Yoked in Community

[28] Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

This past weekend I had the privilege of preaching at the church I work at. The opportunity comes around a few times a year and inevitably I become stressed about what to share with my church family. I’ve come to rely on sharing what I am studying personally during that time or maybe a passage of Scripture that has been either been encouraging or challenging to me during a specific season of life.

It was Memorial Day weekend and the end of Mental Health Awareness Month. We’re also in the midst of witnessing some of the deadliest shootings in America. It’s been devastating to watch as each night on the news there seems to be a tragedy unfolding. I was left asking myself “What will I share???”.

Over the few weeks I had to prepare for bringing the Word, I spent time reflecting on remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms as individuals and as a nation. There was a moment in which I was putting together a sermon on what it means to remember when it quickly changed. I started shifting gears to talk about Mental Health awareness as it is talked about few and far between in the church. I think it is beginning to see more attention and address more frequently and I wanted to bring it to light through my experiences with anxiety, depression, and past bouts with suicide.

As I was driving into the office the Friday before the Sunday I was slated to speak, I felt a nudge to look at Matthew 11:28-30. Before I could crack open my Bible at the office, my mind was already racing in the car. I didn’t want to change my sermon again.

Matthew 11 is a passage I am familiar with as it is one of the passages I keep in my mind often, especially during times where I feel anxious or overwhelmed. Although it felt as though it was an easy out, I dove into head first. Thankfully I have an abundance of notes on the passage as it was one I studied in the past and occasionally revisit.

After giving the message on Sunday I was left pondering two thoughts.

Being yoked.

Living life in community.

Somehow, they both flow together in my head. Not sure if it comes together neatly, but I wanted to explore it more in this space.

We see that in verse 29 Jesus calls us to take on His yoke. I my message I pointed out that it is Jesus’ yoke. No one else’s yoke. Being yoked to anything but Jesus is disastrous. Jesus’ yoke is the only one that brings us rest, despite the call to put in the work to learn what He is teaching us.

Being yoked would have been an easy illustration for people to pick up on and in some cases around the world it is still quite common to see it visually.

It is a picture of a bar or frame of wood that would be worn by oxen or another type of farming work animal. It is meant to cause the animals bound to work together in pulling a load or plow. In my guess-timation, I would picture two animals equal in stature, weight, and power being paired together. Otherwise, it would be unbalanced and you would be left with one animal dragging the other around the field as you were trying to prepare the ground for sowing seed.

The thought occurred to me that the latter is how I saw myself yoked to Christ. It was uneven. Christ being much bigger in power would end up pulling me around. That was, until, I took into account the rest of that verse. Jesus says this,

Take my yoke on you and learn from me,

He says “learn from me”. Almost immediately I thought of Hebrews 4:14-16 in which we see Jesus as our High Priest. He sympathizes with out weakness. Why? Because He was tempted in every way and yet passed through without sinning.

And so, we begin to see that we aren’t unequally yoked. We are bound together to the Savior by common experiences and we are called to learn from Him. We can learn from Him on how to respond and travel the terrain of the temptations, grief, suffering, and trials we are facing. It is in those moments we find mercy and grace in times of need.

We’re called to do the same with one another. I’m reminded of Galatians 6:2 where Paul states,

[1] Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. [2] Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

Quite simply, we are to help in carrying each other’s burdens. We are to yoke ourselves to one another and help each other out in times of need. In essence, we are to be little Christ’s to our brothers and sisters. We are to lend our spiritual wisdom and knowledge to aid those who are struggling and heavy laden.

We can bring them to Christ in prayer and admonish and encourage them in the Word.

The Apostle Paul tells in Romans 12 to conduct ourselves in love and humility. We are to

[10] Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. [11] Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. [12] Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. [13] Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality. [14] Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. [16] Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. [17] Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. [18] If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. (Romans 12:10-18)

In washing the disciple’s feet as an act of service in John 13, Christ challenges his disciples in saying,

[14] If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. [15] For I have given you an example – you should do just as I have done for you. [16] I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. [17] If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

We should be moved to love and serve one another in the way Christ as loved and served us. He calls us to be yoked to Him, that we may learn and find rest. Likewise, we should do the same for others.

Let us be yoked to one another in community as we are yoked to Christ.

Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash