Matthew 11:29

²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

A yoke has multiple meanings, including a wooden bar that joins animals or a frame that helps people carry loads. It can also be used as a verb to describe the act of joining two things together. 

The word ‘yoke’ is mentioned close to sixty times in the Bible. The implication is to allow Jesus to put His own yoke on us, the way a farmer would put one on his livestock. It means giving Jesus control and letting Him direct our efforts. The work He has will not be difficult, Jesus says. He wants them to learn from Him.

In the Eastern culture, tilling the ground was not an easy chore in the olden days. They had to train the mules, or oxen that can carry heavy burdens using the yoke. Both the animals on the yoke had to be in sync when they were tilling the ground or pulling a cart. According to an old saying in the Bible, two can do better than one.

Ecclesiastes 4:9

⁹ Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.

The farmer would bring one fully trained oxen and put the yoke on it and on the other side tie the trainee oxen to the yoke. When the expert or the master oxen moved, the trainee oxen would follow him. So, if the lead oxen turned left, then the apprentice oxen would learn to turn left and so on.

Every born again believer is like an apprentice oxen. In the above passage from Matthew chapter eleven, Lord Jesus Christ was saying to take up His yoke upon ourselves and learn from Him. Here Christ is giving us the assurance that He will not lead us into the wrong direction. He is saying only when we put on His yoke, we are able to find rest for our souls. Without knowing the way of Christ no one can find rest for their souls. This world will never be able help in finding the rest for their souls. But because of His gentleness, He will teach us how to walk in the direction He choses.

Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to teach us His ways. Our ways are worldly ways but when we submit to His yoke and allow Him to lead us, then each one of us will be able to please God. Every Christian believer has to allow Christ to steer them from the ways of this world, for He alone knows what our need is. Only by the grace of God, we are what we are.

1 Corinthians 15:10

¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am,

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!