Bible Discussion Thread

The Bible verse is seemingly questionable. Firstly, the Lord said "Come to me, those who are heavy laden and weary. And I shall give you rest". He went on to say, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light". For someone who is heavy laden and again given a yoke (as mentioned above) I think it is unfathomable. You already have burden and to be given another yoke (will surely) increase burden to become unbearable. Is it His miraculous ways that He is implying here or just juggling with words? Can someone please throw more light on my curiosity?

He's inviting us to drop the heavy burden (sinful life) and take up a much lighter one (righteous life).

James, that's a good observation, for in a quick reading of those verses, it would appear as a conflicting message from Jesus. However, when we look at what Jesus was referring to when He said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (vv 28,30), He was speaking about what the Jews had placed upon them. All Jews were subject to the Pharisees' & Scribes' teaching & interpretation of the Law. However, in their zeal & desire to keep the people subject to them, they added their own 'extra' requirements to the Law making the burden the people had to bear far too heavy. ( Mt 23:4)

This was particularly evident concerning observance of the Sabbath. The religious leaders opposed Jesus & His disciples for plucking ears of corn to satisfy their hunger ( Mt 12:1-8), or when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath ( Mt 12:10-14). The Pharisees imposed their own laws onto that one to condemn Jesus for what He did but He gave them an appropriate reply.

We all have to pull our yoke through life with its burdens. The Jews had the Law to obey, which was burdensome in itself with all its regulations, obligations & ceremonies, but these leaders wanted to make it more so. When Jesus said that "His yoke was easy & His burden light", He was trying to get them to see that it was, for example, "The sabbath that was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" ( Mk 2:27); He wanted them to see the spirit of the Law rather than the letter. His requirements were always for our blessing & comfort & for the Christian (after His resurrection), the apostle Paul wrote about the liberty we have: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." ( Gal 5:1). And this liberty was not for us to do anything we wanted (as some Christians believe), but free to obey the spirit of the law by the strength & indwelling Holy Spirit which is not burdensome.

A yoke is what a team of burden bearing oxen wear in their harness to pull large heavy loads.

Jesus is saying to take His strength and to give all of your burdens, sickness, depression, substance abuse: and He will pull the load.

I'm not going to elaborate. If we choose to carry the burdens ourselves, He just waits till we admit we need His help.

This is a prayer nobody can pray for you. You have to do it yourself!