Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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 NIV
When studying these verses, I discovered that “easy” comes from a verb that means “useful, manageable, serviceable, that which fills a need and is well-fitting.” In other words, Jesus’ yoke is designed perfectly to fit our needs; it’s tailor-made so that we become like Him. “Light” means “light in weight, agile, not burdensome, or overbearing.” It’s not that Jesus’ yoke demands less of us, but His yoke is light because He bears the greater part of the load. We’re yoked with Him, not trudging the path on our own.
Dallas Willard shares a wonderful analogy of how to experience this rest with Jesus:
When you were young you probably played a game called tag…. A day with Jesus is just the opposite. Jesus is “it,” and you are “not it,” as we all declared at the start of a game. It’s not up to you to make everything happen now. Yoked to Jesus, allow him to carry most of the load as you go about your day in his uplifting presence. This is a great relief…. If you find yourself lapsing back into the role of being “it,” simply reach out and say to Jesus, “Tag—you’re it!” He’s much better at being “it” than any of us are, anyway.
— Life Without Lack, pp. 195-196
ACTION: Do you feel rested today? If not, why not? In what ways are you experiencing Jesus’ gentleness with you? What part of His yoke chafes right now? How is He inviting you to respond to that? Practice playing tag with Jesus today, allowing Him to carry most of your load as you walk with Him.
