At our Tuesday night Bible study, we’ve been studying Hebrews. We started before Christmas, and we’re now up to chapter 10.
Anyhow, rewind five chapters back, and five months ago!! We were looking at chapter 5 and talking about the priesthood.
When I think of a priest, I’d think of someone dressed in nice clothes, and very sanctimonious, and clean.
But when you look at what a priest had to do… he had to be a butcher!! He had to slaughter animals!! People would bring their animals to the priest to be sacrificed to pay for their sins. Can you imagine the stench that must have been in the temple? Heaps of animal poo and stuff!!
And then, when the animal was killed… all the blood and guts!! Eewww!!
And then, when it was burned, this would have been the good bit… roast lamb, beef or poultry!! … enough to make the mouth water.
But was struck me, was all the work that was involved to appease man’s sin… to turn away God’s wrath.
That, to me, was the heavy burden and yoke that Jesus was talking about. Just imagine having to do all that today?
I am SO grateful, and feel so blessed, that Jesus has done all that. He paid the price… the sacrifices are all done away with.
All we have to do is BELIEVE!!! His yoke is grace and His burden is righteousness through faith… our right standing with God!! It was a matter of receiving His love and mercy… realizing that we are accepted and forgiven because of what Jesus has done.
For them, the burden was being righteous by keeping the Law, and the yoke was the works and rituals one had to go through to try and please God. They served God out of fear, and hoped to appease His anger.
And the difference is the same as what we find in Romans 7 and 8.
I reckon that’s what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 11.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (v. 28-30, ESV)
