Jesus was gentle

JESUS WAS GENTLE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Matthew 11:28-30 28"Cometo me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take
my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. 30Formy yoke is easy and my burden is light."
GreatTexts of the Bible
RestUnder the Yoke
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. Formy yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.—Matthew 11:29-30.
1. Christ saw the people as poor, toiling, jaded animals labouring in the yoke,
carrying an almostintolerable load, and in sheer compassionandlove He
cried to them, and said, “Come unto me, … and I will give you rest.” And this
“rest” He proposedto give, not by relieving them of every yoke and burden,
but by an exchange of yokes and burdens. He proposed to take awaythe
heavy yoke they were then bearing, and to give them His yoke instead. “The
yoke you are bearing,” He said to them, in effect, “is too galling; the burden
you are carrying is too heavy; they are more than flesh and blood can bear.

Take off your yoke, lay aside your burden, and take Mine instead, for My
yoke is easyand My burden is light.”
2. So Christ also lays a yoke upon us. But what sort of yoke? Justin Martyr,
who lived in the first half of the secondcentury of the Christian era, tells us
that when Jesus was a carpenterat NazarethHe used to make “ploughs and
yokes for oxen.” It has been suggestedthat this ancientChurch Father
derived that curious piece of information from the now lost “Gospelaccording
to the Hebrews.” If we may acceptit as correct,—andit comes from very old
times,—Jesuswas a yoke-makerby trade. Then He knew what make of yoke
would be hard to wearand what easy. The easyyoke would be one that would
not gallthe back of the poor ox on which it was fitted, one, perhaps, that was
deliberately easedso as not to press on a tender place. This is what a
considerate artisanwould be careful to see to; and we may be sure that in His
artisan life Jesus would be thoughtful for the welfare of the dumb animals
with which He had to do. He is considerate as a Masterof human souls. There
are some whose slightestcommands sting like insults, and others so gracious,
genial, and considerate that their very orders are acceptedby the servants as
favours. It is a delight to serve such masters. Their yoke is easy. Now Jesus
Christ is the most considerate ofmasters. As Milton said, reflecting on the
unwelcome limitations imposed upon his service by his blindness, “DothGod
exactday labour, light denied?”
In using the metaphor of a yoke, Christ was probably employing an
expressionwhich was already proverbial. In the Psalms of Solomon, which are
a little earlier than the time of Christ, we have: “We are beneath Thy yoke for
evermore, and beneath the rod of Thy chastening” (Psalms ofSolomon 7:8);
and “He shall possess the peoples of the heathen to serve Him beneath His
yoke” (Psalms ofSolomon 17:32). “The yoke” was a common Jewish
metaphor for discipline or obligation, especiallyin reference to the service of
the Law. Thus, in the Apocalypse of Baruch: “Forlo! I see many of Thy
people who have withdrawn from Thy covenant, and castfrom them the yoke

of Thy Law” (xli. 3). Comp. Lamentations 3:27; Sir 51:26;Acts 15:10;
Galatians 5:1; Pirqe Aboth, iii. 8. In the Didache (vi. 2) we have “the whole
yoke of the Lord,” which probably means the Law in addition to the Gospel.1
[Note:A. Plummer.]
Taking the text in its own simplicity we find three things in it—
The Yoke—“Take my yoke upon you.”
The Lesson—“Learnofme.”
The Rest—“Ye shallfind rest unto your souls.”
I
The Yoke
“Take my yoke upon you.”
1. When Jesus spoke these words He referred to the yoke He Himself wore as
Man. That was the yoke of a perfect surrender to the will of God, and absolute
submission to His throne. To all who came to Him He said, “Take my yoke;
the yoke I wearis the yoke I impose upon you. As I am submissive to
government, so also must you be, if you are to exercise authority.” Said the
Roman centurion, “I also am a man under authority, having under myself

soldiers.” The condition for the exercise ofauthority is ever that of submission
to authority.
At the very beginning of His careerChrist had to make His choice between
self and God. The significance ofthe temptation in the wilderness is surely
this, that Christ then deliberately chose to walk in God’s way, and with His
eyes wide open submitted Himself to the yoke of God’s holy will. That is,
indeed, the key of our Lord’s life. Deus vult was His watchword. He pleased
not Himself. It was His meat to do the Father’s will, and to accomplishHis
work. He shrank from nothing which the will of God brought to Him. When it
brought Him to Gethsemane and the cross, He said, “The cup which the
Father hath given me to drink, shall I not drink it?” And that is the yoke He is
commending here to the people, the yoke He had all His life borne Himself.
2. It is not easyat first to lay aside every other yoke and acceptthe yoke of
Christ. The yoke is easywhen you have put your neck beneath it; but to bring
yourself to that point may involve a wrestle with selfthat almost tears the
heart asunder. The burden is light when you have forcedyour reluctant
shoulders to bear it; but to do that may be the most difficult thing in all the
world. There are some things that are easyenough to do, once you have made
up your mind to do them; it is making up the mind that is the straining,
torturing thing. And easyas may be the burden that Christ imposes, calmly as
the soul’s experience may go on when once the soul has settleddown to the
Christian conditions, there remains for all of us the battle with stubbornness
and pride, the coercionof the stiff and resisting will, before we pass into the
Christian peace. It is a difficult thing to take up the easyyoke. It is a heavy
task to make ourselves carry the light burden. And we need not, therefore,
distrust the genuineness of our Christward desires becausewe are conscious
of so much difficulty in driving our rebellious natures to the point of Christly
submissiveness.

“How hard it is to be a Christian,” cried Browning in the opening words of his
“EasterDay.” To-daysome people are trying to make it more easy. So they
are discreetlysilent about the yoke, and the cross, and the denying of self,
concerning all of which Jesus spoke so plainly—while they make the most of
the joy, and peace, andcomfort of the Gospel. The experiment does not
appear to be very successful. Chivalrous souls would be more drawn by the
spirit of adventure in response to a trumpet-call to battle than to listen to
these soothing songs of ease. Butif it did succeed, whatwould be the value of a
Christianity so one-sided, so enervating, so self-indulgent? In fact, I do not see
how you cancall it Christianity at all. The ship is stranded at the bar of the
harbour. What is to be done to float her? You can throw the cargo overboard;
but then the very purpose of her voyage will be destroyed. It will be better to
wait till the flood-tide, and then the ship will rise in the deep water and sail
out to sea, cargo andall. It is vain to float our Gospelship by throwing cargo
overboard. The only wise course is to take Christ’s full message.To have the
yoke and the cross as well as the pardon and the peace.1[Note:W. F.
Adeney.]
Is there no difference when you are on your bicycle betweenbicycling with the
wind, when you scarcelyfeelthe wind and go smoothly and firmly down the
road, and bicycling againstthe wind? There is all the difference. In one there
is peace and rest, and swiftness and progress. In the other it is beating up,
beating up this way and that. You could hardly have a simpler and yet a truer
illustration of the difference betweenbeing borne by the Spirit along the
course of the will of God and trying to beat againstthe will of God and against
the actionof the Spirit. It is to fling ourselves into the tide of the Spirit—Jesus
was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness—to yield ourselves to the action of
the Spirit, and to pass down the will of God before the wind. That is peace;
that is rest. And there is no other in the world.2 [Note: BishopA. F. W.
Ingram.]

3. Ease comesby practice. When we have fully surrendered ourselves to
Christ, the yoke becomes easyand the burden light. To yield to Christ, to obey
His conditions, brings us into harmony with the eternal order of things, and
makes us realize this; we know, when once we have yielded and obeyed, that
we are in the spiritual position—if one may employ the phrase—where we
have all along, although perhaps without understanding it, wanted to be; and
they who hear Christ’s calland answerto it are sure, so soonas their
responsive movement towards the calling Christ is made, that the soul’s
questions are settled once for all, the soul’s requirements met and its
instinctive, deep-seatedcapacitiesfilled. It is difficult to force ourselves to the
yoke;but once it is takenup, the yoke fits, sits lightly, does not fret or gall.
Christ is found to do no violence to the soul. Really to acceptChrist’s
conditions is to find ourselves where we want to be, set going on the true and
satisfying line of life. We give ourselves to Christ—and in that surrender we,
so to say, receive ourselves back again, made greatand free. Christ’s whole
method and spirit of life, once we comprehend and acceptit, comes to us as
the one right and natural thing.
We know what a galling bondage an uncongenialservice may be; we know, on
the other hand, what a genuine, an unalloyed delight that work is which is
absolutely congenial. We make most of our children learn some musical
instrument or other. But to many a boy the hours he spends at the piano are
sheerdrudgery. His practice-houris Egyptian task-work to him. He has no
taste or aptitude for music. But watchthe man with music in his soulat the
piano! Watcha Paderewskiplay! His hands ripple over the keys in a kind of
ecstasy. Playing is not task-work to him, it is a rapturous delight. It is
congenialwork. When sons are growing up and the time draws near when
they must face life for themselves, their parents’ great anxiety is to discover
what their specialaptitudes are, for in the long-run no man can be really
happy or useful in his work unless he has some taste and fitness for it. A boy
with mechanicalaptitudes is unhappy if put to a literary or intellectual
calling. A boy with intellectual tastes is wastedif put to mechanical
employment. If a man is to be happy and useful he must find a congenial
sphere in life. And the law holds good in higher concerns than the choice of a

