Last week as I was cleaning the dishes and thinking about how tired I was, I remembered a scripture I memorized when I was young. Here it is in the King James Version (the one I memorized when I was a kid ):
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11: 28-30
The last two verses made me giggle. I remember as a kid memorizing these verses and thinking "His yolk is easy? What does that mean? What's an egg got to do with Jesus?". All my little mind could think is that Jesus must like over-easy eggs in light butter. So here is a real yoke:
Yep, it's that wood thing around the necks of the oxen. They (yokes) are used to join the oxen securely together so that oxen work together as one. Well, that little definition changes everything, doesn't it? Jesus wants us to join securely with him, he wants to work along with us in our lives, and when the day is done we will find rest in our souls. Here is the translation from The Message (and I LOVE it):
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Jesus isn't complicated. He doesn't want our life complicated. He wants us to know the simple beat of grace and enjoy life. He invites us to get to know him, hang out with him. And when we do, we will be free from the things that weigh on our mind. Maybe little Chandra was right. Maybe Jesus really does like his eggs over-easy, but I'm pretty sure he uses real butter.
hugs,
Chandra
I would love to talk to you about my journey. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
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