A thought for today….

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11.28

We were listening recently to a talk on ‘Stress’ when this quotation by Jesus was mentioned. It took me right back to my childhood as I remembered that this text hung on the wall of the church which we attended. It had a comforting ring about it, and still does.

He says “Come unto me” – a beckoning which tells us we can have a personal relationship with Jesus, a privilege which so many people have no experience of, because they have not responded to his invitation.

He says “My yoke is easy” - a metaphor of a double ox-yoke which suggests that if he is the other one pulling on the yoke, our burdens will be greatly eased. Had he been speaking today he might have used the metaphor of one of those tandems that has a child's saddle and pedals at the back. The child pedals away busily, but the real burden of the journey is being taken by the parent on the front saddle.

Whatever the metaphor, the invitation made by Jesus is open to all of us.