trade or calling. It is valid also in the moral and spiritual realm. If a man is to
be at restand peace, his soulmust be in congenialservice. And that is why
Christ’s yoke is easy—the service ofGod is congenialservice.1[Note:J. D.
Jones.]
At the time of the greatCivil War in America, the call went round the land for
men to take up the cause of their country’s freedom. The men responded, and
it was noticed that men whose lives had been made a very burden to them by
all sorts of trifles, men who were always suffering friction and irritation
because little things went wrong, men who, perhaps, could not stand any little
trial or trouble without becoming almost unendurable to live with—these
were the people who, not groaning and making a misery of it, but with a
certain exultation of the heart, took upon them the greatyoke of their
country’s emancipation, and straightway all the little burdens were forgotten,
they became absolutelytrivial and insignificant, and the burden that they
bore was light.1 [Note:C. SilvesterHorne.]
Matthew Henry characteristicallysays that Christ’s yoke is “lined with love”;
and St. Bernard cried in his distant day, “O blessedburden that makes all
burdens light! O blessedyoke that bears the bearerup!”
II
The Lesson
“Learn of me.”

1. We understand now why Jesus adds, “Learn of me.” To take His yoke is to
be trained in His school. It was a common thing for Jewishteachers to issue
such invitations, just as to-day men issue prospectuses.Here, for instance, is a
passagefrom the book of Sirach, written severalcenturies before the birth of
Jesus:“Draw near unto me ye unlearned, and lodge in the house of
instruction. Say wherefore are ye lacking in these things and your souls are
very thirsty? I opened my mouth and spake. Gether for yourselves without
money. Put your neck under the yoke, and let your souls receive instruction.
She is hard to find. Beholdwith your eyes how that I laboured but a little, and
found myself much rest.” The disciple must sit at his Master’s feet, and
patiently learn of Him, drinking in His teaching, absorbing His spirit,
gradually growing into the knowledge andcharacterthat He desires to
impart. This is required of the disciple of Christ who would learn His secretof
rest.
When He says, “Come unto me, and learn of me,” we are not to think merely
that we have to learn something; but we have to know that if we learn it in any
other way than from Jesus, it is a lost learning.2 [Note:Erskine of Linlathen.]
It must have been at one of the early meetings [with University students at
Edinburgh], when he had for text the grand Gospelinvitation in the end of the
eleventh of Matthew, that Mr. Drummond used an illustration which caught
their attention and guided some to the discipleship of Christ. “You ask what it
is, this coming to Christ. Well, what does Jesus Himself tell you here? He says,
‘Learn of me.’ Now, you are all learners. You have come to Edinburgh, some
of you from the ends of the earth, to learn. And how did you put yourself in
the wayof learning what is here taught? You went to the University office and
wrote your name in a book. You matriculated; and becoming a University
student, you went to getfrom eachindividual professorwhathe had to teach.
So, with definite purpose to learn of Christ, must you come to Him and
surrender yourself to His teaching and guidance.” Sometimes thereafter,
when a happy workerhad to tell of a new addition to the number of Christ’s

disciples, he would pleasantlysay that So-and-so had “matriculated.” 1 [Note:
G. A. Smith, The Life of Henry Drummond, 300.]
2. Jesus gives us a perfect pattern of submission. “I am meek and lowly in
heart.” Here alone in the New Testamentis mention made of the heart of
Jesus. He whose yoke we take, whose service we enter, whose lessonwe learn,
is lowly in heart; His love stoops from heaven to earth; His care is for all who
are wearywith earth’s vain service, allwho are down-trodden in the hurry
and rush of life. In Him they shall find what their souls need; not freedom
from sickness, sorrow,ordeath, not deliverance from political or social
injustice. No;He Himself suffered patiently; He endured these hardships and
the agonyof loneliness, desertion, and misunderstanding. He gives rest and
refreshment to the soul. When meekness enters into the heart and is
enthroned therein as a queen, a revolution takes place in that heart. At the
gentle swaying of her wand many a Dagoncrumbles to the ground. Pride
must go, false ambition must go, resentment must go, jealousymust go;all
these false gods must go, and take their baggagewith them. And when all
those have left, the roots of restlessness andworry will be plucked from that
heart.
In the meekness andlowliness of Jesus lies greatpart of His mastery over
men; in meekness and lowliness like those of Jesus lies our rest.… The
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is like the dust from flowers in bloom. It
insinuates and instils. The meek man is not without opinions, or a strangerto
enterprise. He does not live in an untroubled sphere, but he has no desire to
see his opinion imposed on any. Children find out the meek;for meekness is
the childhood of the soul. Haughty men are never young, the meek never grow
old. Mostof us have known some. The young are warmed by them, the
middle-aged soothed, the old supported. Meek hearts live for ever: they are
the stock ofan immortal tree. They inherit lives that live after them, they are
spiritual children. David says, “Godis meek”:Christ says, “I am meek.” The
Holy Spirit’s emblem is a dove. The dove comes when you do not stir it. Ask

gently in silent prayer. He came thus to Christ, and will to you when kneeling
and broken down. Thou, who art Thyself meek and lowly, take pity and create
in us Thy meekness.1[Note:R. W. Barbour, Thoughts, 105, 112.]
3. We must learn humility, because without it there can be no true obedience
or service. Humility is the keynote of the Divine music which Jesus came to
make in our world. It is because we have lost it that all has become discord. It
is the keystone ofthe arch of the Christian virtues. It is because that is
wanting that the whole structure of the Christian characterso often crumbles
into ruin. We are loth to give meekness that prominent position among the
Christian virtues which Christ assignedto it. We often go so far as to put
pride in its place, though pride is probably the most hateful of all vices in the
sight of God. Without meekness itis impossible to perform any goodand
acceptable service to our fellow-men, for pride vitiates and stultifies all we do;
and it is impossible to love and serve God, for pride banishes us from Him,
since it is written: “As for the proud man, he beholdeth him afar off.” True
humility, therefore, must be ours if we would obtain restunto our souls.
The man that carries his head high knocks it againsta greatmany lintels
which he who stoops escapes. The lightning strikes the oak, not the grass. If
you wish to be restless and irritated and irritable all your days, and to provide
yourself with something that will always keepyou uncomfortable, assert
yourself, and be on the look-outfor slights, and think yourself better than
people estimate you, and be the opposite of meek and humble, and you will
find trouble enough.2 [Note:A. Maclaren, A Rosaryof Christian Graces,
154.]
III
The Rest

“Ye shall find restunto your souls.”
1. When we respond to Christ’s invitation and come to Him, we enter into the
rest of faith. The very act of trust brings tranquillity, even when the person or
thing trusted in is human or creatural, and therefore uncertain. For, to roll
the responsibility from myself, as it were, upon another, brings repose, and
they who lean upon Christ’s strong arm do not need to fear, though their own
arm be very weak. The restof faith, when we cease fromhaving to take care
of ourselves, whenwe can castall the gnawing cares and anxieties that
perturb us upon Him, when we cansay, “Thoudost undertake for me, and I
leave myself in Thy hands,” is tranquillity deeper and more real than any
other that the heart of man can conceive. “Thouwilt keephim in perfect
peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.” Castyourself
upon Christ, and live in that atmosphere of calm confidence;and though the
surface may be tossedby many a storm, the depths will be motionless and
quiet, and there will be “peace,subsisting at the heart of endless agitation.”
Two painters eachpainted a picture to illustrate his conceptionof rest. The
first chose for his scene a still, lone lake among the far-off mountains. The
secondthrew on his canvas a thundering waterfall, with a fragile birch-tree
bending over the foam; at the fork of a branch, almost wetwith the cataract’s
spray, a robin sat on its nest. The first was only Stagnation;the last was Rest.
For in Restthere are always two elements—tranquillity and energy; silence
and turbulence; creationand destruction; fearlessnessand fearfulness. This it
was in Christ.1 [Note:Henry Drummond.]
2. This was Christ’s own rest. In reading the story of Christ’s life you are
struck by that wonderful self-possession, that quiet dignity of soul which
never forsook Him. There is never anything approaching to the agitation
which betokens smallerminds. There is that large equanimity which never

