Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Abba, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; ²⁶ yes, Abba, for such was your gracious will. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to me by God; and no one knows the Son except God, and no one knows God except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

In this section of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus addresses both the crowds who oppose him and those who follow him. Once again we find Jesus breaking away from the norm, asserting that the ways of God are known to those on the margins and not known to the authorities, the rich, the powerful, etc. Those who know God are the ones who know Jesus and the way of love. Everyone who knows and follows this way is connected—both to God and to each other.

The last part of this Matthew story is only found in Matthew’s Gospel and in the Gospel of Timothy, verse 90. What does this oft-quoted Jesus saying mean to you? For the most part, I have heard people interpret this as something spiritual, i.e. come to Jesus those of you who are heavy and tired because of life, and Jesus will ease your suffering and give you peace. Similar to how some interpret prayer as something that can ease someone’s suffering or bring a sense of calmness. But what if we don’t over-spiritualize this? What if this is simply about rest, even physical, mental rest? Consider that Jesus was talking to people who actually were over-worked, tired, carrying actual heavy loads on their backs. 1^st century Israel and Palestine was full of so-called poor people who carried these burdens, the burdens of oppression.

Then we get the word “yoke” as Jesus encouraged those listening to take up his yoke. In Jewish tradition, yoke was an image for the Torah, the Law of Moses. Jesus was encouraging those with heavy burdens to take up his yoke and to learn from him. Taking on this yoke and learning goes back to following the way of love. It was a way that stood in contrast to the ways of powerful political and religious elites. This way of Jesus brings rest to people’s lives. In the Greek, the words for “rest” and “soul” are much more nuanced than our English language interpretations. Rest for the soul is not some sort of religious certainty or promise of heaven. It is a rest, a wholeness for the entirety of life, one’s whole being. It is a rest that can set you on the right path to move towards healing and recovery. And the yoke is more than light and easy. It’s not eggs. The yoke is loving, kind, refreshing.

Friends, it is an invitation [and a call] to live “lighter, less heavy” lives, to stop judging others, to be free ourselves and to let others be free. It is a restful state of being active in our pursuit of justice and dignity for all people. It is a way that leads us to stand with the marginalized, love them, call them family. And this is not a burden; it is the way to refreshment, healing, and wholeness.