…to be yoked to Christ, we must first come into alignment with Him.
“Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on 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 to carry and my burden is light.”
—Matthew 11:28-30
Is anyone feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders; feeling like things are just too much to bear? When we watch the news or read the paper, when we see the justice system being usurped or laws being passed that undermine simple law and order, when we see the Judeo-Christian ethics that were once part of our culture fading away—we may feel as though we are under a great weight. T he days when we knew our neighbors, when the kids could play on the streets until the streetlights came on are all but gone. It is heartbreaking, but it is not new. The burdens of this world have always been present, have always been felt by the holy people. Each age and each day bring challenges all their own. Whether it is the need to supply for your family during a depression, times of sickness, or times of civil unrest, these trials are not new. They may be new to us and we to them; we may try to shoulder these weights unhindered. But Christ alone teaches us how best to carry these weights; He teaches us not to carry them alone.
As Christians, we are to yoke ourselves to someone else and share the great burden. Now the invitation is not simply to yoke ourselves with anyone—not at all. Rather, the invitation is to yoke ourselves with and to Jesus Himself! I know probably none of us has ever worn a yoke but think of carrying a piece of furniture. Imagine you are carrying an office desk, one that has those heavy drawers on one side of it. If you have ever moved furniture you have likely faced this scenario: there is a heavy end and there is a light end. Two people are necessary, and the stronger of the two needs to take the heavier end. Much in the same way, when you are yoked together in fellowship, the stronger of the two can pull more of that weight. I believe it is natural to find ourselves yoking to someone or something in order to carry us through trying times. The weight of earthly burdens can be too much for our souls or bodies to bear. Unfortunately, many times people will yoke themselves to something—something that will itself become a burden. And in the end, become more weight for them to bear. However, if we yoke ourselves to Christ! we will never be the one carrying more of the burden. Conversely, therefore, we will be the burden which Christ bears; and He will always carry the weight, nor will He fail; He will always hold us up. But to be yoked to Christ, we must first come into alignment with Him. We must see what He sees and go wherever His direction leads. We must let go of those other yokes (burdens), and instead, place our true burdens upon Jesus. Being yoked to Christ means that we can no longer carry the weights our way. No, we must be humble to place our burdens on Him, repentantly admitting that we cannot carry them on our own. I believe, church, that we need more and more to be yoked to Jesus Christ and unyoked, unhindered, by the things of this world. I also know, from my personal experiences, that the more I yoke myself to Christ, it is truly amazing how much lighter my own burden becomes.