forsakesHim even in the hour of profoundest distress. Look at Him during
the quiet years in the home. Though consciousofthe high calling which
awaitedHim He never showedany impatience during those thirty years.
Though He knew He should be about His Father’s business, He first found it
in the little home in which He lived. WatchHim, too, when He moves out into
the busy activities of His ministering life; you still find the same quiet self-
possessionandrestfulness of soul. He stands absolutely unmoved amongst
those temptations and seductions which were set before Him. So, when the
crowdthronged round Him while on His way to the healing of Jairus’s
daughter, you see His quietness, self-possession, andrestfulness of spirit. Even
when you come to the final scenes ofthe agony, there is the same equanimity,
for it is equanimity which can detachself from the urgency and the duties of
the moment. When you turn to the pages of the evangelists, whatis uppermost
in the mind surely is this, the thought of the quietness, the dignity, the
unrivalled tranquillity, the self-possession, the restfulness of soul which never
deserts their Lord and Master. Throughoutall, He possessedthat restfulness
of soul of which He speaks here. And this is the secretwhichthe world has so
often longed for. All men are disposedto say at a later stage of their life, “Give
us what you will, I do not ask now for joy or happiness; give me the capacity
for sweetcontentment, give me quietude of soul, give me the powerto be at
rest.”
We canno more leave the path of duty without dangerof ruin than a planet
could without danger break awayfrom the path of its orbit. The moral law is
as binding and beneficent in its action, if duly obeyed, as the physical law. The
yoke is a badge, not of servitude, but of liberty; duty and law are not stern
and forbidding, but gentle and friendly; they are but two names for the
fostering care of God over all His works. Wordsworth, who with clearer
insight than all others caught a glimpse of the face of God beneath the veil of
Nature, thus addresses Duty:
Stern Lawgiver! Yet thou dostwear

The Godhead’s most benignant grace;
Nor know we anything so fair
As is the smile upon thy face:
Flowers laughbefore thee on their beds
And fragrance in thy footing treads;
Thou dost preserve the stars from wrong;
And the most ancientheavens, through thee, are fresh and strong.
To humbler functions, awful Power
I call thee: I myself commend
Unto thy guidance from this hour;
Oh, let my weaknesshave an end!

Give unto me, made lowly wise,
The spirit of self-sacrifice;
The confidence of reasongive;
And in the light of truth thy Bondman let me live.1 [Note:A. M. Mackay.]
3. This strange gift of rest is at once immediate and progressive. “Iwill give
you rest,” that is, “on your coming to Me”;and “ye shall find rest,” that is,
“on your continuance with Me.” The experiment of faith is to issue in an
experience of rest which pervades every part of life until the whole is under its
dominion, and until the peace of God reigns unhindered in the throne-room of
the heart. As the tide setting in from the deep rises steadilyuntil every dry
inlet and creek along the coast-line is filled with the ocean’s fulness, so is the
experience of Christ’s rest to increase and enlarge in the lives of His people.
No man has learned all there is of a language orits literature when he has but
masteredthe alphabet. And no man finds all that the rest of Christ is who is
content with a mere casualacquaintance with the Son of God. For the
relationship which is adjusted on our first coming to Him must be
strengthenedon our side by a constantincrease ofthe area of surrender,
answering to increasing light. And it is in this ever-enlarging obedience that
rest is increasinglyfound.
When our surrender is made, the pain of our sacrifice is greatin proportion to
our former selfishness. It is also harder to bear, or more protractedwhen
there is any looking back. When we have once renounced our self-will and
deliberately chosenthe Will of God, if we look back we not only expose
ourselves to grievous risk, but also we make everything so much harder to

accomplish. If we would be brave in the surrender of the will, we must set our
faces in the way of the higher life, contemplate the beauty of the graces
proposedto us, and deny the former gratifications and appeals of self-love.
We shall indeed prove that the surrender of our will and the acceptance of
God’s Will is no pleasing actionof the soul; but rather that, againand again,
as grace increasesso love will be tested. And yet, so perfect is the response of
Divine love, that habitual surrender of the will to God leads to greatpeace in
the factthat we have no will but His. Thus St. Catherine of Siena was enabled
to make so complete a surrender of her own will that our Lord gave her His
Will. She had made her communion with such devotion that she was led to
pray “that He would take awayfrom her all comforts and delights of the
world that she might take pleasure in none other thing, but only in Him.” If
we are moved by a like holy desire, we should persevere in the constant
surrender of the will; nor let us be discouragedthough we have to renew our
efforts at ever-increasing cost. New andhigher ways of self-surrender will
appear, new opportunities of sacrifice will be presented, greaterand more
interior sufferings will test us, whether our love is equal to really greatthings;
whether we will aspire to the heroism of the Saints in the effort after
perfection. “Be ye perfect” is the Divine preceptwhich echoes in the soul
inflamed by love.1 [Note:JesseBrett, Humility, 14.]
4. When we give ourselves up to the Father as the Son gave Himself, we shall
find not only that our yoke is easyand our burden light, but that they
communicate ease andlightness; not only will they not make us weary, but
they will give us rest from all other weariness. Letus not waste a moment in
asking how this can be; the only way to know that is to take the yoke upon us.
That rest is a secretfor every heart to know, for never a tongue to tell. Only
by having it can we know it. If it seem impossible to take the yoke upon us, let
us attempt the impossible, let us lay hold of the yoke, and bow our heads, and
try to getour necks under it. If we give our Father the opportunity, He will
help and not fail us. He is helping us every moment, when leastwe think we
need His help: when most we think we do, then may we most boldly, as most
earnestlywe must, cry for it. What or how much His creatures cando or bear
God alone understands; but when it seems mostimpossible to do or bear, we

must be most confident that He will neither demand too much nor fail with
the vital Creator-help. That help will be there when wanted—that is, the
moment it can be help. To be able beforehand to imagine ourselves doing or
bearing we have neither claim nor need.
They tell me that on a farm the yoke means service. Cattle are yokedto serve,
and to serve better, and to serve more easily. This is a surrender for service,
not for idleness. In military usage surrender often means being kept in
enforcedidleness and under close guard. But this is not like that. It is all upon
a much higher plane. Jesus has every man’s life planned. It always awes me to
recallthat simple tremendous fact. With loving, strong thoughtfulness He has
thought into eachof our lives, and planned it out, in whole, and in detail. He
comes to a man and says, “I know you. I have been thinking about you.” Then
very softly—“I—love—you. I need you, for a plan of Mine. PleaseletMe have
the controlof your life and all your power, for My plan.” It is a surrender for
service. It is yokedservice. There are two bows or loops to a yoke. A yoke in
actionhas both sides occupied, and as surely as I bow down my head and slip
into the bow on one side—I know there is Somebodyelse on the other side. It
is yoked living now, yoked fellowship, yokedservice. It is not working for God
now. It is working with Him. Jesus never sends anybody ahead alone. He
treads down the pathway through every thicket, pushes aside the thorn
bushes, and clears the way, and then says with that taking way of His, “Come
along with Me. Let us go together, you and I. Yoke up with Me. Let us pull
together.” And if we will pull steadily along, content to be by His side, and to
be hearing His quiet voice, and always to keepHis pace, step by step with
Him, without regardto seeing results, all will be well, and by and by the best
results and the largestwill be found to have come.1 [Note:S. D. Gordon,
Quiet Talks on Service, 79.]
RestUnder the Yoke

Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
A Yoke For Two
Matthew 11:29
R. Tuck
Take my yoke upon you. Christ's yoke, of which he speaks here, is the yoke of
Sonship, his relation to God, and the responsibilities, duties, and burdens
which it involved. And his point is that he did not want to bear that yoke
alone. It was a yoke meant for two. It could only be borne aright when
disciples and he bore the yoke together. Illustration may be takenfrom the
yoke fitted to the shoulders of the two oxen that drew the Easternplough.
That yoke was only easyfor eachox as they both cheerfully bore it together.
So with the yoke of Sonship. It did not lie easyon Christ's shoulder unless his
disciples bore it with him. It never could lie easyon their shoulder unless he
bore it with them. It is true that restcomes for man in the spirit of sonship;
but it is also true that it does not come to man in a lonely sonship - only in a
sonship fully shared with Christ.
I. A YOKE FOR ONE. "Takemy yoke." There must be a sense in which our
Lord's yoke was his own, and could be sharedby nobody. And there is a sense
in which eachindividual man must "bear his own burden." But Christ and we
have more that is common to humanity, than that is unique to ourselves. We
can and do "bearone another's burdens." There is a tendency to exaggerate
the uniqueness of our Lord's experience. It is healthier and wiserto dwell
fully on the commonness of his experience and ours. The piece of the yoke on
Christ was exactlyhis piece, and had its peculiar pressure; but it was only
part of a yoke, which really lay on two shoulders.
II. A YOKE FOR TWO. "Take my yoke upon you," and let us share it
together;then it will grow light and easyfor us both. Can we bear Christ's
yoke with him? Yes, if we understand aright what that yoke was.
1. it was honouring God in a gracious human life. We can share in that.

