Jesus appealed to all the tired, weary, and burned out, and simply said, “Come, find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (…) And yet, his imagery of an “easy yoke” is a bit odd. Far removed from an agrarian economy, we forget that a yoke is a tool for work; it was used to harness oxen together to plough a field. That sounds like the last thing a burned-out worker needs – the tired among us don’t want a yoke, we want a vacation!

But Jesus is wise beyond comprehension; he gets – better than we often do – that life is an unending series of burdens. There’s no way around the weight of responsibility that is life this side of resurrection. What we need isn’t an escape from that weight, but a way to carry it with ease and joy. That’s what Jesus offers – a way to carry the weight of life with a straight back and smile on your face.

John Mark Cromer

‘The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry’ reading plan on You Version, day 5 of 5