Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Jesus spoke to people who were "weary and heavy-laden" under the weight of religious legalism. To get out from under this burden, Jesus invites the weary person to come to Him, that is, to believe in Him for "rest." Rest is the assurance that one is eternally secure simply by trusting in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
To the one who comes to Him, Jesus says, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me." A yoke is an instrument used to join two animals together to pull a plow or cart. It is associated with work and work is associated with discipleship as is learning. A believer is to be a disciple of Jesus by learning from Him and serving Him. But in contrast with man-made regulations, Jesus stated, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light," which means, "His commandments are not a burden." (1 John 5:3)
Initially, we are given rest when we come to Jesus, when we believe in Him. That rest, however, does not mean we will be at peace in our day-to-day living. For that we must learn from Christ and serve Him. Over time, we will then find rest for our inner selves.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
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