Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
It’s strange that Jesus’s answer to the need for rest is work. Think about it. Jesus doesn’t say, “come to me all who labor and are heavy laden… and take a nap.” He says, “take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” The call to discipleship extends beyond simple following. It’s not enough to follow Jesus, but we must learn from Him as well.
The cumbersome rules and traditions of humanity weigh down the most devout of servants, but Jesus invites us to walk with and learn from Him in a way that fits. We were made for this yoke. We were designed to walk under the teaching of Jesus. Imagine walking your whole life with large stones attached to your ankles. Walking through life would be a difficult, burdensome thing. Then one day, you see Jesus. He walks past you with easy and pleasure. With the sun kissing His shoulders and highlighting His smile, He says, “follow me and learn from me. Walk as I walk. Do as I do.”
Jesus cuts away the stones, and you step out of their weighty demand. All of the sudden, walking becomes a delight! You so enjoy walking and learning from Jesus that your heart wants to run! What once was burdensome and heavy has now become easy and light! Like a walk in the cool of the Garden of Eden, your walk with Jesus becomes a refreshing and reviving experience.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to cast aside those things that weigh you down. Perhaps Jesus is calling you to learn from Him in a way that looks like freedom and refreshment. Maybe Jesus is inviting you to walk as a child once again - carefree and light!
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 291–298, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 11:25–30) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).