The Invitation to Discipleship

How does a person become acceptable to God? Is it possible to earn God’s love, to deserve His favor? In Jesus’ day the religious leaders taught that you were accepted by God if you obeyed His commandments. They referred to it as taking on the yoke of the Law. A yoke was a common metaphor in Judaism for submission to the law.

The problem is that no one is able to keep the Law. Many of the Pharisees thought they were keeping the Law, as in the parable of the two men who went to the Temple to pray, with the Pharisee thanking God that he was not like the other one who was a sinner, and who spoke of the good things he had done. Later on, Paul, who had been a Pharisee, said that if you are going to try to please God by keeping the Law you have to keep all of it.

For most people, however, no matter how hard they tried, how long they worked at it, they fell short, they felt guilt, and they became discouraged. Jesus said regarding the Pharisees and teachers of the law, “So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Instead of helping them become acceptable to God the Law had become a burden.

It was to this situation that Jesus spoke:

Matthew 11:28–30 NIV84

“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.”

Come to me

Weary & burdened – trying to be good by following the law, self effort

Take my yoke

In farming, the yoke was used to keep two animals together as they worked.

Prevents one from wondering off in the wrong direction

Shares the load to make the work easier.

Jesus’ yoke is none other than commitment to him. It is becoming His disciple.

Follow – spend time with, get to know Him

Learn from – be instructed by His teachings and obey them.

It’s ironic that some people will say they believe that Jesus was a great teacher, but won’t believe or follow the things He taught.

He is gentle and humble

Will give rest –

Acceptance with God

Peace

Yoke is easy and light - not to diminish the radical nature of discipleship, but to compare it with the burdens that so often weigh down people.

‘Easy’ may mean well-fitting, does not cause hardship

The reason for this is that the disciple is not trying to earn God’s acceptance by keeping the Law, but obeys God because they know they are accepted and loved and wants to show their love for God by obeying.

1 John 5:3 NIV84

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

So tonight, as we begin the season of Lent, I ask you – Have you come to Jesus and taken on His yoke? Have you made the commitment to follow Him, to learn from Him, to obey Him?

Jesus Himself invites you to do so. He is the one through whom we find acceptance with God. This is the only way to find rest for our souls and experience His peace.