In Matthew 11, Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor, all you who are heavy laden…” He speaks to all you who are fatigued, all you who are burdened, all of you who are crazy, all you who are grieving, all you who are lonely, all you who are losing, all of you who have been uncertain.
“Come to Me and I will give you rest.” In My love, you can recover, and be refreshed, and renewed and refitted for your journey.
In verse 29 Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you.” A yoke implies obedience, even slavery. But what we often fail to realize is that we are always under a yoke. We either chose to obey the word of God or to follow the ways of the world.
I think Jesus may be talking about a human yoke. It’s a device worn by a single person. It distributes the weight of a load across the shoulders. It is often a long pole with cushions at the shoulder that can have loads attached to each end. This tool allows you to better balance and more easily bear the weight.
Jesus offers a new yoke, a better way of carrying your burdens. It does not lessen the weight, but it possible for you to bear the weight and find rest along the way.
A yoke is intended to be custom-made and well-fitting. Your work in Christ is not intended to frustrate, irritate, or overwhelm you; it is meant to fit you perfectly. To make the best use of your relationships, strengths, gifts, and character, in service to the Lord and the work of the Kingdom.
The burdens and demands of life can break our backs if we bear them without the help of God. The yokes of the world will not only fatigue us they will frustrate us and hinder us from knowing God. But Jesus gives us new yokes, that are easy to bear.
For the burden of the law, He offers us the power of love. For the false weight of selfish pride, Jesus offers us obedience and gentleness of heart.
For the load of sin, Jesus offered the joy of forgiveness. For the burden of guilt Jesus washes us clean with His blood. For the burden of fear, Jesus gives us the blessing of faith. For the burden of death, Jesus offers us the gift of eternal life.
The result is rest. Rest from your burdens, rest from your battles, and rest for your souls. Rest is not idleness, nor exemption from toil or any honorable demand, but it is peace, and the deep calming of our hearts.
Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11 offers a better way to carry the weight of life. His yoke, perfectly designed for you, brings rest and renewal, even in the midst of life’s demands. If you’re feeling weary or burdened, take a step of faith and accept the rest that only Jesus can provide.
What burden do you need to exchange today? Reflect on His promise, and consider how you can align your life with His yoke. Remember, His yoke is easy, and His burden is light—you were never meant to carry life’s weight alone.
Rev. Dr. Charles Myricks, Jr. serves as lead pastor of Arlington Church of God, a large historic and thriving congregation located in Akron, OH. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Anderson University (Anderson, IN) and the Board of Directors of Youth Excellence Performance Arts Workshop (Akron, OH). He currently serves Servant Solutions as our Director of Member Relations, Eastern Region.
He is married to Sherilyn Beverly Myricks and they have three children Kathryn Elizabeth, Kristen Nichelle and Charles James III and one grandchild Julian Rosa.