2. It was revealing God as the loving Father, in a beautiful human Sonship.
We canshare in that.
3. It was doing the Father's work, and seeking and saving the wandering and
lost sons and daughters. We can share in that. And the strange thing is that
lifting up and sharing Christ's yoke is the way to rest, the only way. Restfor
any man canonly come out of finding the Fatherin heaven. No one can find
the Fatheruntil he gets the Spirit of the Son into his heart. Jesus seems to say,
"My rest is in being a Son; my yoke is the yoke of Sonship. Bearmy yoke, and
you too shall find rest unto your souls." - R.T.
Biblical Illustrator
Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me.
Matthew 11:29
The schoolof Christ
H. W. Beecher.

I. There must be docility, obedience, willingness to learn of that Teacher.
II. The schoolis in the recessesofthe soul — it is everywhere.
III. Branches of instruction.
1. Humility.
2. Patience.
3. Fortitude.
4. Love.
(H. W. Beecher.)
Christen effective Teacher
American Homiletic Review.
I. Christ's FITNESSto be man's Teacher.
1. He understands man's nature.
2. He understands all those things which man has need to know.
3. He understands perfectly the art of imparting knowledge.
II. The METHODS by which He teaches man.
1. By His words, works, character, as made knownin the Bible.
2. By the truths He now imparts to the human heart through the Holy Spirit.
III. The EFFECT ofChrist's teachings — "Rest."
1. This instruction leads to the pardon of sin.
2. To the assurance thatwe are reconciledto God.
3. To the removal of all fear of evil.Observe —

1. The evidence that we are learning of Christ is that we are becoming like
Him.
2. All should submit to be taught by Christ.
(American Homiletic Review.)
Unspoken teaching
Bishop Huntingdon.
We are taught, and we teach, by something about us that never goes into
language atall.
(Bishop Huntingdon.)
The advantages ofhumility
J. Rogers,D. D.
I. WHENCE WE ARE DIRECTED TO LEARN IT. We are to learn it from
Christ, because it is a grace so peculiarly Christian, that no other institution
will furnish us with it. All ancient schemes ofmorality are chargeable with
this defect. They are advanced rather as arguments for men of learning to
dispute than as directions of life to be reduced to practice;humility left out of
them. And though some have declaimedwith greatzeal on the contempt of
glory, yet we find these men to have declined the applause with greatervanity
than others pursued it. The Jews were renderedproud by their privileges.
Christianity first taught the true doctrine of humility; Christ its pattern. His
circumstances, disciples, are allof lowly character.
II. Recommendfrom the encouragementhere given, THAT IT WILL BRING
REST TO OUR SOULS. Tranquillity of mind is the spring of our present
felicity; without it all acquisitions are insipid. When we remember the
miseries which arise from resentmentof realor fanciedinjuries, humility
recommends itself to us as a support and protection. The humble will keep,

without inconsistency, within the bounds of justice and sobriety, neither
impatient in prospectnor fretted in the event. Before honour is humility.
Humility softens the terrors of death. If we are His disciples, let the humility
of the Mastercorrectthe pride of His servants. How much our ownhappiness
depends on this disposition.
(J. Rogers, D. D.)
Our Saviour's humility
F. W. P. Greenwood, D. D.
I. Humility towards God the Father was exhibited in severalways. In not
exceeding the bounds of His commission;in obedience and forbearance;He
did not employ His illuminating Spirit in the task of refuting error. Humble in
the manifestationof His power. How has His humility been imitated by us?
True we have no supernatural gifts to exert with humility; but those we have
do we so use?
II. Humility is exhibited in His intercourse with mankind. Look at the choice
He made of disciples. He told the centurion he would go to his house. Let us
not suppose that His humility was allied to weaknessortimidity. It was a
humility manfully arrayed againstvice and pride. It did not stoopnor waver.
It did not flatter. It was associatedwith courage. We needthis humility, just
estimate of self; only to respectwhat is true and good, not mere outward
show.
(F. W. P. Greenwood, D. D.)
The meek and lowly
C. H. Spurgeon., The Pulpit.
One: —
I. THE FIRST QUALITY WHICH JESUS CLAIMS.

1. Meek as opposedto ferocity of spirit manifested by the zealots and bigots.
2. There is a sternness which cannot be condemned.
3. It is meek in heart.
II. LOWLINESS OF HEART.
1. He is willing to receive the poorestsinner.
2. This lowliness leads Him to receive the most ignorant.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
I. It is something for the Christian to ENJOY — "Rest."
1. Restfrom legalservitude.
2. From wrathful apprehensions.
3. From carnalpursuits.
4. From earthly anxiety.
5. From terrific forebodings.
II. Something to BEAR — "Yoke."
1. Subjectionto the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5).
2. Resignationto the will of Christ.Why calleda yoke?
1. Becauseit opposes ourcorrupt nature.
2. Becauseit opposes the maxims of the world.
3. Becauseit is repugnant to the schemes of men.
III. Something which the Christian is to be TAUGHT — "Learn of Me."
1. Meekness.
2. Humility.Christ teaches:
1. By His Spirit.

2. By His Word.
3. By His example.
(The Pulpit.)
The three exchanges
H. Bonar.
I. The exchange of YOKES.
II. The exchange ofBURDENS.
III. The exchange ofTEACHING.
(H. Bonar.)
The yoke of Christ
John Newton.
Our Lord speaks ofHis service as a yoke or burden, because it is so esteemed
by all who know Him not.
I. What is meant by the yoke of Christ? It includes —
(1)the yoke of His profession;
(2)The yoke of His precepts;
(3)The yoke of His dispensations.
II. The appointed means by which sinners are enabled to bear this threefold
yoke — "Learn of Me."
1. Are you terrified with the difficulties attending your profession? Learnof
Jesus (Hebrews 12:3).

2. Do you find it hard to walk stedfastly in His precepts? Learn of Jesus
(Romans 15:3).
3. Are you tempted to repine at the dispensations ofDivine Providence? Take
Jesus for your pattern (John 18:11).
III. The happy effect of bearing this yoke. Rest, to the soul. This affords the
best and most unshakenevidence that He has begun a goodwork of grace in
our hearts.
(John Newton.)
The double yoke
R. Tuck.
If the yoke for oxen is meant, it was a yoke for two: it passedacrossthe
shoulders of two animals, and they bore the yoke together, and so the yoke
was easierand lighter for each. Jesus is bearing a yoke. His is a yoke for two.
He would have us take the vacantplace beside Him, and share with Him.
I. CHRIST'S YOKE.
1. His Father's will.
2. The work given Him to do.
3. All involved in His Sonship.
4. Seeking andsaving the lost.
5. Redemption of the world from sin.
6. Winning the world's heart for God.
II. CHRIST'S YOKE SHARED BY US. Illustrate how Paul shared it. We may
share in
(1)the active work;

(2)the spirit of the work;
(3)the joy and rewardof the work.Conclusion: — There is no forcedbearing
of yokes with Christ, we must choose to come under it with Christ,
(R. Tuck.)
Restin submission
R. Tuck.
The text suggests a figure. Two oxen are yoked togetherat the plough. But
they toil unwillingly. They fret and chafe themselves. Theystrive to force
themselves free of the galling yoke. They are weary, oppressedwith their
slavery. Would it not be rest for those oxen if they would cheerfully submit;
simply acceptthe toil before them; encourage their spirit quietly and bravely
to suffer, and bear, and do; fret no more at the yoke, but take it, bear it, and
in bearing it discoverhow light and easyand restful the very yoke can
become?
(R. Tuck.)
Humility
Sterne.
The greatbusiness of man is the regulation of his spirit. Restis only found in
ourselves in a meek and lowly disposition of heart.
I. Much of trouble comes from dispositions OPPOSITEto humility.
II. Humility is the best security againstheart-aches.
III. Christian humility is opposedto that spiritual pride which is the worst of
all prides.
(Sterne.)

