The Easy Yoke

I wanted to share some very blessed words from Puritan preacher Nathaniel Vincent regarding Matt. 11:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." This selection is titled, "The Easy Yoke," and comes from a devotional called Day By Day With The English Puritans.

Since Christ is so compassionate, surely it is unreasonable to quarrel at and refuse to submit unto his yoke? The yoke of such a merciful one must be an easy yoke, and his burden a light burden (Matthew 11:30). The kingdom of heaven is like a marriage and as the wife’s subjection unto a tender and indulgent husband is sweet and pleasant, so, and much more pleasant is the believer’s subjection unto Christ.

Ungodly ones are strangely prejudiced against the scepter and government of Jesus; but indeed it is without cause. They say, "We will not have this Lord to reign over us." It is a mercy to be translated into the kingdom, for then you are freed from other lords, which are so imperious, so cruel, and will reward with death all the service you do for them. All the precepts of Christ are for your profit and he forbids you nothing but what he sees will harm you.

I think that at the reading of this, the most stubborn should yield and say, "We stood outside against the Lord of life, but it was upon a mistake; we did not think his service was so near a kin to freedom; we once imagined his commands grievous, therefore we cast them behind our backs, but now they are to be esteemed above gold, nay, the finest gold, and are sweeter than the honey and honeycomb."

(Day By Day With The English Puritans, Randall J. Pederson, p.23)