Editorial October 8, 1927 Issue

The Yoke that is Easy

Albert F. Gilmore

Few passages of the Holy Scriptures, if any, have brought to heavy hearts more of solace and relief than the closing verses of the eleventh chapter of Matthew. Although following Jesus' testimony concerning John the Baptist, yet they seem entirely unrelated either to what precedes or follows. The invitation to come and partake of the Christ, Truth, which the Master so graciously presented to his disciples, and to all who were prepared to receive the heavenly evangel, was sweetly appealing, tender, and radiant with compassion. For the yoke which he bade the heavy-laden to take upon themselves was not an instrument of servitude; rather was it the means whereby their burdens could be more lightly borne, until through gaining the Mind of Christ they would be laid off entirely.

The meaning of the word "yoke" is important to the gaining of the deeper significance of the passage. "Yoke" commonly implies the taking on of heavy burdens, the performance of hard labor, and in consequence suggests a type of enslavement; and the Romans passed their captives under the yoke in token of subjection. Neither of these meanings, however, is applicable to the passage in question. The yoke from which the Master drew his metaphor was an instrument used by the burden bearer to support the weight of his load from the shoulders, rather than from the arms alone, thus greatly lightening the task. How significant the figure! As we come to Jesus, that is, as we accept his holy message, the burdens of life which weigh so heavily would be made easy, could even be laid off through the transforming influence of Truth. For the Christ resolves into its nothingness the material sense of existence with all that relates thereto of stress and heaviness.

What greater blessing could divine Love bestow upon mortals than to supply complete surcease to their sense of burden? Of the relief to be had by turning thought heavenward Mrs. Eddy writes in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 133): "In the midst of depressing care and labor I turn constantly to divine Love for guidance, and find rest. It affords me great joy to be able to attest to the truth of Jesus' words. Love makes all burdens light, it giveth a peace that passeth understanding, and with 'signs following.'" How completely Mrs. Eddy turned to divine Love for inspiration, strength, and support, her words bear eloquent testimony. She found that in laying her burdens on the infinitude of Love, they would be borne until under the penetration of Truth they dissolved and disappeared. In gaining the Mind of Christ and in complete submission to divine will, she found the easy yoke whereby the burdens became light. To lean on the Christ, to gain understanding of spiritual truth—these are the essentials. For as we grasp the truth, as we gain understanding of God as infinite Love, and of man as Love's reflection, we learn that our heavenly Father has laid no burdens upon his beloved Son; and all are the sons of God. The sense of burden is a false sense, an erroneous belief to be laid off and forgotten because of its unreality. The Master's invitation, then, was really a call to awaken from the dream of material existence to the realization of man's true being as the son of God.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

The Yoke that is Easy

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access