Man's unrest
F. W. Robertson.
There are three causes in men producing unrest:
I. Suspicionof God.
II. Inward discord.
III. Dissatisfactionwith outward circumstances. Forall these meeknessis the
cure.
(F. W. Robertson.)
The yoke lined
T. Manton., C. H. Spurgeon.
The yoke of Christ will be more easythan we think of, especiallywhen it is
lined with grace.
(T. Manton.)We well remember an old man who carried pails with a yoke,
and as he was infirm, and tender about the shoulders, his yoke was padded,
and coveredwith white flannel where it touched him. But what a lining is
"love"!A cross ofiron, lined with love, would never gall the neck, much less
will Christ's woodencross. Lined with Christ's love to us! Coveredwith our
love to Him! Truly the yoke is easy, and the burden is light. Wheneverthe
shoulder becomes sore let us look to the lining. Keep the lining right, and the
yoke will be no more a burden to us than wings are to a bird, or her wedding-
ring is to a bride. O love divine, line my whole life, my cares, my griefs, my
pains; and what more can I ask?
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Hard beginnings

T. Manton.
Some beginners are discouragedin their first attempts at a godly life, and so
give over through despondency, They should remember that the bullock is
most unruly at the first yoking, and that the fire at first kindling casts forth
most smoke.
(T. Manton.)
Imitating Christ the highest art
R. A. Bertram.
In the greatgalleries ofart that are the glory of London, Paris, Munich,
Dresden, and Rome you may see the artists of the future. Young men toil
there day after day, patiently copying the masterpieces ofthe painters who are
world-renowned, learning thus to become painters themselves. Every line,
every colour, every gradationof light and shade they put forth their utmost
skill to imitate. They are not content that their picture should be something
like the original; their ambition is to make their copy so exactthat none but
an experiencedeye shall be able to tell which is the original and which is the
copy. To-day, my friend, place yourself before the Lord Jesus;look on His
character, so majestic in its righteousness, so tenderand attractive in its love,
and resolve to become like Him. Let not your ambition be lowerthan that
with which the young artist sits down before some masterpiece ofRaphaelor
Rubens, nor the patience with which you strive to accomplishit less.
(R. A. Bertram.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(29) Take my yoke upon you.—As the teaching of the Pharisees wasa yoke too
grievous to be borne, so the yoke of Christ is His teaching, His rule of life, and
so is explained by the “learnof Me” that follows. (Comp. Ecclesiasticus 51:26.)
I am meek and lowly in heart.—The stress lies upon the last words. Others
might be lowly with the lowliness which is ambition’s ladder, but pride and
self-assertionwere reigning in their hearts. The Christ, in His infinite
sympathy with men of all classesandconditions, could boldly incur the risk of
seeming to boastof His humility, in order that He might win men to come and
prove by experience that He was able and willing to give them rest, to hear the
tale of their sorrows, andto turn from none with scorn.
Ye shall find rest unto your souls.—Here, as oftenelsewhere in our Lord’s
teaching, we have a direct quotation from Jeremiah(Jeremiah 6:16).
BensonCommentary
Matthew 11:29-30. Take my yoke upon you — Believe in and obey me:
hearkento me as a teacher, rely on me as a Saviour, and be subject to me as a
governor. And learn of me — Μαθετε απ’ εμου, Be my disciples;be taught by
me, namely, all things pertaining to your acceptancewith God, your duty, and
your happiness: for I am meek and lowly in heart — Meek towardall men,
lowly toward God. As an instructer, I will show myself to be most mild, gentle,
and forbearing; kind and condescending towardall my disciples, directing
them with tenderness, patience, and lenity, in the way to pardon, life, and
salvation, not imposing on them any unnecessaryburdens: and, as an
example, recommending by my practice both meeknessand humility;
meekness by bearing all kinds of injuries, and humility by condescending to
do the meanestgoodoffices to the meanestof mankind. Learn, then, of me to
be meek and humble, both in disposition and behaviour; and ye shall find rest
to your souls — That composure, tranquillity, and satisfactionwhichnothing
but humility and meekness, with an entire subjection to me, can give. The
original words may be properly rendered, Ye shall find refreshment to your
souls, such as you would in vain seek elsewhere;refreshment, arising from
clearmanifestations of the divine favour, consoling influences of his Spirit,

lively hopes of his glory, and sensible communion with him. For my yoke is
easy— Gr. χρηστος, gracious, sweet, benign, agreeable;and my burden light
— Or, pleasant, as
ελαφρον also signifies. Suchit is to those in whose hearts the love of God
prevails over the love of the world and sin. To them, the commandments of
God are not grievous, but delightful. They love his law, and their pleasure is in
it all the day long.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
11:25-30 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 sovereignLord of all; yet with
confidence, as one able to defend us from evil, and to supply us with all good.
Our blessedLord 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 invited all that labour and are heavy-
laden, to come unto him. In some senses allmen are so. Worldly men burden
themselves with fruitless cares forwealth and honours; the gayand the
sensuallabour in pursuit of pleasures;the slave of Satanand his own lusts, is
the merestdrudge on earth. Those who labour to establishtheir own
righteousness also labourin vain. The convincedsinner is heavy-laden with
guilt and terror; and the tempted and afflicted believerhas labours and
burdens. Christ invites all to come to him for rest to their souls. He alone gives
this invitation; men come to him, when, feeling their guilt and misery, and
believing his love and power to help, they seek him in fervent prayer. Thus it
is the duty and interest of wearyand heavy-laden sinners, to come to Jesus
Christ. This is the gospelcall;Whoeverwill, let him come. All who thus come
will receive restas Christ's gift, and obtain peace and comfort in their hearts.
But in 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, howeverimperfect 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, and exposes to
difficulties, but this is abundantly repaid, even in this 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 wayof rest. The truths Christ teaches are suchas we
may venture our souls upon. Such is the Redeemer's mercy; and why should
the labouring and burdened sinner seek forrest from any other quarter? Let
us come to him daily, for deliverance from wrath and guilt, from sin and
Satan, from all our cares, fears, andsorrows. But forcedobedience, far from
being easyand light, is a heavy burden. In vain do we draw near to Jesus with
our lips, while the heart is far from him. Then come to Jesus to find rest for
your souls.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Take my yoke - This is a figure takenfrom the use of oxen, and hence
signifying to labor for one, or in the service of anyone. The "yoke" is used in
the Bible as an emblem:
(1) of bondage or slavery, Leviticus 26:13;Deuteronomy 28:38.
(2) of afflictions or crosses, Lamentations 3:27.
(3) of the punishment of sin, Lamentations 1:14,
(4) of the commandments of God.
(5) of legalceremonies, Acts 15:10;Galatians 5:1.
It refers here to the religion of the Redeemer;and the idea is, that they should
embrace his systemof religion and obey him. All virtue and all religion imply
"restraint" - the restraint of our bad passions and inclinations - and
subjection to laws;and the Saviour here means to say that the restraints and
laws of his religion are mild, and gentle, and easy. Let anyone compare them
with the burdensome and expensive ceremonies ofthe Jews (see Acts 15:10),
or with the religious rites of the paganeverywhere, or with the requirements

of the Popishsystem, and he will see how true it is that Jesus'yoke is easy.
And let his laws and requirements be compared with the laws which sin
imposes on its votaries - the laws of fashion, and honor, and sensuality - and
he will feel that religionis "freedom," John8:36. "He is a freeman whom the
truth makes free, and all are slaves besides."It is "easier" to be a Christian
than a sinner; and of all the yokes everimposed on people, that of the
Redeemeris the lightest.
For I am meek ... - See the notes at Matthew 5:5. This was eminently Christ's
personalcharacter. But this is not its meaning here. He is giving a reasonwhy
they should embrace his religion. That was, that he was not harsh,
overbearing, and oppressive, like the Pharisees, but meek, mild, and gentle in
his government. His laws were reasonable andtender, and it would be easyto
obey him.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
29. Take my yoke upon you—the yoke of subjection to Jesus.
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find restunto
your souls—As Christ's willingness to empty Himself to the uttermost of His
Father's requirements was the spring of ineffable repose to His own Spirit, so
in the same track does He invite all to follow Him, with the assurance ofthe
same experience.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Matthew 11:30".
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Take my yoke upon you,.... The phrase is Rabbinical. The Jewishdoctors
often speak (a) of , "the yoke of the kingdom of heaven", and of persons
taking it upon them; and which they exhort to, and express in much such
language as here (b); , "take upon you the yoke of the holy kingdom", every
day. They distinguish this from the yoke of the law, and say(c).
"a man must first take upon him the yoke of the kingdom of heaven, and after
that take upon him the "yoke" ofthe commandment.''

