It is one big continous message, the Word of God, who is Jesus.
Just as if people tried to define you by two things you said under different circumstances which may seem to contradict each other, we cannot take two of Jesus’ teachings to define who He is in His entirety.
The problem with trying to define all of Jesus’ teachings with one or two phrases is that people miss the entirety of His message. We must read the entire gospels, then continue to study the whole bible, Old Testament and New Testament to gain a fuller understanding of Jesus, for the New Testament is concealed in the Old and the Old Testament is revealed in the New. It is one big continous message, the Word of God, who is Jesus.
Just as if people tried to define you by two things you said under different circumstances which may seem to contradict each other, we cannot take two of Jesus’ teachings to define who He is in His entirety.
R
redactorab
Guest
Yes, I read the reply. That’s where I got your quote.
Fair enough. But neither are people being asked to pattern their lives on mine (thank God). If they were, and if I had any say in it, I would try to make the message of my life as unambiguous as possible.
I know the Bible is “one big continuous message,” but knowing that doesn’t make the exegesis any less problematic. If we view the Bible as one overall message, we are still faced with figuring out what that message is–we still must deal with passages that are difficult or seemingly contradictory. And we still have to either ignore those difficulties or try to figure them out–to discern what part they play in the overall message.
To put it very concretely: In my original post, I noted two seemingly contradictory passage. One seemed to indicate that salvation was easy; another seemed to indicate that salvation was not easy. Depending on how you view the “one big continuous message” you’re likely to downplay one of those passages and emphasize the other. Folks will generally take it in one direction or the other. And to the extent they do, the side they downplay will be basically be ignored in their “overall view.” Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right.
G
Grace_and_Glory
Guest
I once heard that the phrase, “My yoke is easy” related to a common phrase used by people at that time. An ‘easy yoke’ was a yoke that fit the oxen well. If the yoke did not fit well, it would irritate the oxen and cause sores. If it did fit well, it was called a yoke that was easy, and the oxen were able to work without irritation or sores. Applied to what Jesus is saying, it means that when we follow him, our labor will suit us. He has a vocation for each of us, and when we find it and follow it, we are at peace. We all have the universal vocation to be holy and to share in union with God.
If we have a job that we dislike, we will become irritated by it. If we have a job that we like, even if it is harder than a job we dislike, we enjoy it more and find it easier to do. For example, being a doctor is a more difficult task than being a janitor. But to a person who loves medicine, being a doctor would ultimately be a lighter burden than being a janitor.
On the other hand, although our life in Christ is what will ultimately fulfill us (and is in that sense a light burden), it is sometimes difficult. To go back to the doctor analogy, a person who loves medicine will probably find being a doctor to be an easier burden than being a janitor. Even so, being a doctor requires hard work in college, passing the MCAT, and more hard work in years of medical school. In the same way, a life of holiness and union with God will fulfill us, but it will require the hard work of denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Christ, even when it is difficult. It is a narrow road, but it is ultimately the road that will fulfill us.
If we have a job that we dislike, we will become irritated by it. If we have a job that we like, even if it is harder than a job we dislike, we enjoy it more and find it easier to do. For example, being a doctor is a more difficult task than being a janitor. But to a person who loves medicine, being a doctor would ultimately be a lighter burden than being a janitor.
On the other hand, although our life in Christ is what will ultimately fulfill us (and is in that sense a light burden), it is sometimes difficult. To go back to the doctor analogy, a person who loves medicine will probably find being a doctor to be an easier burden than being a janitor. Even so, being a doctor requires hard work in college, passing the MCAT, and more hard work in years of medical school. In the same way, a life of holiness and union with God will fulfill us, but it will require the hard work of denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Christ, even when it is difficult. It is a narrow road, but it is ultimately the road that will fulfill us.
A
adnauseum
Guest
The Stoics said:
Qui imperia libens accepit, partem acerbissimam servitutis vitat.
The one who obeys willingly escapes the worst part of slavery.
The yoke of Christ is easy because in accepting servitude in Christ, we are truly freed from the futility of Self obsession and the dead end of pride.
Few will enter because due to original sin, Self love is extremely difficult to give up. Look at the cult of Selfishness and narcissism in our media and our culture. To willingly subject oneself to another is seen as abnormal.
Thus, the tragic fact is despite the easiness of the yoke, the true freedom in serving Christ - really serving Him, as in offering Him each act you do as your sacrifice every day - few will choose that route [Grace and Glory posted this sentiment far more eloquently above].
Qui imperia libens accepit, partem acerbissimam servitutis vitat.
The one who obeys willingly escapes the worst part of slavery.
The yoke of Christ is easy because in accepting servitude in Christ, we are truly freed from the futility of Self obsession and the dead end of pride.
Few will enter because due to original sin, Self love is extremely difficult to give up. Look at the cult of Selfishness and narcissism in our media and our culture. To willingly subject oneself to another is seen as abnormal.
Thus, the tragic fact is despite the easiness of the yoke, the true freedom in serving Christ - really serving Him, as in offering Him each act you do as your sacrifice every day - few will choose that route [Grace and Glory posted this sentiment far more eloquently above].
- Status