Taking on the Jesus Yoke
Photo by Ana Cernivec on Unsplash
It is the fifth of July. The day after a celebration of freedom. I find it a curious coincidence that the gospel text the Christian church is reading across the world today is Matthew 11:28-30. A text that certainly doesn’t seem to invoke images of liberation, or freedom. As we will see, the word “yoke” is used here, which, if you are not familiar, is a device that joins two cattle, or ox together around their necks.
“28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus said this to his fellow Jewish brothers and sisters, who heard the word “yoke” and knew exactly what Jesus was talking about. In ancient Judaism Rabbis did not all interpret the Torah in the same way, and each Rabbi became known for their various interpretations. So, when a pupil or student would be accepted by a particular Rabbi it was said that the pupil would take the “rabbi’s yoke upon him.” Taking on a Rabbi’s yoke would mean a dramatic life shift, with the pupil leaving his home, his family, and way of life to be fully yoked with that particular Rabbi. This was a point of honor for mothers and fathers, if their child accepted such a calling, signaling a deep devotion to a life of faith.
We know that Jesus’ followers called him Rabbi, and we also know that Jesus’ disciples also gave up their entire livelihoods and familial connections in order to go with him. The main difference is that the disciples of Jesus didn’t fit the mold of pupils yoking themselves to a Rabbi. The pupils that Jesus called into this relationship with him often fell outside the cultural norm of students or apprentices of Judaism. In this way, this band of wondering students following this wild Rabbi became a spectacle, some referring to it as a kind of traveling circus or side show.
The intent of a Rabbi placing his yoke on his pupils was, to be frank, to create little clones of himself. To spread that particular interpretation of the Torah into the world, to multiply that perspective by creating more and more disciples.
So, in this light, we read again Jesus saying to his disciples, “learn from me, I am gentle, I am humble, this yoking thing, it isn’t going to be oppressive…” If this is the yoke of Jesus, and the intent was for his disciples to live with and see, first hand, what true compassion, humility, and love looks like in his life, then Jesus is showing us his deepest hopes for us, as we follow his way.
And in this way, I think this is the third part of something I never planned on being a series. Two weeks ago I spoke about the mysterious text where Jesus talked about not coming to bring peace, but a sword, and wondered if what Jesus was exposing here was that the glue that holds together our relationships cannot be a collective enemy, and that accepting that reality will make maintaining some relationships, even the closest ones we have, difficult. And then last week I wondered about the almost-sacrifice of Isaac at the hands of his father Abraham, and wondered if maybe up until the point that God interceded that Abraham was not actually listening to the voice of the true God, but the false gods prevalent in the Ancient Near East that called for human sacrifice to maintain human harmony.
And so what about this text? Well, it seems to be another reminder about listening, and being aware of the voices that are steering us. Is it God who asks us build and sustain relationships that have at their center a common enemy? Nope. So if we think God is mandating that time of relationship building, it is time to re-evaluate our relationships. Do we follow a God that requires human sacrifice in order for them to be appeased? Nope. So, we need to identify the voice within us that permits the deaths of humans in war, or under the knees of racism and oppression.
And this text, which is Jesus saying, you will know that you are following my way when you walk in the path of compassion, of humility, of love. And we know that we are following in the Jesus way when the power and principalities are threatened by messages of compassion, humility and love, and they use the power of the sword to silence you.
In this understanding of being yoked, I don’t see restriction, I see freedom. I see liberation from all that keeps us from experiencing truth and authenticity in our relationships. I see the freedom that exists in the beautiful work of creating a world that recognizes and respects the light of God in each person. How will we know when we are being led astray from this beautiful vision of human community? Sometimes we may not know it until we are on the mountain and an angel comes and stops us from doing something sacrificial, thinking that is what God needs to be happy with us. Sometimes we will know it when we discover that what has been keeping us in relationship with someone is a shared vision of who our enemies are.
And if nothing else resonates with you this morning, maybe what we can really sit with is the image of Jesus, sitting across from us, tired, burdened, weary and saying to us, ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
That is why we do this church thing together. We create and sustain this sacred community in the hopes that we can tag team this work of building the kingdom of God.
What has been your experience of listening? What stands out to you when you notice yourself hearing from God?
When have you been in a mentor relationship with someone? How did it feel to be in partnership with this person? How did this person help you see the world differently? How did this person help you navigate the uncertainties of life?
Are you weary? Are you tired? Are you burdened? How can we, as your community, come alongside you and give you rest?