Their sense I take to be this, that a man must first make a professionof his
faith in the God of Israel, and then live conformably to his law: agreeablyto
this, Christ exhorts such persons who come to him for rest and happiness, to
profess their faith in him, to embrace the doctrines of the Gospel, to submit to
his ordinances, and to walk according to those laws, commands, and orders,
which he, as king of saints, has made, and requires obedience to: so those who
come to him for life, and believe in him, as the Saviour of their souls, though
they are not to trust in, and depend upon any duties performed by them; yet
they are not to sit still, or lay aside the performance of goodworks, or live a
licentious course of life, but are always to be doing the will and work of their
Lord. And this he calls "his yoke", in distinction from the yoke of the law of
Moses,and of the traditions of the elders.
And learn of me, for I am meek, and lowly in heart: respectseems to be had to
Zechariah 9:9 where such characters as these are givenof the Messiah. The
meekness,humility, and lowliness ofChrist appearin his assumption of
human nature; in his subjection to his Father;in the whole of his deportment
and conversationamong men; in his submission to the ordinance of baptism;
in the whole course of his obedience to God, and in his sufferings and death:
and he is to be imitated herein, by all his followers, who may learn many
excellentthings from his example, as well as from his doctrine; and
particularly, that whereas, thoughhe was so great a person, yet condescended
to perform every duty with readiness and cheerfulness, his disciples should
not think it below them to conform to every ordinance of his, to every branch
of his will; for he has set them an example, that they should tread in his steps,
and walk even as he has walked. There never was such an instance of
humility, and lowliness ofmind, as Christ; nor is there any example so worthy
of our imitation as his. The Jews have a saying (d),
"for ever let a man , "be meek as Hillell", and let him not be wrathful as
"Shammai":''
which two men were presidents of their universities about the times of Christ.
But our Lord says, "learnof me", not of "Hillell", or any of your doctors,

and ye shall find rest unto your souls;referring to Jeremiah6:16 and which
shows the rest he speaks ofin the preceding verse, to be not a corporal, but a
spiritual one; and which is to be enjoyed "in", though not "for" the
observance ofChrist's commands; whose "ways are ways of pleasantness,and
all" whose "paths are peace".
(a) T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 4. 1. Bab. Beracot, fol. 61. 2. Zohar in Lev. fol. 46.
4. Caphtor, fol. 44. 2. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 2. 2. (b) Zohar in Num. fol. 51. 2.
Caphtor, fol. 48. 2.((c) Misn. Beracot, c. 2. sect. 2. T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 4.
2.((d) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 30. 2.
Geneva Study Bible
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.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Matthew 11:29-30. To regardζυγός (Olshausen, Calvin) as referring to the
cross, is at variance with the context. Jesus has in view His guidance and
discipline, to which they are to subject themselves through faith in Him.
Comp. Sir 51:26, and the very common Rabbinical use of ‫לוע‬in Schoettgen, p.
115 ff.
ὅτι] not that, but because;motive for μάθετε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ (i.e. learn in me, learn
from me; Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 279 [E. T. 324]), with which words Jesus
presents Himself as their moral example, in contrastto the characterof the
teachers ofthe law and the Pharisees,who, if they affectedto be meek and
humble, were, as a rule, not so at heart (τῇ καρδ. belongs to both words), but
only in appearance, while in reality they were tyrannical and proud. Comp. 2
Corinthians 10:1.
κ. εὑρήσετε, κ.τ.λ.]Jeremiah6:16.

χρηστός]may mean goodand wholesome (comp. παίδευσις χρηστή, Plat. Rep.
p. 424 A), or suave (Vulg.), gentle and agreeable.The latter suits the figure
and the parallelism.
τὸ φορτίονμου]the burden which I impose (comp. on Galatians 6:5).
ἐλαφρόν] for it is the discipline and duty of love, through which faith
manifests its practicalresults, 1 John 5:3. “Omnia levia sunt caritati”
(Augustine), notwithstanding the strait gate and the narrow way, and the
cross that is to be borne.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 11:29. ζυγόν: current phrase to express the relation of a disciple to a
master. The Rabbis spoke ofthe “yoke of the law”. Jesus uses their phrases
while drawing men awayfrom their influence.—μάθετε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ:not merely
learn from my example (Buttmann, Gram., p. 324:on, that is, from the case
of), but, more comprehensively, getyour learning from me; take me as your
Masterin religion. The thing to be learned is not merely a moral lesson,
humility, but the whole truth about God and righteousness. But the mood of
Masterand scholarmust correspond, He meek as they have become by
sorrowfulexperience. Hence ὅτι πραΰς … τῇ καρδίᾳ:not that, hut for I am,
etc. What connectionis there betweenthis spirit and knowledge ofGod? This:
a proud man cannot know God. God knoweththe proud afar off (Psalm
138:6), and they know God afar off. God giveth the grace ofintimate
knowledge ofHimself to the lowly.—ἀνάπαυσιν:rest, such as comes through
finding the true God, or through satisfactionofdesire, of the hunger of the
soul.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
29. learn of me] i. e. “become my disciples;” an idea also conveyedby the
word “yoke,” whichwas used commonly among the Jews forthe yoke of

instruction. Stier quotes from the Mishna, “Take upon you the yoke of the
holy kingdom.” Men of Belial=“Menwithout the yoke,” “the uninstructed.”
for (or, because)I am meek and lowly in heart] The characterof Jesus
describedby Himself; cp. 2 Corinthians 10:1, “the meeknessand gentleness of
Christ.” It is this characterthat brings rest to the soul, and therefore gives us
a reasonwhy men should become His disciples.
rest unto your souls]Cp. Jeremiah 6:16, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the
ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the goodway, and walk
therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk
therein.”
unto your souls]Not relief from external bodily toil.
my burden is light] Contrastwith this the burden of the Pharisees, ch.
Matthew 23:4, “heavy burdens and grievous to be borne.”
Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 11:29. Ἄρατε, take ye) To take the yoke of Christ upon us, is to give
oneselfup wholly to His discipline.—ὅτι, κ.τ.λ., because, etc.)Hence it appears
why we should willingly learn from Jesus. Our meekness andlowliness are
consequentupon our so doing.—πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς, κ.τ.λ., I am meek
and lowly, etc.)Although His language is fearful in Matthew 11:20;Matthew
11:24. Meekness produces easinessofyoke;lowliness of heart, lightness of
burden. The Pharisees were austere andproud. Condescension(Demissio)is a
much to be admired virtue of God, which is describedas fully as possible,
although it is not named in Scripture, by one word; whose likeness, humility,
is found in the saints; whose opposite, pride, in Satan and the wicked. Forit is
condescension, thatthat highest Majestyshould have deigned at all to make

creatures, and especiallymen, however contemptible, howevermean, and to
look on them without disdain, and to unite them to Itself. And the Sonof God
in a most conspicuous manner manifested His humility in our flesh.—See
Psalm34:7; Psalm113:6;Luke 1:48; Luke 1:52-53;Luke 12:37; Luke 22:27;
John 12:26; John 13:14;Php 2:8; Hebrews 11:16.—τῇ καρδίᾳ, in heart)
Lowly does not by itself express a quality of the heart, which meek does;
therefore in heart refers rather to lowly than to meek. The word καρδίᾳ
completes the expression:see Romans 2:5.—καὶ, and) καὶ is introduced as in
κἀγὼ, and I, in Matthew 11:28. Thus the LXX. in Jeremiah6:16, καὶ εὑρήσετε
ἀγνισμὸνταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν and ye shall find purification[547]for your souls.
Restflows from the heart of Christ into our souls;see Matthew 11:29.—
εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν, ye shall find rest) as yet unknown to you, but sought for
and desired.
[547]In E. V. it is, “And ye shall find rest unto your souls.”—(I. B.)
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 29. - Vers. 29, 30 have so much in common with both the language and
the thought of Ecclus. 51:26, 27, that probably this passagewas in our Lord's
mind. It is noteworthy that most of the other signs of acquaintance with
Ecclesiasticus are found in the Epistle of St. James (cf. Edersheim, in the
'Speaker's Commentary'on Ecclesiasticus,p. 22). Take my yoke upon you.
For there is work to be done, therefore enter on it. The yoke is the service that
Christ gives us to do, and therefore implies more than his teaching. This,
however, is so important a part of his service, both in itself and as being the
means of knowing what he wishes done, that Christ speaks ofit as though
almost identical with his yoke. (On the figure of the yoke, compare a note by
ProfessorRyle and Mr. James, in 'Psalms of Solomon,'7:8, suggesting that
our Lord was contrasting his yoke with the yoke of minute legalobservance
laid upon the people by the scribes and Pharisees. Fora detailed description
of the yoke and plough used now in Palestine, see anarticle by Dr. Postin the
Quarterly Statement of the Palestine Explorationfor 1891, p. 112.)And learn
of me. The figure of the oxen passes into that of the scholars. The "of" is

