Rest and Work?
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me . . . and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus’ invitation of rest and work may seem puzzling. A yoke pairs two oxen side by side so that they can pull together to get hard work done. That raises a question -what does this work have to do with “rest,” being “easy,” and a “burden that is light?”
Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of this passage in The Message may help: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
The yoke that He offers fits easily on us because it is a shared yoke with Jesus, and He’s working with us providing the power, wisdom and companionship we need to do the work He has created us to do. In this relationship we are being shaped to become more like Him. Inside the “unforced rhythms of grace,” even the line between work and rest is blurred.
Are you weary? Take on the yoke with Jesus and let the One who is “gentle and humble in heart” be your constant Companion and Teacher.
Dear Jesus, we get so weary and discouraged at times. We want to be a blessing, to make a difference but it can be so hard to do. Place your grace-shaped yoke on us, that we may find rest in working alongside You, in all the things You have planned for us. Amen.
Inspired by A Today Devotion