Blessed are...

Christ’s Yoke

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

Jesus often used illustrations and metaphors from agriculture in His teaching. He knew that the word-pictures He painted would resonate with His listeners. There may be such a reference in the third Beatitude.

When a young ox needed to be taught to work the fields with a plough, it would often be yoked together with an older animal. The youngster would waste its strength trying to get away from its restraints; the old timer would use those restraints to serve its master, and so gain its reward. The older ox would be described as ‘meek.’ This is a helpful illustration for us. The younger ox represents the way in which young Christians often strain and hurt themselves; the older ox represents the steady, directed strength that seeks the Master’s will. To be meek is to have strength under control. Serving God, we learn to pull in His direction, not ours. Following Christ, we strive to become gentle and humble, using whatever gifts we have to serve the purposes of the Kingdom.

“Come to me,” says Jesus, “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.”[1] In contrast to the first two Beatitudes, the third is not negative, it is positive. It does not ask us to put something down, it encourages us to pick something up. As we develop true poverty of spirit, and as we mourn over our sin, we slip the yoke of humility over our shoulders, take up our burden daily, and learn to follow Him.


Heavenly Father,
In Your Son I have witnessed the obedience that does not look back,
and the determination that pushes through all difficulties.
Let the mind that was in Christ Jesus be also in me.
May I have hope enough to push on,
and faith enough to look forward to the glorious future
that You have in store for those who love You.
In His strength alone.
Amen.




[1] Matthew 11:28-30