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Matt 11:29 (NIVUK)

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, … 

As we prepare to spend the next few moments drawing close to God from our hurried rushed world, take three slow breaths in and out, and centre yourself as you focus on being in his presence. Meditate on the words 'take my yoke upon you and learn from me'. 

I grew up in a developing country where you would see oxen yoked together ploughing fields or pulling loads. Mostly you saw two cattle of the same height with this wooden crosspiece, a yoke, across their neck and shoulders but at times you’d see they were mismatched which made the task harder for them. Jesus’ listeners would be very familiar with the use of a yoke, He uses this illustration as a metaphor: Israel was yoked to the Mosaic law - doing the law was good and a way to enter rest. However, keeping the law became more important to the people than God. God became the taskmaster who had to be obeyed, come what may. 

Still today, even though we know Jesus' sacrifice freed us from the law, we can fall into the same patterns: we can become legalistic, controlling, achievement focused; ‘our yoke’, as we strive to live out our faith, results in weariness and stress robbing us of peace and joy.

It's in this moment that Jesus encourages us to take on his yoke and take our ill-fitting yoke off. He is inviting us into a place where, in him, we can find healing and wholeness -freedom from striving. The yoke he is offering is light, it’s tailor-made for you for today. The crosspiece of this yoke represents the Cross where we find freedom; it represents grace sufficient for today; it represents mercy which enables us to stand/sit in his presence as his child, his beloved. 

Prayer- Gracious Father, merciful God, thank you that, through Jesus' blood shed for me on the Cross, I can be free. Help me take on your yoke and live in a place of knowing that you have given me new life in all its fullness.