The Yoke.

“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)

Tonight, I had the privilege to learn from Dr. AR Bernard during the Sunday Night Service at my church. There were a lot of insights and wisdom. One of those enlightenments that I got was about the above verse.

It was a common verse. A verse that I have heard for so many times but tonight was the night where I can finally fully grab the meaning of it and I just so excited to share it to you. Okay, let's start.

What is a yoke? A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animal. (taken from wikipedia.com) - which means the use of yoke is always intended to be used for a pair of animals in order for them to move together.

The verse in Matthew 11:28-29 was actually an invitation from Jesus to be yoked together with Him. That is why in the next verse it was said that His yoke is easy and the burden is light. WHY? because when we are yoked together with Jesus, every time we feel tired and weary, Jesus would be there with us too and with His strength He will help to sustain us. Just like when one of the yoked animals feel tired of the work, it's pair would feel it too and would sustain and help the tired one to keep on moving to the right direction and carry the burden. 

When we are yoked with Jesus, our business, our care, our needs and our problems...all will become His as well, just like when two animals being yoked together they would carry the same burden. What concerns us would also concerns Jesus.

A yoke is also made in a way that would fit the animals who will carry it. It is made in a way that would not harm the animals while they are using the yoke. It is designed specifically for the animals. It's also applies in the spiritual yoke that we're talking about. Jesus' yoke is specifically designed for us in a way that would fit us well. Jesus knows about our past experiences, about how we feel and what we've been through, thus He fashioned the yoke to fit us in a way that would not harm us but enabling us to carry the burden together with Him because Jesus longs to have a relationship, fellowship and do service with us. 

When we are yoked with Jesus, we are ready to work together with Him because it's impossible to be yoked while each has their own direction to go. 

The idea of being yoked together is applicable the most in the marriage life, a husband and a wife need to be yoked in a marriage to work on it together. Now, I understand even more why the Bible told us not to unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14) because it would be very difficult for someone to be yoked together with someone else who has a different subset of values in life. I thought it was more about being with someone who's not a Christian, but more, it still applies even when your partner is already a Christian -- you need to know if your partner values the same values in life as you. It's more than just about a different belief but it's about the compatibility that you have as partners so that you will be able to move together.

It's so impossible to be yoked with someone who doesn't have the same direction because we would then fight along the way, moving nowhere and eventually get tired. Thus, we need really pay attention during our relationship stages. We need to see and to know if there is any burden that our partner is carrying because we would carry it too in the future, so we can measure ourselves if we would able and willing to carry the burden together with our partner.

This yoke concept also applies in the area of business because in business partnership we would also need to work together. It is important to know our business partners that well to see if he/she has an issue or burden that he/she needs to take care of and thus, will help us to give sound judgment if we should trust he/she to become our partner or not. 

It was so awesome to get that new insight. To know that being yoked with Jesus is the ultimate thing that we can enjoy during our journey back home, He will help us get through everything. When we feel that He's away, just remember that when we are yoked with Jesus, He will always be there beside us, walking the steps together with us and all our business will become His business too :)