take my yoke upon you

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me 

for I am gentle and humble of heart 

and you will find rest for your souls.”

~ Matthew 11:29

I am struck as I ponder the meaning of the word “yoke” that the first definition in the 

M-W.com dictionary is “the frame joining the head or neck of two animals for working together.” I always pictured this yoke Jesus speaks of as something singular, it is placed on me alone or on you alone or… Yet, this image of being yoked together with Jesus, choosing to take Jesus’ yoke upon me and in doing so I am joining him there is powerful and re-orienting. How different from the image of being yoked alone and Jesus standing off to the side shouting encouragement. For isn’t that truly what Jesus calls us to, to join with him, to walk with him and to learn from him? Isn’t it the case that I am not being asked to take upon myself anything that Jesus isn’t already doing? 

And when we are yoked as one, then we stand together sharing the load and carrying the burdens together. When I am weak, you pull harder to compensate for me - and when you are weak, I pull harder to compensate for you. We are one together, and in that rest for my soul is always found.

I wonder how the tasks of my days will be different being yoked with Jesus…