Jesus' Yoke

What do you think of when you hear the word "yoke?"  Perhaps you think of the middle of an egg? Or a believer being married to an unbeliever and being unequally yoked to them? Or perhaps you think of a wooden harness on an oxen's neck to help them plow or pull a load. 

In Galatians 5:1 the Galatians were tempted to be yoked to the ceremonial law that Christ already set them free from:  "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."  Or there is the yoke that Jesus offers in Matthew 11:28-30;  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."   Jesus stands before us with His arms open, ready to make an exchange and trade the yoke of the heaviness of our sin and give us His yoke.

By definition, a yoke is a wooden beam fastened over the necks of a pair of oxen to help them pull a plow or a cart together.   It is a harness used to ease the work of hauling a load.

When Jesus says to take His yoke, He is saying in a sense to submit ourselves to Him in every area of our lives and let Him lead.  He wants to partner with us but we have to choose if we want to be stubborn and buck at His direction, or follow His lead.

What would you like to be yoked to?  To a deadweight that doesn't do their part in pulling the load and they end up holding us back or be yoked to Jesus who carries our weight?