All this moving got me thinking about the burdens we carry in life. We all have stuff to carry. Even people in Jesus’ day had stuff to carry. Jesus knew it and invited them to make sure they were carrying the right stuff.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Everyone is carrying something. Some burdens are self-imposed (expectations, guilt, control, pride). Some burdens are imposed on us by the world (work, grief, injustice, trauma, pressure). Some burdens are spiritual (sin, shame, fear, striving to prove ourselves). All these burdens weigh us down and wear us down. They make us weary.
We decided to downsize our home when we moved, because we're now empty nesters. No need for as much space as we had when we were parents with three young kids. So we got rid of a lot of stuff before we moved. But not enough. We still have too much for our smaller home. So we'll be giving more away--donating, selling, or throwing away.
In life, you can’t carry everything; it’s too much. Before we become Christian, we carry all the things the world tells us to carry. And then, when we decide to follow Jesus, if we try to carry all our former stuff and all our Christian stuff too, it's just too much. What are you going to set aside so you can follow Christ?
Jesus comes to us and says: “If you’re weary from carrying heavy burdens, come to me!” He doesn’t want to add guilt to your already heavy load. He doesn’t scold us by chiding, “Try harder! Put your back into it! You’re doing it wrong!” He just says: “Come to me.” And He says:
A yoke is a farming implement used to attach a heavy load for oxen, mules, or horses to pull. Jesus uses the image to indicate the work he has for us to do.
- Shared - We don’t carry it alone. We work with other Christians. (Oxen work in teams,)
Guided - Oxen don’t decide where they go, they are guided by a plowman.
Purposeful - So much of life seems to have no meaning. If you ask someone, "Why are you doing that?" Can they give you an answer? Unfortunately, the answer is often simple "It's what everyone else is doing" or "I guess it's just what everyone says you're supposed to do."
Most importantly—carrying Christ’s yoke assumes a relationship with the Master. Jesus doesn’t hand us a yoke and walk away. He says: “I am gentle and humble in heart.” He doesn’t drive us harshly. He doesn’t shame us when we stumble. He doesn’t discard us when we’re tired or used up. Christ cares about His people and He proved how much by dying for us on the cross. We are more than cattle to Jesus. He gave His life for us! We are His friends. We are His brothers and sisters.
Jesus says: “Learn from Me.” Oxen have to be trained to bear a load properly. They’re living creatures with a mind of their own, but they’re not smart enough to see the bigger picture of the work being done.
The farmer is the one who sees a field and thinks, "This would be a great place to grow some wheat. It needs to be plowed up, fertilized, planted with a certain variety of wheat, and irrigated. He knows all the steps it will take to make the field fruitful. Nut the oxen don't know. They need a farmer (or a plowman) to lead them.
Jesus’ invitation implies we don’t know how to carry life rightly either. It's true. We make a mess of things. And so we have to learn. And Jesus wants to teach us.
Learning takes time. Just because you say yes to Jesus today, doesn’t mean you’ll be fully trained tomorrow. Following Jesus is a process, not a switch that gets flipped.
In Jesus’ day, a young ox was often yoked with a seasoned one. The young ox learned how to pull by
listening to the master’s voice and following the example of the more experienced ox. If the ox resisted the master’s voice, it led to a lot of wasted energy (and possibly getting someone hurt!). If it pulled its own way, it led to exhaustion, frustration, and futility. But once trained, the work flowed smoothly, the load felt lighter, and the relationship brought order and peace.
We are not called to carry life alone—we are called to stay close to Christ and learn His pace, follow His direction, and go His way.
One thing you need to know about my family. We love animals. We have lots of pets--2 dogs 4 cats, and 3 chickens!
If you have pets you love, you probably know every detail about them. I know that Roy Bob is so fat his back is flat like an aircraft carrier! I know he loves 2 things most in life (in this order): He loves to eat and he loves to be the center of yoru attention and affection. I know his ears are soft and silky, but Winston's are wiry and scruffy. I know Winston will bark at any sight or sound he thinks he sees (even if nothing is there). But I also know he will run and hide if any real danger might be near because he's a total coward! Do you know your pets like me?
A good farmer in Jesus' day knew his oxen well. They knew every curve of their neck, their temperament, what spooked them, and what motivated them. They often had yokes handcrafted to fit specific animals to ensure proper fit, prevent chafing & injury.
And a good farmer cared about his animals and Jesus cares about us and His yoke fits perfectly because He knows everything about us. The Gospel of John says Jesus was there in the beginning when the world was created. Jeremiah said He formed us in our mother's womb. He designed our very DNA and knows what’s best for us--even better than we know for ourselves.
And Jesus designed a yoke specifically to fit you. It is well-tailored and fits so naturally sometimes you forget it’s there. And His yoke gives you meaning and purpose. Serving becomes a pleasure, not a chore. He empowers you to bear much fruit instead of burning out in a wasted life. Somehow, mysteriously, work starts to feel like rest.
When I was growing up, I’ve always had a technically minded, engineering-type brain. I like systems, how things work, how pieces fit together. So when I started thinking about my future, I thought, This makes sense. Engineering meant good pay, job security, and maybe even living in one place my whole life.
So I went to school and earned a degree in textile engineering, and I got a job at 1888 Mills in Griffin. I enjoyed the work. It fit the way my mind works.
But at the end of the day, something was still missing. I realized this wasn’t my purpose. Somewhere along the way, God made it clear that while I had an engineer’s mind, He had given me a shepherd’s heart—a desire to serve Him, lead His people, and build His Church.
It was as if the Lord said, This is how I designed you. Do this instead.
So I made the change. Not because I’m perfect or especially gifted, but because when you step into what God created you to do, something just fits. There’s meaning there.
And even on hard days—even when ministry is difficult—I can honestly say this: I’m glad I’m doing what God made me to do.
The world’s burdens don’t fit. They rub us raw. They wear us down. And once we’re used up, Satan simply discards us and looks for another person to consume. The Enemy doesn’t care about you and a world led by Satan doesn’t care about you either.
Jesus invites us to trust Him enough to trade our broken yoke for His perfect one. The rest Jesus offers is not an escape—it’s learning to live life the way it was meant to be lived.
As we close, I’d like to invite you to take a minute to reflect as I ask you a few questions:
What burdens are you carrying that Jesus never asked you to carry?
Where are you resisting His teaching?
Are you walking close enough to Jesus to hear His voice?
And lastly, I'd like to invite you to follow Jesus. It's Jesus' invitation really. He says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
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