Readings (Year A):
Zechariah 9:9–10
Psalm 145:1-2, 8–9, 10–11, 13–14
Romans 8:9, 11–13
Matthew 11:25–30
Reflection: What are you yoked to?
Christ says: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
We don’t believe him, do we? We’ve seen yokes, those thick wooden cross beams placed over the necks of oxen in order that they might pull a heavy plow through untilled fields. It seems treacherous, to have such a beam on our shoulders and around our necks, someone else steering our steps, leading us to, literally, God knows where.
Maybe some of us, who have gone down our own dark paths and found them empty, now welcome the yoke. And maybe some of us were born with a gift of faith such that the yoke seems a diamond necklace around our necks rather than a restraint. But most of us, I imagine, are want-our-cake-and-eat-it-too kind of people. We love Jesus, truly, and we desire to walk with him, and experience his peace, but, if we’re honest, we kinda want to do it when it suits us, and preferably on our terms. To truly give up our will? That is something else altogether.
And no wonder. Everything in our culture cautions us against this. We are born and raised (especially if we are part of the dominant culture) absolutely steeped in the notion that we can will, and with a little discipline, achieveour own good, as defined by us. We can will and work our bodies into perfect fitness. We can climb the corporate ladder, if only we lean in. We can find success in whatever we wish if we are passionate enough and just work hard enough. Give up our wills to be yoked? In our minds, this sounds equivalent to being in bondage, to giving up our freedom. And besides, we’re told that if we yoke ourselves to Christ, we might have to carry a cross, and that doesn’t sound fun.
But here is the dilemma friends: We’re almost always in bondage to something, yoked to something—to other people’s opinions, the pursuit of money, maintaining a certain image, the belief that we’re owed what we desire, to addiction to any number of things, to an outlook or philosophy, a person or group, to some old hurt, or even some old hope. We humans are idol factories. None of us move through the world perfectly free.
Jesus is telling the truth. Compared to the burden of chasing after whatever our fickle hearts desire, his way is easy, his burden is light. We might be led on paths not otherwise encountered, some marvelous, some rocky and hard, but either way God remains with us. When we are yoked to God, it means God is yoked to us. We have the God of heaven and earth walking with us, and this changes everything. This means no matter what comes our way, we are not alone, and God’s love envelopes us and protects our spirit.
Of course, being yoked to God only makes sense inside of God’s love, knowing and trusting that God’s will for us is nothing but love. And if our heart is packed with hurt or fear, it can take some effort to open it to such a powerful love. God doesn’t care if it takes a little, or even a lot of time. God’s got all the time in the world. It’s an open invitation: Come to me, and I will give you rest.
