Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
There are many types of burdens in this world we may try to carry, especially in our current post-virus living conditions today. Consider the burdens of guilt, sorrow, pain, grief, fear, worry and consequences of our sins. And what about the burdens of keeping up with the rules and regulations that governs the “new normal” lifestyle that we are living. We all manage burdens and it leads us to become weary. Often in different ways, for different reasons, and often at different times.
In today’s verse, however, Christ promises hope for the “heavy laden” if we will but come to Him and accept His gracious offer of salvation and cleansing. Christ might not necessarily remove the burden, but may lighten it, or give us strength to bear it, whichever is best. But, His offer of rest includes inward peace even in times of trouble here, and perfect peace hereafter (John 14:27).
How can we achieve this? We must learn to exchange the burden of our lives with the burden of bearing Christ’s yoke, which is the cross. Emulating Christ meekness and lowliness in heart as we do so. When we accept carrying our cross in humility because of our love for Him, we can endure every hardship and bear every burden with hope and patience. It may sound paradoxical, but we actually will feel our earthly load/burdens lightening up by taking up the “yoke” of the cross (Matthew 16:24). For Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden is light, as compared to the burdens of this world. Christ, in exchanging His weight of eternal glory to bear our weight of sin on the cross, knows very well how much more we are able to endure in bearing the cross as compared to the burdens and sins of this world.
May the Lord grant us grace and faith to cast our burdens upon Him (Psalm 55:22) and to gladly carry His yoke upon our shoulders so that we may find true rest in Him as He sustains us.