slightly ambiguous, and may refer to Christ as the Example from which they
may draw the lessonfor themselves (Matthew 24:32), or as the Teacherwho
will himself instruct them (Colossians 1:7). The secondmeaning is more
suitable here. (Forthe thought, comp. John 8:31.)For. The reasonwhy they
should learn from him and no other teacher. He alone was what he claimed to
teach, therefore he alone could teachit properly, and therefore from him
alone could they learn that type of characterwhich they ought to develop. I
am. Observe the claim. It is almost greaterthan that of ver. 27. Meek.
Primarily, as regards God (Matthew 5:5, note). Receiving in my degree
whateveryoke my Fatherputs on me. And lowly in heart. As regards men.
Observe that meek and lowly correspond, though the order is reversed, to
"He humbled himself and became obedient" (Philippians 2:8, where
ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόνdoes not refer to the Incarnation (ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτόν), but
to his relation to others in this world). In heart (Matthew 5:8, note). "Lowlyin
heart" very nearly corresponds to "he that is of a lowly spirit." Such a person
as Christ's experience shows (Philippians 2:9) "shall obtain honour"
(Proverbs 29:23). And ye shall find restunto your souls. In this learning and
service. The words are takenfrom Jeremiah 6:16 (not the LXX.; cf. also
Ecclus. 6:28), where they form the promise given to those that ask for the old
paths and walk in the goodway of the Divine commandments. But these roads
were now more clearly made known in Christ. Observe the full force of the
two expressions, Iwill give you rest(ver. 28), and Ye shall find rest. The tired
comers are at once refreshedby Christ; these accepthis service and teaching,
and in performing it find further rest. The first restmay be termed the peace
of justification; the second, that of sanctification. Both are obtained through
Christ alone, yet they are not to be confused, much less identified, with one
another.
Vincent's Word Studies
Yoke (ζυγόν)
"These words, as recordedby St. Matthew, the Evangelistof the Jews, must
have sunk the deeperinto the hearts of Christ's Jewishhearers, that they
came in their own old, familiar form of speech, yet with such contrastof spirit.
One of the most common figurative expressions of the time was that of the

yoke for submissionto an occupationor obligation. Very instructive for the
understanding of the figure is this paraphrase of Cant. 1:10: 'How beautiful is
their neck for bearing the yoke of thy statutes;and it shall be upon them like
the yoke on the neck of the ox that plougheth in the field and provideth food
for himself and his master.'
"The public worship of the ancient synagogue commencedwith a benediction,
followedby the shema (Hear, O Israel)or creed, composedofthree passages
of scripture: Deuteronomy6:4-9; Deuteronomy11:13-21;Numbers 15:37-41.
The sectionDeuteronomy6:4-9 was said to precede Deuteronomy11:13-21, so
that we might take upon ourselves the yoke of the kingdom of heaven, and
only after that the yoke of the commandments. The Saviour's words must
have had a specialsignificance to those who remembered this lesson;and they
would now understand how, by coming to the Saviour, they would first take
on them the yoke of the kingdom of heaven, and then that of the
commandments, finding this yoke easyand the burden light" (Edersheim,
"Life and Times of Jesus,"and "JewishSocialLife").
Meek (πραΰ́ς)
See on Matthew 5:5.
Lowly (ταπεινός)
The word has a history. In the classicsit is used commonly in a bad and
degrading sense, ofmeanness ofcondition, lowness of rank, and cringing
abjectness andbaseness ofcharacter. Still, even in classicalGreek, this is not
its universal usage. It is occasionallyemployed in a way which foreshadows its
higher sense. Plato, forinstance, says, "To that law (of God) he would be
happy who holds fast, and follows it in all humility and order; but he who is
lifted up with pride, or money, or honor, or beauty, who has a soul hot with
folly, and youth, and insolence, and thinks that he has no need of a guide or
ruler, but is able himself to be the guide of others, he, I say, is left desertedof
God" ("Laws," 716). And Aristotle says:"He who is worthy of small things,
and deems himself so, is wise" ("Nich. Ethics," iv., 3). At best, however, the
classicalconceptionis only modesty, absence ofassumption. It is an element of
wisdom and in no way opposedto self-righteousness (seeAristotle above). The

word for the Christian virtue of humility (ταπεινοφροσύνη), was not used
before the Christian era, and is distinctly an outgrowth of the Gospel. This
virtue is basedupon a correctestimate of our actuallittleness, and is linked
with a sense ofsinfulness. True greatnessis holiness. We are little because
sinful. Compare Luke 18:14. It is askedhow, in this view of the case, the word
can be applied to himself by the sinless Lord? "The answeris," says
Archbishop Trench, "that for the sinner humility involves the confessionof
sin, inasmuch as it involves the confessionofhis true condition; while yet for
the unfallen creature the grace itselfas truly exists, involving for such the
acknowledgment, not of sinfulness, which would be untrue, but of
creatureliness, ofabsolute dependence, of having nothing, but receiving all
things of God. And thus the grace ofhumility belongs to the highest angel
before the throne, being as he is a creature, yea, even to the Lord of Glory
himself. In his human nature he must be the pattern of all humility, of all
creaturely dependence;and it is only as a man that Christ thus claims to be
lowly; his human life was a constantliving on the fulness of his Father's love;
he evermore, as man, took the place which beseemedthe creature in the
presence ofits Creator" ("Synonyms," p. 145). The Christian virtue regards
man not only with reference to God, but to his fellow-man. In lowliness of
mind eachcounting other better than himself (Philippians 2:3, Rev.). But this
is contrary to the Greek conceptionof justice or righteousness, whichwas
simply "his own to eachone." It is noteworthy that neither the Septuagint, the
Apocrypha, nor the New Testamentrecognize the ignoble classicalsense ofthe
word.
Ye shall find (εὑρήσετε)
Compare I will give you and ye shall find. The rest of Christ is twofold - given
and found. It is given in pardon and reconciliation. It is found under the yoke
and the burden; in the development of Christian experience, as more and
more the "strainpasses over" from self to Christ. "No other teacher, since the
world began, has ever associatedlearnwith rest. 'Learn of me,' says the
philosopher, 'and you shall find restlessness.''Learn of me,' says Christ, 'and
you shall find rest'" (Drummond, "NaturalLaw in the Spiritual World").

Are You Gentle Like Jesus?
January 12, 2016 | Dan Doriani
Share
Bible & Theology
Not long ago, I was askedto help with a series of devotionals on the fruit of
the Spirit for our seminary’s day of prayer. I chose gentlenesssince I want to
be more gentle and hope to learn what that means. I had limited time to
prepare, and so reminded myself to avoid the mistakes born of haste (or
ignorance). I would not searchfor quotations or stories about gentleness, since
the first assumes my culture has a valid conceptof gentleness andthe second
assumes I do. Nor would I be contentto simply list a string of verses that
mention gentleness. Againit would be too easyto pour personalor Western
definitions into the term.
Reading cultural or preferred definitions into a term is a common error. For
example, my two-year-old granddaughter came into my home office as I
workedon the devotionaland said, “Papa readme a story?” I replied, “I can’t
right now honey, I’m working.” She pausedto think and asked, “Dannyand
the Dinosaur?” This, she sensed, was the book most likely to elicit “Okay,
bring it to me.” Thirty seconds later, we were reading. It’s important to
reward ingenuity.
I shared this with some friends and someone replied, “That’s sweet. You’re
getting gentler, Dan.” Maybe. Or maybe I’m getting lazier. Or maybe I was

stuck and needed a diversion. It’s easyto confuse style and personality with
character. Yet gentleness is not an accident of disposition or relationalstyle.
Whether loud or quiet, male or female, powerful or powerless, everydisciple
should be gentle.
Beyond the Lexicon
A study of gentleness inthe New Testamentmay begin in a Greek lexicon,
looking up praus (gentle)and prautes (gentleness). Somewhatsurprisingly,
the classiclexicondefines praus as “not being overly impressedby a sense of
one’s self-importance.” It’s a gooddefinition, but to see what it means, we
need to examine Scripture’s use of the term.
Since the fruit of the Spirit is found in Galatians 5:22–23, we beginin
Galatians. ThoughPaul simply lists the term in 5:23, he uses it againjust four
verses later: “Brothers, if anyone is caughtin any transgression, youwho are
spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness”(Gal. 6:1).
Rough and Gentle
Fortunately, Paul shows whathe means, since he addresses transgressors
severaltimes in Galatians. In chapter1, he says that anyone preaching a
gospelcontrary to his is “accursed” (1:8–9). This doesn'tsound gentle to us.
Nor does he sound gentle when he says he “opposed[Peter]to his face because
he stood condemned” for withdrawing from Gentiles who didn’t follow Jewish
food laws (Gal. 2:11).
In Galatians 3, Paul calls his readers bewitchedfools (3:1–3). There are tender
moments in Galatians 4:12–20and 5:7–10, and in 1 Corinthians 4:21 and 2
Timothy 2:25, but he sounds rough indeed in Galatians 5:11. Someone will
object, not without merit, that Paul advocates gentleness forthose who get
“caught” in sin (6:1), whereas his foes were hardened. But it seems Petergot
caught in sin (2:12), and he got rough treatment too.
Gentle Jesus, MeekandMild?
Jesus’s versionof gentleness looksa lot like Paul’s. First of all, Jesus
commends gentleness in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–12). In the first three, he

