When I am asked this question, this Bible passage comes to mind;
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
How does this reflect Jesus’ character?
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
This is an opening for us to come to Him with anything. Jesus’ arms are opened for us to come to Him! And He will give us rest! How wonderful! Jesus will listen to our deepest troubles and give us rest from our troubles.
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
A yoke is a wooden frame that is fastened over the necks of two draft animals when they are attached to a plough (Miriam-Webster Dictionary). Jesus is inviting us to do life with him. The yoke is used so the animals (mainly oxen) can work together to plough the field. Now Jesus is wanting to be in the wooden frame with us, ploughing the field of life, going through the ups and downs, the tough bits and the easy bits. Jesus can be there through it all. Jesus is also wanting to teach us (“let me teach you” NLT). What a teacher Jesus is! Humbly and gently guiding us through life. Through us listening to Jesus, our souls will find rest, be relaxed and refreshed.
“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus helps us bear all our burdens, therefore His burden is light. And He is in the yoke with us, taking the brunt of it. Not that this will make life easy, but it will make the troubled times easier for us.
So, who is Jesus? He is the one that helps lift away our burdens, the gentle and humble teacher and the one that makes things lighter. When we share the yoke with Jesus, He is willing to make it lighter for us. Jesus is the one that makes the troubled times easier, helps us rest when our souls are troubled. Jesus is our partner in life, helping us through.
WRITER: Lauren Paulet, attends Shepparton SDA Church