Matthew 11

"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Chapter 10 centers on the radical calling and expected tribulation for following Christ. Chapter 11 ends with this simple quote, "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

We have already seen Matthew use back to back illustrations (Herod and John the Baptist) as object lessons. Here again we see a seemingly stark contrast in Christ’s call to discipleship. We are called to abandon self, to take on a teaching that is “easy.” This may be the one of the hardest dichotomies of all Scripture. It’s hard, but it’s easy!

In rabbinical fashion of the first century, a yoke referred to one’s set of teachings. By the time Christ comes on the scene in the first century, the Pharisees and Sadducees had so entangled their followers in rules, rites, and rituals that few were able to follow. Their “yokes” were cumbersome, difficult, and burdensome. Christ came and had a way of simplifying, clarifying, and communicating the truth of God practically, yet it still contained a conviction that called for sincere faith and followship.

The law and the prophets were to be summed up in loving God and loving people. The idea was simple, yet the implications profound. Following Christ's teachings would cost people their lives, sometimes their livelihoods, and for sure their worldview (the world's teachings).

Christ's calling is not hard to grasp. Give up all and follow me. But maybe that's why it's so hard; such a broad simple message implies dramatic reprogramming.