In order to help us understand what is happening in the Scriptures we have to understand how they used certain words.
Read Matthew 11:28-30 and journal your thoughts on what the word “Yoke” means
Traditionally when we look at the word “yoke” we are reminded that a yoke is a piece of farming equipment that binds two animals together. Since the people of ancient Israel were farmers, this must be what it means, right? Problem is so often when we are reading Scripture it’s easy for us to get lazy with words like that and stop there. The way we use words change depending on their context. For example, 30 years ago the word “cool” meant “cold”, but then it began to evolve to mean “awesome”.
This piece of Scripture is no different, yes “yoke” does refer to a piece of farming equipment, but the Rabbis also used this term to mean something else. For the Rabbi the word “yoke” referred to their teachings. For example how a given Rabbi interpreted Scripture was their yoke, while another Rabbi may have a different interpretation or yoke. Think about it like different denominations today, Baptists have one set of beliefs (yoke) that they are trying to spread, while the Methodists have another.
Now re-read Matthew 11:28-30 with this in mind think about the yoke of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other religious groups of the time. Think about the heavy burden of trying to keep all those commands that went above and beyond Torah (God’s Law). Now think about the words of Jesus saying his heart is humble (compared to the religious leaders – Matthew 6:5). Think about when Jesus talks about his teaching being light, wait there is a way to follow God that is actually possible by someone other than the super religious? Jesus is offering a new way to follow God’s Law that gets rid of all the legalism and the showing off.
Today meditate on the legalism in our denominations today and how the way of Jesus would be different.
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