Bible Studies

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Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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.”

Thesaurus Fun:

Heavy-laden – weighed down, burdened, overloaded, encumbered
Rest – respite, ease, relief, comfort, help, support

The Light Burden

Jesus here issues an invitation to everyone who is tired of carrying the burdens of this life all by themselves. Burdens of sin, guilt, fear, and the law. Burdens we were never meant to carry on our own. Jesus often criticized the Pharisees for laying this kind of burden of people. He said, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. (Matt 23:4)”. None can carry this kind of burden, rather, we are to give it over to God and we are to take His yoke. A yoke is a wooden harness that attaches an animal (or more commonly, two animals together) to a cultivation tool to work the ground. When we come to Christ, He removes the heavy and encumbering yoke of sin, guilt, and fear and gives to us instead His cross. But a cross is not light. If Christ calls us to carry our cross as we follow Him (Matt 16:24-26), how can He call this burden light? It is because we no longer carry it alone. We have become yoked (that is; connected) with Him. Therefore, He carries the cross with us. Though we do not have in ourselves the strength necessary to carry our cross, He shoulders it with us and so it becomes light to us as we find our strength in Him. We are to let all of our burdens rest on Him – our fear, worries, troubles, and distresses. As Scripture says, “cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you.( 1 Peter 5:7)” Learn from Jesus the right way to live – not bound up in yourself so that everything depends on you, but we wrapped up in God knowing that everything is in His hands and in His plans. That is the place of rest. In everything you do, humble yourself before God admitting to Him, “I can’t, but God, you can.” You will be amazed at what He begins to do in and through you as you put down your burden and come under His.

Point to Ponder

Are you tired and burdened? Remember; God offers you rest in Him. Are you ready to admit that you can’t do everything on your own? That you can’t control the future and you can’t erase your sin? Will you allow Him to remove the burdens of guilt and sin that you might, together with Him, bear your cross instead?

Come and pray, “All-mighty God, who are we that You should be mindful of us (Psalm 8:4)? Yet You are mindful of us and though we were Your enemies, You gave Your only Son for us that we might be reconciled to You through His death. Our Lord, You offer rest to us in shouldering the cross. You offer to teach us to be humble and to completely depend on You. We know that everything depends on You and that in the end we are weak and broken. Help us to not only recognize this truth, but to admit it and live it out – that we would trust in You in everything. You are the all-powerful God and You alone have the power to bear our sins, remove our guilt, calm our fears, and fulfill the law. In You alone is the strength to carry the cross You call us to bear. May we every moment live in vital union with You, firmly connected to You, Your strength, and Your infinite power. Amen.”

See these songs: I’ll Carry You*, The Place of Grace

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