Love Makes Our Burdens Light

𝐃𝐄𝐂. 𝟏𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈: 𝐈𝐬𝐚 𝟒𝟎: 𝟐𝟓-𝟑𝟏

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟎𝟑: 𝟏-𝟒, 𝟖, 𝟏𝟎 “𝐎 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓 𝟏𝟏:𝟐𝟖-𝟑𝟎

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.” (𝐯.𝟑𝟎) 

          As he most often does Jesus uses parables when teaching to the Jews and, in this Gospel passage, he spoke of his yoke that he described as easy and the burdens coming from his teachings as light. As we are not present when he gave this teaching, we need to dig into our historical briefs so that we can get a clearer picture of what he meant with this passage.

         Firstly, the burden that Jesus was referring to in this passage pertains to the rules and regulations that the Scribes and the Pharisees have imposed on the Jews in those days that were not only hard to bear but which keep the people from worshiping and having a relationship with God.

        The religious leaders have expanded the Ten Commandments so that if you look at these Decalogue principles in the modern technological sense it would look like a computer file folder that you can collapse that would open or lead you to different other files.

         Jesus took sides with the people who have been burdened by the seemingly endless demands of the Law made by the religious leaders of his time. Take for example the laws that govern the observance of the Sabbath that forbade Jews from even tying their animals or even in the preparation of food or the intricate ritual in the washing of the hands before every meal.

         And Jesus invites those listening to him to take his yoke which he termed as easy and his burden light. Again, we need to understand what a yoke is and why Jesus used this as a reference. It is because the Jews are familiar with what and how the yoke works.

         During the time of Jesus, yokes which are made of wood are fitted to neck of the ox and no two yokes are the same. This means that the oxen are brought to a carpenter who then measures the yoke to be made. The oxen are then brought back to fit the yoke, making the necessary adjustments so that it would fit well and not make it difficult for the ox to carry. In other words, the yoke was tailor fit to the ox.

         There was a legend in those days that Jesus being a carpenter made the best yokes in all of Galilee and that men from all over the region came to him to buy the best yokes that one could find. It was even pointed out that there was a sign at the door of Joseph’s carpentry shop in Nazareth that says: “My yokes fit well.”

         As we leave this Biblical scene and fast-forward into our present-day realities, we will find that there are many around us who find themselves in a similar situation in which they carry so much burden that prevent them from entering a relationship with God.

         This burden could either be our ignorance of who God is or simply our refusal to place ourselves under an unseen force preferring to rely on our instincts moved by our exercise of free will that God himself gave us. Or it could be our anxiety, depression, fear and doubt, lack of inner peace and our sins and transgressions that separate us from God (𝐈𝐬𝐚 𝟓𝟗:𝟏-𝟐).

         At some point in time when all our chips are down, we will come to realize that we need divine assistance to reverse whatever situation we are in and by God’s own design he will seek us and when he finds us he will also invite us to come to him, take his yoke and learn from him.

         Interestingly, when the Prophet Isaiah quotes the Holy One who asked: “𝐓𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥?” (𝐈𝐬𝐚 𝟒𝟎:𝟐𝟓) we are led to try and establish a link between what the Holy One said with the invitation of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel for those who are weary and are heavily burdened to come to him for his yoke is easy and his burden light (𝐯.𝟑𝟎).         

         We are often told, and we know it for a fact that neither two people are alike much less equal as every person differs in talents, skills, personality, character, and even in income. And the only time that people can come close to the description of being equal is during times of crisis such as the calamitous event that the people in the Visayas recently experienced.

         But when we talk of equality in spiritual terms, we can actually say that all people regardless of color, race or creed are equal with respect to their dignity before God who alone has no equal and it is necessary for us to recognize the primacy of God as it will help us appreciate the equality of all people and our own place in the world that God has created.

         In this world we live in, we may find ourselves holding on to the end of the rope. Our lives may be on the edge. There will always be the tendency to look at the good fortunes of others and compare them with the misfortune we may be experiencing.

         I went through a roller-coaster ride from the big bucks that were flowing in from the investments I brokered some years back. Unexpectedly, my life suddenly went downhill from there when a change in government broke the business network that I had established. It was like I jumped from an airplane, and the chute did not open.

        It was during this time that my wife and I were invited to the charismatic renewal through the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community. When Jesus opened his arms to offer me his yoke, I felt relieved of all the burdens and heaviness that I was carrying on my back.

        Indeed, Jesus Christ equalizes everything and everyone especially those who will come to him, take his yoke and learn from him (𝐯.𝟐𝟗) for it is only through him that men can find rest. That was in 1989, and my spouse is gone now but when we took his yoke and placed it on our shoulders and up to today, I really haven’t noticed how easy the yoke of Jesus and how through his love can he make our burdens light.

         When Jesus said his “𝐲𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲” it simply meant that he already has measured the size of our neck and shoulders so that his yoke will fit well. This means that whatever tasks that God gives us are measured in accordance with our abilities which is why he gave us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to equip and empower us in our journey to his Kingdom.

         Jesus also said: “𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.” It is not that he makes the burdens light but he makes it light on account of the love that goes with it. When we do others a favor. When we go to the mission field. When we bring the Good News to others. When we minister to those who are hurting and sick. When we shepherd others. When we give alms. All these will become light when these are done in love.

         Do you still remember the song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell? It tells of a story about a boy who was carrying on his shoulders a smaller boy and a man they met on the road remarked “that’s a heavy burden for you to carry.” And the boy said” “that’s no burden, he’s my brother.” Any burden carried in love will always be light.

         Jesus used the yoke as an illustration to show us how we can remove from our hearts the burden of sin, despair and disobedience and replace these with the yoke that will lead us to freedom from bondages, a glorious life and eternal joy.

         “𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞” (𝐯.𝟐𝟗), he said, because it is only through him that we will learn how to live in grace, power, freedom and to live in love, peace and joy by the power of his Word on which we can stand firm (𝐋𝐤 𝟔:𝟒𝟔-𝟒𝟗). In his mercy and compassion, Christ himself will provide us the strength (𝐏𝐡𝐢 𝟒:𝟏𝟑) so that his yoke will be easy and his burden light.

         In this Advent Season, God invites us to put all our trust in him because it is only in doing so that we can receive the blessings of his kingdom and those “𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭” (𝐈𝐬𝐚 𝟒𝟎:𝟑𝟏). (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘋𝘦𝘤. 10, 2025)