SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:30
Porque mi yugo es fcil, y ligera mi carga.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 11:30
Verse 30. For my yoke is easy] My Gospel imposes nothing that is difficult; on the contrary, it provides for the complete removal of all that which oppresses and renders man miserable, viz. sin. The commandments of Christ are not grievous. Hear the whole: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself. Can any thing be more congenial to the nature of man than love?-such a love as is inspired by God, and in which the soul rests supremely satisfied and infinitely happy? Taste, and know, by experience, how good the Lord is, and how worthy his yoke is to be taken, borne, and loved. This most tender invitation of the compassionate Jesus is sufficient to inspire the most diffident soul with confidence. See on Mark viii. 34. Creeshna, the incarnate God of the Hindoos, is represented in the Geeta addressing one of his beloved disciples thus: "I am the creator of all things, and all things proceed from me. Those who are endued with spiritual wisdom, believe this, and worship me: their very hearts and minds are in me; they rejoice among themselves, and delight in speaking of my name, and teaching one another my doctrine. I gladly inspire those who are constantly employed in my service with that use of reason by which they come unto me; and, in compassion, I stand in my own nature, and dissipate the darkness of their ignorance with the light of the lamp of wisdom." Bhagvat Geeta, p. 84.
The word lw[ aval, among the Jews, which we properly enough translate yoke, signified not only that sort of neck-harness by which bullocks drew in wagons, carts, or in the plough; but also any kind of bond, or obligation, to do some particular thing, or to do some particular work. By them it is applied to the following things:-1.
The yoke of the KINGDOM of heaven, ymh twklm lw[ -obedience to the revealed will of God.
2. The yoke of the LAW, hrwh lw[ -the necessity of obeying all the rites, ceremonies, &c., of the Mosaic institution.
3. The yoke of the PRECEPT, hwxm lw[ -the necessity of performing that particular obligation by which any person had bound himself, such as that of the Nazarite, &c.
4. The yoke of REPENTANCE, hkwh l lw[ -without which, they knew, they could not enter into the kingdom of heaven. With the Jews, repentance not only implied forsaking sin, but fasting, mortification, &c.
5. The yoke of FAITH, hnwma lw[ -the necessity of believing in the promised Messiah.
6. The DIVINE yoke, aly[lr lw[ -the obligation to live a spiritual life; a life of thanksgiving and gratitude unto God.
In Shemoth Rabba it is said: "Because the ten tribes did not take the yoke of the holy and blessed God upon them, therefore Sennacherib led them into captivity." CHRIST'S yoke means, the obligation to receive him as the MESSIAH, to believe his doctrine, and to be in all things conformed to his Word and to his Spirit.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light .] Christ calls a profession of faith in him, and subjection to his ordinances, a yoke, in allusion to the law of Moses, and in distinction from it; and a burden, with respect to the very heavy ones the Scribes and Pharisees laid upon the shoulders of the people, obliging them to a strict observance of them; though of a different nature from either of them; for his commandments are not grievous, hard and heavy to be borne, as theirs were, but easy and light: not that they are so to unregenerate men, or are easily performed by the strength of nature, and power of mens free will: but they are good and amiable, and lovely in their own nature, and are cheerfully complied with, and abundance of spiritual pleasure and delight is enjoyed in them by believers, when they have the presence of God, the assistance of his Spirit, and the discoveries of his love. Moreover, the commands of Christ, and the ordinances of the Gospel, are so in comparison of the law of Moses; which required perfect obedience, but gave no strength to perform, and threatened with condemnation and death, in case of the least failure; and of the numerous, and some very severe rites and usages of the ceremonial law; and of the bulky and heavy traditions of the elders, and ordinances of men.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 25-30 - It becomes children to be grateful. When we come to God as a Father, we must remember that he is Lord of heaven and earth, which obliges us to come to him with reverence as to the sovereign Lord of all; yet with confidence, as one able to defend us from evil, and to supply us with all good. Our blessed Lord added a remarkable declaration, that the Father had delivered into his hands all power, authority, and judgment We are indebted to Christ for all the revelation we have of God the Father's will and love, ever since Adam sinned. Our Saviour has invite all that labour and are heavy-laden, to come unto him. In some sense all men are so. Worldly men burden themselves with fruitless cares for wealth and honours; the gay and the sensual labour in pursuit of pleasures; the slave of Satan and his own lusts, is the merest drudg on earth. Those who labour to establish their own righteousness als labour in vain. The convinced sinner is heavy-laden with guilt an terror; and the tempted and afflicted believer has labours and burdens Christ invites all to come to him for rest to their souls. He alon gives this invitation; men come to him, when, feeling their guilt an misery, and believing his love and power to help, they seek him in fervent prayer. Thus it is the duty and interest of weary an heavy-laden sinners, to come to Jesus Christ. This is the gospel call Whoever will, let him come. All who thus come will receive rest a Christ's gift, and obtain peace and comfort in their hearts. But is coming to him they must take his yoke, and submit to his authority They must learn of him all things, as to their comfort and obedience He accepts the willing servant, however imperfect the services. Here we may find rest for our souls, and here only. Nor need we fear his yoke His commandments are holy, just, and good. It requires self-denial, an exposes to difficulties, but this is abundantly repaid, even in thi world, by inward peace and joy. It is a yoke that is lined with love So powerful are the assistances he gives us, so suitable the encouragements, and so strong the consolations to be found in the way of duty, that we may truly say, it is a yoke of pleasantness. The way of duty is the way of rest. The truths Christ teaches are such as we may venture our souls upon. Such is the Redeemer's mercy; and wh should the labouring and burdened sinner seek for rest from any othe quarter? Let us come to him daily, for deliverance from wrath an guilt, from sin and Satan, from all our cares, fears, and sorrows. But forced obedience, far from being easy and light, is a heavy burden. I vain do we draw near to Jesus with our lips, while the heart is fa from him. Then come to Jesus to find rest for your souls __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM γαρ 1063 CONJ ζυγος 2218 N-NSM μου 3450 P-1GS χρηστος 5543 A-NSM και 2532 CONJ το 3588 T-NSN φορτιον 5413 N-NSN μου 3450 P-1GS ελαφρον 1645 A-NSN εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
30. Easy (crhstov). Not a satisfactory rendering. Christ's yoke is not easy in the ordinary sense of that word. The word means originally, good, serviceable. The kindred noun, crhstothv, occurring only in Paul's writings, is rendered kindness in 2 Cor. vi. 6; Tit. iii. 4; Galatians v. 22; Eph. ii. 7 (Rev.), and goodness, Rom. ii. 4 (Rev.). At Luke v. 39, it is used of old wine, where the true reading, instead of better, is good (crhstov), mellowed with age. Plato ("Republic," 424) applies the word to education. "Good nurture and education (trofh gar kai paideusiv crhsth) implant good (agaqav) constitutions; and these good (crhstai) constitutions improve more and more;" thus evidently using crhstov and ajgaqov as synonymous. The three meanings combine in the word, though it is impossible to find an English word which combines them all. Christ's yoke is wholesome, serviceable, kindly. "Christ's yoke is like feathers to a bird; not loads, but helps to motion" (Jeremy Taylor).
