There seems to exist a general misconception of the purpose of a yoke.
Because of it the command of Jesus to accept and wear His yoke is often
much more dreadful than there is reason that it should be. We often fail
to catch or refuse to believe the added assurance that “the yoke is
easy.” This assurance is true both in figure and fact.
Anyone who has been personally familiar with the working of oxen under
the yoke is sure to understand that the yoke is used not to increase the
burden they bear, but to furnish them with a means of bearing the burden
they already have.
A yoke does not demand the use of more energy than would otherwise be
called into play. The beast of burden would expend the same amount of
energy in a day’s time. If that strength were not expended in the
performance of a useful task it would be wasted. The yoke concentrates
the energy at command to the performance of a task worth while. The
burden-bearer is no wearier, neither has it borne any greater burden.
It has only borne the same burden with greater ease and to better purpose.
Laziness is often a harder taskmaster than industry, and sin is always a
harder taskmaster than righteousness. Each life will, in the course of its
passage through the world, exert itself to just about the same degree,
whether it works or plays. Nature and life are sure to lay upon it some
burdens to bear, and it must bear them whether it is willing or not.
Whether the life takes its mission seriously or frivolously, the amount
of energy expended will be about the same. However, the life has its
choice between finding that expenditure difficult or easy,
useful or useless.
For, early in its days, the Yoke Giver comes to it and offers His yoke as
a means of bearing its burden more easily and usefully. It is pitiable how
often the offer is misconstrued as an attempt to increase the burden when
it really amounts to an offer to help in carrying it.