“Take my yoke upon you.” – Yoke is not carried by only one single, but is placed on two necks. Mine and of Jesus! Matthew 11:25-30 Commentary

1. Introductory prayer 

Good Lord, I’m working so hard to be good in Your eyes to be worthy of Your Love. You invite me to forget my big head and relax, as you help me bear the burden. May I let you closer to be able rest in You.

2. Reading – Listening: The Gospel according to Matthew 11:25-30 – Take my yoke upon you

 The Father Revealed in the Son

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

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3. Thoughts on the Gospel 

  • „Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!  Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you righteous and victorious, slowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey..” (Zech. 9: 9-10)
  • With these words, the prophet Zechariah predicts the coming of the Savior.

How weird! King on a donkey. Meek, poor, humble, like the donkey that he rides. It’s really amazing. And yet, Jesus, the Son of God, fulfilled this very prophecy when he entered Jerusalem to save the world.

  • It is therefore a meek and humble God before us. Who can understand Him? Surely not the wise and the reasonable of this world. Jesus says that the Father hid from them, and revealed to the little ones. Which little ones? To those who can trust God as Jesus did. He lived in great familiarity with his Father.
  • He really felt like a son. “Everything has been delivered to me by my Father …” Among them is the constant exchange of gifts, nobody wants to keep anything for himself.

This is how Jesus wants to towards people also. „Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.”

  • He wants to revive us, Wants to give us peace of mind. For no other thing did Jesus say to learn from Him except for his meekness and humility. He strongly wants from us to become like him in this. And why are these two virtues so very Christ’s?
  • Because they help a person learn where everything seems familiar and self-evident. They help to discover the beauty and depth of the hearts, without obstacles, without looking for their own benefit.

Jesus invites us to accept his yoke, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Here is the meaningful word “yoke”. It tells us that we are not alone on our way. Yoke is not carried by only one single, but is placed on two necks.

  • The image is taken from the peasant life. Those who have oxen: if one is strong in the yoke of two oxen and the other weak, most of the work will be made stronger. So if I am carrying the yoke with the Lord, I know who stronger one is. In his company, I have secured my tranquility with him.

Yoke, of course, means Jesus’ doctrine, his commandments. It may seem difficult, even unbearable. It’s even harder if we try to carry it on our own. But if we allow ourselves to be accompanied by the Lord, the yoke will become easier. Therefore, accept his invitation: Come to me, all you who are tired and burdened!

  • How much fatigue and burden is today in Christians! So much activism, spiritual laziness, dependence on the mind of the world, internal distress, worry, lack of hope and joy. We are so harsh to ourselves.
  • Or it is difficult for us to admit and accept our own fragility and sinfulness. Here is the need for goodness, first of all to ourselves. We need revival and serenity.
  • We want to learn to come every day to the Lord with all our life, to give him our anxiety, worries, tiredness, doubts. Jesus invites us to trust. He himself fully trusted in the Father.
  • Only he could, sitting on a donkey, reveal the mild and humble God. Let us accept his invitation and give ourselves to him

4. Meditation – thinking

About everything I have read and what has touched me, I am thinking now. I let my thoughts also touch my heart. Think:

  • I try so hard to prove something to my Father, that I am tired. What can I give to God today and trust him to take care of it? To give me an idea, sends me a person, takes care of the time…?
  • From Jesus I can learn humility – I can learn there, where I think I already know everything. Where does he invite me?
  • I take a few moments every day and I’m just with God, I let him take care of me

5. Personal Prayer

In the next moments of silence, I talk about of this with Jesus. I tell him what I think, what I feel, what I want. I ask him for the grace that I need for … (make your conversation with God)

6. Contemplation – Quiet moment with God

Now I let silence to be in me. I am simply present in God, as He is quietly present in me.

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Perhaps from this silence I hear God’s speech, which invites me perhaps in thanksgiving and worship, or to open myself and accept him in my path life and work, maybe He gives me the courage to continue searching for…

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7. Action

When I walk into a personal relationship with God, he changes me, makes me more loving and encourages me to the concrete action, which is….. (write down your insights for concrete action)

8. Prayer at the end.

Jesus, You trusted the Father that He already knows what is best for you. But I mostly feel like I know very well what’s good for me. But You are taking me to some unusual path. Where I no longer have control, what’s going on. I do not even notice that I’m quite tired – not from the effort to work, but from not letting you lead me. Thank you for continuing to invite me to rest in Thee – and to find peace there.

9. Review of my prayer meditation or reflection

This is my view on what was happening in me at the time, I spent praying. In my reflection, I can help myself with the following questions:

  • How was I feeling when I started praying?
  • What happened during the prayer?
  • What feelings and thoughts could I detect in myself?
  • How did I feel at the revelations, which I had during my prayer?
  • What did I learn about myself, about God, about his attitude towards me and others and me to him and others?
  • How did I finish my prayer?
  • What did I receive for my everyday life?
  • In the end, I can write the lessons, findings and insights. I can write also, where I had problems, they may have great value in learning about my relationship and myself with God. They can also help to find a more appropriate way of prayer for me.

Then I thank the Holy Trinity. If I pray with my family or in the community, friends, I can share with them what I felt in this prayer. By prayer for one another, you can support yourself throughout the week.

Lectio divina meditations are published and adapted with permission from the Jesuits home  – ignacijevdom.si

Let us remain close in the same prayer! May the Lord bless you abundantly!