Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, 'Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'

(Church in Wales Lectionary, from New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Have you got a perfect sized body? No? Well, few of us have! When we try to buy clothes, the waist can be too tight, the length of a pair of trousers too short, or too long, or we need a different sized top to the bottom. Unless we can afford clothes to be made for us, we usually have to live with what we can buy from a shop.

In Israel, 2,000 years ago, it wasn't clothes that were the problem, it was the yoke for oxen. Those who worked the land couldn't afford to have a badly fitted yoke that would hurt their valuable oxen who carried heavy weights, and they would shape the yoke to fit the ox. Jesus uses this example to talk about the burden of the Law the people carried.

The conscientious, orthodox Jew tried to obey the hundreds of laws that affected every part of their life, but it dragged them down. But Jesus says his laws are easy - they are designed to fit us as individuals, and are centred on God's love for us. We just need to turn to him in trust, and ask forgiveness!

Saturday 28th November, follow up thoughts

Lord Jesus,
when life gets difficult
and we struggle to keep going
help us to turn to You
in confidence that Your
demands are made in love.
Amen.