A HUMAN YOKE

In Scripture today, Jesus is talking about yokes. Now, we know about animal yokes, and I have heard preachers use this analogy where we are joined by Jesus in this yoke designed for two beasts of burden. For instance, Paul talks about not being unequally yoked with this in mind. But in this passage Jesus is talking about human yokes – one’s that go across your shoulders to carry heavy things. This type of yoke is something described in Jeremiah, where it says, “make yourselves straps and yoke-bars and put them on your neck.” (Jer 27:2)

Metaphorically, a yoke is often used to speak of being in subjection to someone – in Jeremiah it refers to being subjected to the Babylonian empire and in the New Testament it is used to refer to slavery (1 Tim 6:1).

Jesus uses this image to talk about the traditions of the elders, which the Pharisees added to the Law or God’s will. Jesus speaks of this in Matthew where he says, “they tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear and lay them on people’s shoulders” (Mt 23:4). These are rules imposed on the Jewish people about how far they could walk on a Sabbath, rules about healing on the Sabbath, prescriptions on ritual washing, and on and on and on. You name the activity in life and there were rules for it; lots of them. Rules that went beyond the Law of Moses, but you had to follow them to be accepted. Burdens placed on the people, yet not necessarily lived and followed by the elders and Pharisees. Jesus rejected these man-made traditions. He did not come to laden us with a host of human rules, but to free us and guide us to the basics of God’s will for our lives.

Maybe you’re carrying a yoke today of human rules and expectations that are not God’s will for you. Maybe Christmas expectations that have become a heavy burden with the collision of secular and sacred traditions that we and others have laid on our shoulders. Burdens that often have nothing to do with what God has called us to be and the season for which we prepare and celebrate the coming of the true light and Word of God.

There are other yokes and burdens, like the yoke of slavery to Sin (Jn 8:34; Rom 6:16-20). This is where we live our lives apart from God’s will, doing our own will. Where sin, once chosen, becomes our master. It comes to control us, take over and ruin our lives, sending us down a path not of our choosing and away from the Light. 

Are you tired of carrying the burden of disappointing and hurting others, of hurting God – but you can’t break free? Whatever burdens we are carrying on our yoke today – Jesus is inviting us to lay these burdens down before Him and to take up his yoke. To receive him and the peace only he can give as we continue to prepare for his coming.