Weight or Illumination

(Matthew 11:28-30 KJV) 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.

I love this scripture because it has the feeling of a father taking a child in his arms and cuddling that child. It develops a security in one that says that everything is going to be alright.

I suppose at one time or another everyone has felt that their particular yoke or burden is a bit heavier that the next person. However, when we look real close, we see clearly that there are many who bear a heavier burden in life than we do. That does not mean that our particular burden is not heavy, but it does mean that the Lord wants to lighten our load by offering His yoke to us.

There are many aspects of our text that catch my attention, but there is one particular aspect that really catches my attention. When the Lord said, “...My yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” my mind immediately focused on the word “light.” I believe the word “light” could have two meanings. It can mean light as in weight or it can mean light as in illumination.

I believe it refers to both weight and illumination. It refers to weight because Jesus is sharing the load with us, and that makes our load lighter. It also refers to illumination because according to John 1:4 and following, Jesus is the Light. The weight interpretation speaks of the natural, whereas the illumination interpretation speaks of the spiritual.

It is important for us to understand that there is a big difference between a real burden and a perceived burden. Many people today believe they are carrying a burden when in fact they only have a discomfort. For example, a real burden is a single mom trying to raise her children with no money. A real burden could even be an elderly person who has lost their home and has no place to live.

Growing up on the farm in East Texas in the late 40’s, I perceived many things as burdens when in fact they were not. I perceived that working hard in the heat all day long was a burden, but it was only a discomfort.

Looking back at living in houses with no air conditioning may cause one to think they were really carrying a burden. However, that was not the case at all because that was just a way of life in those days and no one knew any different. All the houses were built with a lot of large windows with screens for ventilation. The windows were for letting the air in and the screens were to keep the bugs out.

I remember after a long hard day of work on the farm I would come in and eat supper and go to bed. There was nothing quite like being all sprawled out on my bed at night, waiting for a breeze to come in through my open window.

As I look back at my situation of working hard all day in the heat and waiting for a little breeze to come in through the window at night...it was really not a burden...it was only perceived as a burden. The point is, regardless if one’s burden is real or perceived; the Lord wants to make our load lighter in weight as well as lighter in illumination.

Father,

Thank you for the revelation of this scripture as well as Your desire to comfort each of us regardless of the severity of our need. Help us Lord to be to others as You have always been to us. Our desire is to make the yoke of others lighter both in weight and in illumination of Your great love.

Amen