Matthew 11:30, Sharing the Yoke

Μαθθαῖον 11·30 ὁ γὰρ ζυγός μου χρηστὸς καὶ τὸ φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν ἐστιν. 

For my yoke is easy and my load is insignificant.  Matthew 11:30

Jesus is referring to what he places on his followers in this text and how easy it is to carry what he places on them.

ζυγός means yoke or balancing scales.  A yoke is a beam that is placed on two livestock (oxen, mules, horses) that allows them to work together in order to pull carts or other objects.  Balancing scales are used to determine the weight of something.  In the context of this passage, Jesus is referring to a yoke.

ἐλαφρόν means light or insignificant.  Jesus is using the in a figurative way, thus I have used insignificant in my translation.  The load or burden that Jesus places on us is really insignificant if you compare what you will receive in return.

One final note on ζυγός.  Although a yoke can mean something that can be placed on one person or animal, most of the time it means a bar that place on two livestock so that they can work together.  If Jesus is referring to a yoke in this way, then there is a since of his people working together under his yoke that he places on us.  Our job is to rescue the lost souls of this world and we are not to do it alone, nor can do it alone.  Paul was the greatest missionary that we’ve ever seen, but would not and could not travel and preach alone.  We must all work together for the lost souls of this world.  The more people there is to share the yoke, the easier it becomes to win souls. 


http://wordforlifeinlove.blogspot.com/2010/09/his-yoke-is-light.html