James 5:1-12 – Humble, Patient, Enduring
In a warning and a rebuke to the ungodly rich, James encourages believers to live in humility, in patience, and with endurance.
The Easy Yoke and the Light Burden
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
These are among the most beautiful words spoken by Jesus. It’s an invitation to all burdened humanity to find relief and rest in Jesus.
In this invitation, Jesus invited all who labor and are heavy laden. He called those who sensed they must come to Him to relieve their need instead of living in self-sufficiency. According to one commentator, labor implies the burdens we take upon ourselves, and heavy laden implies the burdens others put upon us. Jesus used the idea of heavy laden again in Matthew 23:4 speaking of the spiritual burdens religious leaders lay on their followers.
To all those burdened, Jesus simply said: Come unto Me. That is an invitation; Jesus didn’t tell us to “go” to Moses or anyone else. He invited us to first come to Himself, not to a doctrine, a ceremony, a minister, but to Jesus Himself as a personal Savior.
This was a declaration of authority – only God can say, come unto Me. The prophets pointed to God, but Jesus points to Himself.
Yet this call to those who are burdened also includes some kind of burden, in the sense that as part of the invitation, Jesus said take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. We must come as disciples to learn, willing to be guided by His yoke – not merely to receive something. We are ready to bear whatever burden He appoints for us.
According to Adam Clarke, the ancient Jews commonly used the idea of yoke to describe someone’s obligation to God. There was the yoke of the kingdom, the yoke of the law, the yoke of the command, the yoke of repentance, the yoke of faith, and so on. In this context, it is easy to see Jesus simplifying and saying, “Forget about all those other yokes. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.”
This isn’t a call to a lazy or indulgent life. There is still a yoke to bear and burden to carry. Yet with and in Jesus, they are easy and light. When training a new animal (such as an ox) to plow, ancient farmers often yoked it to an older, stronger, more experienced animal who bore the burden and guided the young animal through the learning process.
That’s what makes the yoke of Jesus easy and His burden light – because He bears it with us. Borne alone, it might be unbearable; but with Jesus it can be easy and light.
If your yoke is hard and your burden is heavy, then either it isn’t His yoke or burden, or that you aren’t letting Him bear it with you. Come, find rest for your soul.
