Come To Me “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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" (Matt. 11:28-30NASU). Observing the above scripture in the context in which it was spoken we know that our Lord was speaking to His own chosen people, a people who had become very religious, a people who had also become burden down with a distorted version of the Ceremonial Law of Moses and the traditions and doctrines of men. They were burdened to the point that they had become weary under their load. The goal (Rom. 10:4) of the original Mosaic Law was to lead men to Christ who was and is the fulfillment or the completion (end) of The Law, but the teachers and leaders of that time had added to and taken from The Law until the message of faith and love toward God and the purpose of the coming of the Messiah were lost. Their ignorance of this message led to the crucifixion of Christ. The words “come to Me” is widely taught today as a “tender invitation” to those who are spiritually dead and in need of a savior, but in the context in which it was spoken it is more accurately seen as a loving command spoken with authority to the religious Jews who were “heavy-laden” with the teachings of their leaders. It cannot be overlooked that the message and work of Christ would effectively bring about a change in the Jews system of worship. Therefore Christ’s command seems to indicate the need to cease their current mode of worship and to come to Him for salvation of their souls; He can do for them what The Law was never intended to do. It is a command with a promise of “rest.” There is no other option for salvation of the soul of man given. To disregard His command is disobedience and certainly they would reap the wrath of a sinner; their devotion to their ritualistic religion could not save them. The next command is, “Take my yoke upon you.” Now a “yoke” is a type of harness which connected a pair of animals to a wagon, plow or similar tool. Oxen were the most common animals used in working the land. A yoke of oxen was a pair (1 Sam 11:7; Luke 14:19). Using a pair to pull a plow required a yoke to link them together so they could work efficiently. Yokes were usually made of a wooden beam shaped to fit over the necks of the two animals and held in place by wooden or leather fasteners. When the oxen moved forward the yoke would press against the shoulders. Oxen were used in America as late as the 20th century. I can faintly remember as a child my grandfather using oxen to pull logs out of the swamps where mules or horses could not stand. These animals were some times referred to as “beast of burden.” Therefore the yoke became a symbol of the burden or oppression of heavy responsibility, duty, sin, or punishment (1 Kings 12:4-14; Jer 27:8-12; Acts 15:10). During the time our Lord walked the earth the phrase, “take the yoke of,” was used by the Jewish rabbis to mean, “Become the pupil of a certain teacher.” Now to take the “yoke” of Christ they must put off their current yoke which was the teachings of the Pharisees, Sadducees and their Scribes and their current mode of worship. Since their worship was full of error there was nothing about it they could carry over into the pure worship that Christ teaches—therefore He adds the command “and learn from me.” The religious leaders were very arrogant, prideful, mean spirited and judgmental—they bore the image of their father the devil. Jesus tells the weary and heavy-laden, “for I am gentle and humble in heart,”--- wherever pride, arrogance and anger dwell, there is nothing but mental labor and agony; but, where the meekness and humility of Christ dwells, all is smooth, even, peaceable, and quiet; for the work of righteousness is peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever (Isa 32:17). And the command is followed with the promise of salvation, “and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.” Let us pause for a moment here and take a look at God’s intent for Israel: When Yahweh called Abraham He began once again to restore a way of life for man; a way of life that He intended for man from “the beginning.” He brought forth a nation from the loins of Abraham and entrusted them with His word. He would be their God and they would be His people. He would walk among them, care for them and they would be a kingdom of “Kings and Priest.” Over the years the Nation Israel took God’s word and made it a man made religion; they abandon God’s ways. They had their way of life and they had their worthless religion. Now that we have taken a look at this scripture in the context of which it was spoken we ask the question, have we gone the way of religious Israel? Can we apply our Lord’s words to today’s “church” or to today’s “Christian?” Certainly we can!!! Does not the “Christian” who is walking in the distorted word, the deception of false doctrine need to heed the command, “come to Me” and “learn of Me?” Is he not in as much danger of hell’s fire as the harden sinner in the world? Matter of fact he is in more jeopardy because of his deception he thinks he is “saved,” whereas the harden sinner in the world has a chance of receiving the message that he needs a Savior. Deep within my heart I believe that when my Lord was born into the world He never intended to establish a new religion. I believe He came to restore a way of life; a life that was intended from the beginning for man to have communion with his Creator; a life that would manifest Yahweh’s glory in all creation. Have we gone the way of the Nation Israel and made the same mistake? Have we so distorted God’s word that today’s Christianity is a worthless religion? Does the message we preach and the life we live lead the condemned souls to a Savior or does it just make them religious? It is the opinion of this writer that many of the theologians in our bible schools, the pastors, evangelist, the teachers and leaders are as guilty of distorting the gospel as the Pharisees, Sadducees and their Scribes; and there are many following their false teachings. Sure, I believe there are many who are teaching truths, but their followers are few; the masses are following the “broad road to destruction.” You may ask me, “Why do you hold these opinions?” The answer is this, I observe the lives of church going people, what the men in the pulpit are saying, what the theologians are writing and compare these to what the scripture teaches. And then I ponder the question, who bears the responsibility for the error that deceives so many? And again I turn to the scripture for the answer. The Apostle Paul writes, “For the time will come when THEY will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, THEY WILL ACCUMULATE FOR THEMSELLVES teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4NASU). Yes, basically, it is the people. “They” the people “will not endure sound doctrine” therefore they have established schools to teach their students their way of “religion” and train them in eloquence of speech and how to articulate words that will “tickle” their ears. Now let’s return to the teachings of Jesus: Our Lord ends His passionate commands with a word of comfort about His yoke; “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” His teachings are not deceptive; He teaches truth and His teaching imposes nothing that is difficult; on the contrary, it provides for the complete removal of all that which oppresses and causes men to be miserable whether it be religion or worldliness. The commandments of Christ do not cause grief, pain or anguish. Such was His commandments, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” And “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And again, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35NASU). Now can anything be more suited to the needs of man than His love? To love as Christ loves-such a love as is inspired by God, and in which the soul rests content, completely satisfied and infinitely happy? Taste, and know, by experience, how good the Lord is, and how worthy His yoke is to be taken, borne, and loved. This most tender command of the compassionate Savior is sufficient to inspire the most timid soul with confidence. Also, His burdens are light for He only gives us two ordinances or rites to observe---water baptism and “the Lord’s Supper.” Selah. James C Sanford
Posted on: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 19:16:23 +0000
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