Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Tell me, those of you who have been in this walk of life for at least a little while; DOES HIS YOKE SEEM EASY TO YOU?
Come on, ‘fess up. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t, at least at some point, think “MAN this yoke is heavy! And I can think of a lot of things I might call this “burden”, but LIGHT isn’t one of them!”
So then… was Christ lying? Was He just speaking metaphorically? Was He just speaking of some spiritualized, unreal version of reality? Or… here’s a thought… maybe YOU’VE done something to bely His promise of a light, easy burden on your walk with God!
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
And while we are at it, do you feel - and have you always felt, since learning the truth - FREE? I trust not. I suspect rather, that you are like most whom I’ve known, who felt this way of life was like living in a box - a box which deprived you of enjoyment, of fun, of friends, and of everything that once excited you and interested you, a box which is much more like a prison than a paradise!
Mark 10:29-30 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold NOW IN THIS TIME, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
And here is a fun one - if you have truly been in this way of life for any length of time at all, then you have lost houses, business deals, family, friends, for the truth’s sake. Your friends don’t like you any more, since you’ve found this kooky religion! But the question is… have YOU experienced a HUNDRED TIMES MORE FRIENDS? Have you been rewarded with ONE HUNDRED PROFITABLE BUSINESS DEALS FOR EVERY ONE THAT YOU WALKED AWAY FROM FOR HIS SAKE?
I didn’t think so. So the question is… WHY? WHY is His yoke heavy for you? WHY don’t you feel free? WHY haven’t you received the hundredfold blessings God promised to His servants? Well, there is only one possible explanation. You haven’t been pulling the yoke with Christ - you’ve been pulling AGAINST HIM! Read the rest of this entry »