Matthew 11:28 " Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest".
Carrying the weight. This is what Jesus did for the people in His day who carried the heavy weight of all the additional laws the religious leaders had added. They also carried the guilt of not being able to obey all the laws. Jesus came to relieve the people of these ridiculous rules. Jesus spoke about having a close intimate relationship with the Father, with no secrets between them. Jesus wanted others to know about their closeness and to know that He has a yoke that is not legalistic and wearying. He tenderly gives an invitation that offers relief, rest, and joy for the weary.
Jesus said "come" to him, a different command than the Pharisees' always saying "do this or that". Jesus offered a different kind of yoke. Jesus is asking us to come to Him so that we could receive a well fitting yoke, one that is not a burden, and will bring us rest. Jesus yoke is tied to the grace of God and results in salvation. Jesus wants those of us who follow him to throw off the yoke of legalism we were once hitched to. We need to quit worrying about our circumstances, and take on his yoke. To cast all of our cares upon Him. Jesus' plan to lift the yoke off all who are shackled to their circumstances. Jesus invites the weary to come to Him so they can experience rest for their souls. The key to experiencing this rest is having a right relationship with God, something that can happen only if you have a personal relationship with Jesus.
We all have responsibilities that drain us and difficulties that wear us down. We can let the world drag us down its weary path, or we can join our lives with Jesus. He's eager to have us in His yoke of care, guiding us, giving us help for our present needs, and assuring us that He has a plan for us that includes rest and peace, with everlasting life.
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