Matthew 11:20-30, Take My Yoke Upon You

(To you my wife and I wish you the merriest of Christmases.  We continue in our journey through Matthew's gospel because the passage before us is perfect for meditation on the day we celebrate Jesus' birth.)

The three paragraphs of today’s passage might seem unrelated.  Actually, they provide a great gospel invitation.  Consider Jesus’ …

·        Words of rebuke, v20-24.  Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum were three communities on the north end of the Sea of Galilee.  You can visit the ruins of all three of these cities.  Tyre and Sidon were cities to the north of Israel, part of Lebanon today.  Sodom was, of course, the city of OT times down around the Dead Sea.  Sodom was renown for its wickedness.  Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities.  But on the day of judgment they will have an advantage over the three around Galilee.  The reason has to do with privilege.  This is a primary passage for demonstrating that there are “degrees of punishment” in the eternity without Christ.  It is not because one is more sinful than another; it is because one has more light than another.  We are responsible for responding to the light of Christ that we see.

·        Words of thanksgiving, v25-27.  Jesus is thankful because the situation is not hopeless.  It might seem hopeless given the obstinance of people who saw Jesus’ miracles and should have easily confessed Him as Lord.  The wise and prudent, in the immediate context, were the religious leaders.  They knew the OT, they were very familiar with prophecies that Jesus fulfilled.  Remember when the wise men appeared before Herod?  Who told the wicked king where the Messiah was to be born?  It was the chief priests and scribes (Matt. 2:4-6).  They knew the truth; but they rejected it in Christ Jesus.  The truth was hidden from these who were wise in their own eyes; it was revealed to babes.  Jesus noted this when He spoke of how even the tax collectors (babes) accepted John’s ministry, while the Pharisees and lawyers (wise and prudent) rejected God’s will (Lk. 7:29-30).  The same thing happened with Jesus’ ministry.  Who then can be saved if those with all the privileged of seeing Christ’s earthly life and ministry, and all those considered the elite of the world, could not see the truth to accept it?

·        Words of invitation, v28-30.  Jesus issues three commands, all of them invitations.

o   Come unto me.  This is a strong form of the word: come now!  The ones to come are those who labor and are heavy burdened. The religious leaders laid heavy burdens on people (Mt. 23:4).  To the common person the search for God (religion) had become a burden.  Coming to Christ would bring them rest!

o   Take My yoke upon you.  This is “discipleship” terminology; every “teacher” has a yoke.  In Matt. 10 Jesus’ yoke: a deeper love (10:37), bearing the cross (10:38) and contentment with Christ (10:39).  This is Jesus’ burden.  But if it’s a burden how can it be light?  It is because of the third command.

o   Learn of Me.  Again, this is a “disciple” term.  The rest Jesus offers is not the rest of doing nothing.  It is a deep and costly (in terms of pride) relationship that is rich and deep.  When we walk with Him, we learn of HIM!  And the result of learning of Him is that we learn to rest under His yoke.

In this passage we learn that following Christ does not come naturally; we are responsible for our choice regarding Christ; knowing Christ requires a work of God revealing Him to us; Jesus invites all you who labor and are heavy laden to find rest, not for their bodies but for their souls.