Do you feel weary and burdened? I know I do. At times I feel overwhelmed by things ranging from my to-do list to the current state of the world. Jesus offers rest. But there is action involved — He said “take” and “learn.” Those two things are on me. He is gentle and humble, and if I want the rest He offers, I should take and learn His yoke.
I won’t be able to take the yoke of Jesus until I have set down whatever I am holding in my hands. If I am holding judgement, I’ll need to set that down. If I am holding self-reliance, I’ll need to set that down. Only with empty hands will I be able to take the yoke Jesus is offering me.
I won’t be able to learn the yoke of Jesus unless I am willing to make mistakes. I have learned languages, learned instruments, learned parenting. And I have made mistakes in all of these things. Humility is needed to be able to learn something new. Sometimes I looked like a fool and got it wrong, but it was worth it in the end to speak to a friend in their language, to play someone a song I wrote, to watch my kid accomplish a significant milestone.
I think the same is true for Sabbath. We need to empty our hands and our schedules to take up the practice of Sabbath. We need to humble ourselves and know that it will take time to learn, and we won’t get it right every time. But I want Jesus’ easy yoke.
What are you holding that you need to set down? What are you hesitating to do because you are afraid of making a mistake? Through the practice of Sabbath, take and learn the yoke of Jesus with empty hands and open hearts.