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.

Because of his meekness and lowliness in heart, Christ Jesus was constantly conscious of his divine source, and that his strength, his intelligence, his existence, were derived through reflection from God. So complete was his realization of these transcendent facts that he abode constantly in the sense of God's presence and power, of His guidance and support. As Christian Scientists, we too strive for that same realization in the assurance that as Truth is revealed our mistaken sense of life's cares and burdens will be laid aside for the joyous sense of man's perfect freedom. This experience will, indeed, bring rest and peace to the troubled heart, solace for all our griefs.

Christian Scientists find great profit in pondering deeply the lessons contained in the words and deeds of Christ Jesus. He was the Way-shower for mankind to complete salvation, because he was a most successful demonstrator of the truths he taught. He asked not that he should be accepted merely upon his words, life-giving though they were. It was upon his unparalleled demonstration that his claim to the Messiahship was founded.

How successful Christ Jesus was in bearing the burdens of mankind the Scriptures emphatically set forth. Matthew saw that in healing the sick and sinful the Master was fulfilling the promises of the ancient prophets. "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick," are the apostle's words. This, we are assured, was done in fulfillment of the words of Esaias, "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." Of Jesus' perfect example, Mrs. Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 20), "'Despised and rejected of men,' returning blessing for cursing, he taught mortals the opposite of themselves, even the nature of God." Thus divine Love became burden-bearer, exemplifying exemplifying the freedom which its yoke will bring to all in proportion to their grasp of the Christ, Truth.

Albert F. Gilmore

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