The Healing of the Easy Yoke

Have you ever eaten a super healthy meal and thought “Why haven’t I lost any weight yet?” Or maybe you decided to do a super hardcore workout and then looked in the mirror and thought “Why don’t I look trim yet?” The same is true of the Sabbath as well…it is not an instant cure-all miracle pill. It is a spiritual discipline that yields more fruits the more you regularly integrate it into your life.

The past two blogs have discussed the rhythm of the Sabbath and what the day is about. Today we ask the question “Is the Sabbath just an Old Testament Jewish law thing?”

In Matthew 12:1-13 we see two instances surrounding the topic of Sabbath that Jesus was a part of. The first instance is when a few of Jesus’ disciples were hungry and as they were walking through a grainfield picked a few grains for their sustenance. The keepers of the law were upset that Jesus, who was Jewish, would allow his followers to desecrate the sabbath with such activity.

Jesus rebuttals their accusations with 2 examples. The first is when David fed himself and a few of his men with bread from the temple.[1] (breaking ritual custom for human provision) The second is the problem of priests having responsibilities on the Sabbath which causes them to break it each and every week. (To find out more on how a pastor might practice the Sabbath read next week’s blog.)

The second instance is when Jesus decides to heal a disabled man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were again upset because one was not supposed to provide medical care unless it was an emergent need. Jesus rebuttals them in this instance by pointing out how their regulations make accommodations to save a sheep in need, but not rescue a human being. 

In both instances, God’s law was not being broken through Jesus’ and the disciple's actions. However, the interpretations and regulations created by humankind from God’s law were being broken. Jesus encouraged the Pharisees to see that mercy and meeting human needs are more important than tradition and rituals. He then goes on to claim that he is greater than the temple and the sabbath; which allows him to reimagine the sabbath laws they had created.

He came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.

Jesus practiced the sabbath and did not teach against it, but he was careful to not miss the point of it. He didn’t get lost in the rigorous restrictions that destroy the enjoyment and freedom the sabbath is meant to provide. He didn’t dismiss his neighbor in need or his companion's hunger but made sure they received the sustenance and healing that they needed…because that is kind of the whole point of the Sabbath.[2]

In the preceding verses to these two stories, Jesus invites those who are weary to come to him.[3] Maybe you are weary from searching for God and the right path. Perhaps you are weary of trying to adhere to all the strict rules and regulations of the religious systems created from man’s interpretations. Or maybe you are weary from the burdens or trauma you carry. Whatever it is Jesus calls us out on it. He knows you are weary and burdened from something.

But often we avoid our weariness, burden, and trauma by wearing the badge of busyness.

This badge gets us praise from others. It gives us a sense of accomplishment. It makes us feel important—all with the added benefit of avoiding the noise within our souls. We keep our lives rushed and loud so that we don’t hear what we know is buried deep within us…or even worse what we don’t know might be lingering deeper in our subconscious.

On the Sabbath, when we delight in the great joys of life we open up access to our full range of emotions, with the delight of great joy on one end of the spectrum and the deepest pain of life on the other.[4] We can’t access one without inviting the other as well. When the silence and stillness brings your deepest pains to the surface know that Jesus is there with you and that he desires to provide healing and sustenance. Jesus says I’ve come for you… “Come to me”.[5]

He may provide healing through a spiritual director, a counselor, a therapist, etc. All of which I would strongly encourage! When the pain and trauma you have been blocking out of your life has finally breached, now you can finally begin to address it. 

Jesus says “I will give you rest…rest for your souls.”[6] But this rest is not one of inactivity but of a different way of life. He uses an agricultural tool called a “yoke” to explain his point. This wooden device was made by carpenters to fit two oxen. Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth would have made many in his lifetime. A yoke had to be made to fit otherwise it would cause pain and difficulty for the oxen. The yoke also tied the two oxen together so that they would not be separated. A yoke was a tool for labor and it was a tool to control pace.

Jesus allows us to choose his yoke out of love rather than duty. However, he does give us an incentive to choose his yoke. “It is easy and light.”[7] These words can be translated to communicate that Jesus' way is kind and joyful. By putting on this yoke you are communicating your trust and hope in following alongside Jesus. He will be your master and you will be his apprentice. He will be with you, he will show you how to live, and you will have to match his pace.

We can keep choosing to be busy. But in the words of Miguel De La Mora “Do you know what busy stands for? Buried under Satan’s yoke.”[8] Boom. Mic drop. Our frantic, hurried, and busy lives distract us and reveal who we are actually apprenticing our lives under. 

Let me be clear, no yoke you put on will fix the problems we will continue to face this side of heaven. They are an inevitable reality of an imperfect world. Jesus’ way of life, like the Sabbath, does not fix everything in your life. However, his way is kind, joyful, easy, and light. Just like the Sabbath. Jesus is offering a way of life where sabbath rest provides sustenance and healing for our weariness. 

Which yoke will you choose?

Grace and Peace,

Austin

[1] 1 Samuel 21

[2] Ruth Haley Barton at the Midwinter 2024 Conference

[3] Matthew 11:28-30

[4] Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest by Ruth Haley Barton

[5] Matthew 11:28

[6] Matthew 11:28-29

[7] Matthew 11:30

[8] Miguel De La Mora at Unite West 2024 West