During Bible Study, Pastor Harvill was teaching about the yoke coming from Matthew 11:28-30. Which says:
28) Come unto me all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29) 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.
30) For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
This is a passage of scripture I continue to struggle with. For some reason, I want to have the rest, but not the yoke. A friend of mine who is a Theologian and Bible Scholar, and I were discussing this this very passage of scripture about 10-15 years ago. I can remember it as if it was yesterday. And yet, 10-15 years later, I still have not taken Jesus' offer of an easy yoke. I had to ask myself why?
Could it be that I have a problem with submission to authority? Or could it be that somehow I think it is a badge of honor to carry all of these burdens. Could it be that I want to stay loosely connected to Jesus and not all wrapped up, tied up, and tangled up with Him. Or maybe it is that I consider myself a free spirit, an independent thinker, and I want to be free to go and do as I please.
What is it that is keeping me from taking Jesus' offer of an easy yoke? Why am I up worrying all night, when I could be resting- if I just took the easy yoke.
As I pondered over this, I thought about the Kentucky Derby. This is an elite race among horses. These horses are trained and well cared for. Some of these horses live in luxurious stables with the best amenities that money can buy. They are prized possessions. On the other hand, there are horses that live in the wild. They run wild and are untamed. You can not put a saddle on them. All their lives they run in the wild- caring and fending for themselves.
The Kentucky Derby horses all have a bridle/yoke, the other horses do not. The Kentucky Derby horses are kept, well cared for, protected and safe. The other horses are unkept,not cared for, not protected, and not safe.
The bridle/yoke is a tool used for submission, bringing under control, taming. It is used to train, lead, direct; without it the horses would run wild. But once the horse have a bridle/yoke, they can be used to do great things, like win the Kentucky Derby. They become valuable, prized possessions. But without it, they are not useful. The horse may be strong, talented but without the bridle/yoke they in essence are useless because they cannot be tamed.
Similar to us, we also need the bridle/yoke otherwise we too would run wild. Out of control, unkept, unprotected. So you see this bridle/yoke is necessary for the Christian who seeks to be used by God. To be useful in His service, we must have the bridle/yoke on. Otherwise we would run wild and be untamed..just like the horse.
So then, why still am I having trouble taking the yoke Jesus offered. The main reason is : Pride.
The enemy tells us, it doesn't take all that, there is a short cut, we don't really have to take the yoke. We don't need to be all wrapped up, tied up, and tangled up in Jesus. Just being loosely connected is enough.
Only when we get a glimpse of the "Kentucky Derby" Christians who took the yoke and we see they are well kept, well cared for, protected and safe. Then we begin to wonder why our lives are in the mess it is in. Why are we so unkept, untamed, uncared for, fending for ourselves-out in the wild. This is mainly because we have not taken the bridle/yoke. We are out in the wild.
The yoke Jesus offers, is a two person instrument with you on one side, and Jesus on the other side. Symbolizing you submitting to Jesus and being connected to Him. He carries the load as you follow His lead and direction. You are tamed, under His control, disciplined, kept, safe, protected, well cared for.
If you, like me want to now take Jesus' offer of an easy yoke as in Matthew 11:28-30 and you are tired of being out in the wild- unkept, uncared for, fending for yourself..
Let us take Jesus at His word and begin this process today, together... Step by step, one day at a time. Taking the rest and easy yoke Jesus wants us to have.
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