blesses the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and the “meek” (praus again).
These go together. The poor in spirit know their need of God’s grace. When
they take their poverty to God, he gives them his kingdom. Further, the poor
in spirit mourn their spiritual poverty—their sinfulness. When they mourn
their sin, they become meek or gentle. The poor in spirit, the mourners, are
gentle in this sense:their awareness oftheir sin keeps them from asserting
themselves and their rights.
Jesus is called “gentle” in Matthew 21:5, and while we see that he arrives on a
donkey rather than a warhorse, he immediately starts upending temple
furniture (21:12). And though he is calledgentle, he doesn’tsound gentle. He
calls the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, snakes,sons ofhell, fools,
whitewashedtombs, and murderers, among other things (Matt. 23:12–35).
Taking Paul and Jesus together, then, it’s clearthat gentlenessis entirely
compatible with blunt language and direct action.
Now notice how Jesus describes himself:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you . . . for I am gentle. . . . Formy yoke is easy, and my burden
is light. (Matt. 11:28–30)
The reference to his “yoke” probably means his teaching is neither
burdensome nor stringent. The very next passage showsPharisees making
legalistic demands—the sort Jesus doesn’tmake (Matt. 12:1–14;cf. 23:4).
Yet Jesus certainlyasks much of his disciples. He sends them into persecution,
arrests, floggings, thentells them to take their crossesand follow him (Matt.
10:16–38).So Jesus is gentle not because he makes no demands, but because
he makes proper demands. He is meek because he gives us rest from bad laws
and forgives us when we break goodones. But again, gentleness isn’t quite
what we assume;it comes with high demands.
Assertive But Not Self-Assertive

One way to establisha word’s meaning is to assessits antonym. For example,
we know that “to justify” has a legalsense biblically in part because it’s the
opposite of “to condemn” rather than “to corrupt” (Rom. 8:33–34).
In Scripture, “gentleness”appears in virtue lists that contrastwith certain
vices. To be gentle is the opposite of being “bold” (1 Cor. 10:1),
“quarrelsome” (2 Tim. 2:24–25), “jealous,”and“ambitious” (James 3:13–14,
with 1:19–20 and 1 Pet. 3:16).
We see, then, that the gentle can be assertive, but they do not assert
themselves. We can be strong and assertive, yet gentle if we leverage power
not to assertself, but to promote the cause ofGod or the needy. Jesus was
forceful, even confrontational, yet gentle because he used his powers for
others. The same holds for us.
The question is not how strong we are, but how we use our strength.
Not a Female Trait
Since our Westernculture hardly respects gentleness, we face headwinds that
make it necessaryto actively pursue this virtue. This will appeal to some more
than others. According to stereotypes, womenare more gentle than men. But
Paul makes no gentleness distinctionbetweengenders.
We learn gentleness by observing how Jesus was gentle and then following
him. If we try to notice gentle people, we may especiallylook for people like
ourselves, just a little nicer. Insteadwe should look for people who have a way
of putting others first.
Again, gentleness is not a matter of style—doling out hugs and cupcakes or
speaking softly. It’s a charactertrait, so it applies equally to hulking football
players and little old ladies. Above all, it describes Jesus andthe wayhis Spirit
creates fruit by transforming us into his image.
Dan Doriani (MDiv, PhD, WestminsterTheologicalSeminary; STM, Yale
Divinity School)is vice president of strategic academic projects and professor
of theologyand ethics at CovenantTheologicalSeminary in St. Louis,

Missouri, and a Council member of The GospelCoalition. He has authored a
number of books, including Work:Its Purpose, Dignity, and Transformation.
He and his wife, Debbie, have three children.
Jesus was gentle, are we?
Postedon May 31, 2018
Matthew 12
15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And greatmultitudes
followedHim, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make
Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spokenby Isaiah the
prophet, saying:
18 “Behold!My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Belovedin whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”
Jesus was gentle. Jesusdid not act gentle toward people, he was, of his very
nature, gentle. Yes, Jesus was God’s servantand yes Jesus was belovedof the
Father and he pleasedthe Father. Yes, Jesus had the Spirit of the Father in

him for he and the Father are one. The prophecy here that Matthew refers to
from Isaiah 42 and 49 emphasize the gentleness ofJesus towardthe people
that he came to save.
Yes, Jesus had many conversations withthe Pharisees where it looks to us like
he was arguing with them. But from another viewpoint, they were arguing
with him as Jesus simply upheld the eternal truth of God. Jesus, thoughever
truthful, was also everloving and gentle. He wept when the rich young ruler
went away;he wept over the unbelief of the people of Jerusalem, and he wept
at the tomb of Lazarus when no one there believed he could make a
difference.
There wasn’t a funeral Jesus passedby that he did not raise the dead person.
There wasn’t a sick person, a blind person, a crippled personor a demon
possessedpersonthat when they came to Jesus that he did not completely fix.
Jesus was gentle towardall people; he was gentle to men, gentle to women
(remember the woman at the well, the woman with the issue of blood and the
woman takenin adultery?), gentle to children, gentle to people with questions,
and gentle to crowds of hungry people. They flockedto him whereverhe went
and he always receivedthem.
If we are going to live as Jesus lived then we must considerhis gentleness as
our example and our goal. Recently, Bobbi and have been reminded of the
importance of framing what we saywith gentleness. Someone told us
something and did so with anger. It became a very uncomfortable situation.
They had bottled this up assuming we should have realized it but we had no
idea. Theylater came back and apologizedbut it left us all with a bitter taste.
The example of the gentleness ofJesus shouldbe at the forefront of our
speech, our actions, and our reactions.
I have to apologize for my remiss actions in not keeping up with the
devotionals. I don’t know when in my life I have been busier than now. Pray
with us as there is just much to do and every day is packedfrom early till late.
Today we are leaving on vacationand the preparation is not yet done. We are
going to Park City, Utah where a man is letting us use his vacationhome for

the price of the cleaning. All of our family will be there for a week together.
We don’t gettogethermuch anymore so this will be a precious time for us all.
Saturday morning is our men’s prayer breakfastat 7:30 at Denny’s. Men,
show up, bring something from your devotions to share with the others.
Enjoy the fellowship of one another.
Sunday, missionaryJustin Smith with his wife Jeimmy will be in the service.
They have been there before and are looking forward to secondday with our
church. I know you will show them the wonderful family love of our church.
Edna is playing the piano for the service Andrew is leading the music. Rob
will be leading the service. Be on time as it always frightens me when at 10:30
there are 20 people in the auditorium. We will be praying for your service as
it happens.
When we getback, VBS starts a week later. Whateverpart you have in VBS
this year, spend time preparing and praying for it now. Pray for children to
come. Pray for children to hear the gospeland to be saved. Prayfor parents
of children to come and know our love and to hear God’s gospel. Maryellenis
going to need help with church decorations. Contacther to find out when she
will be at the church.
If you need me this week, sendme a text. We will have wifi in the house but
phone service in the mountains is spotty.
Have a greatday in the Lord,
https://graceforlifebc.com/2018/05/31/jesus-was-gentle-are-we/
Gentle Jesus and the CompassionConspiracy
Article by PeterKrol

GuestContributor
The metaphor seems self-evident. “Bruised reeds are people who are broken
and needy, people worn out and tired and exhaustedwith life’s circumstances,
people neglectedby the world, but acceptedby Jesus.” We casuallytoss the
phrase out like a trump-suit ace impervious to counter-play. No need to
explain; just assert:“Jesus neverbroke a bruised reed.”
But have you consideredwhy the reed doesn’tget broken? Look at the text
carefully, and you might find you’ve become a little too familiar with this
biblical phrase and perhaps have missed a profound point. In fact, hastily
assuming the “what” may have obscuredyour insight into the “why.”
Where to Find the Bruised Reed
The phrase in question is found in Isaiah42:3 and quoted in Matthew 12:20.
Isaiah42 speaks ofGod’s servant: upheld, chosen, and delighted in by God.
This servant has God’s Spirit and will bring justice to all nations. In the
process, this servant will neither break a bruised reed nor quench a faintly
burning wick. Matthew applies this messianic text to Jesus’s ministry: “This
was to fulfill what was spokenby the prophet Isaiah:‘Behold, my servant
whom I have chosen. . .’” (Matthew 12:17–21).
Matthew sandwiches this quotation betweentwo healings. First, Jesus restores
a man with a withered hand (Matthew 12:9–14). Then, he casts outa demon
to enable a blind and mute captive to speak and see (Matthew 12:22).
We rightly marvel at Jesus’s deepcompassion. We rightly delight in his
commitment to the down-and-out of society, and we rightly long to imitate his
works of service and provision. We rightly praise the one who brought hope
and healing to those who had none.
But is the point of the bruised reed image Jesus’s compassion? Shouldwe
identify weak, lowly, or otherwise hurting people as the “bruised reeds” who
weren’t — and thus shouldn’t be — “broken”? Interpreting the metaphor this

way is often assumedrather than argued, but perhaps we’ve grown too
familiar with it and should take another look.
Another Look at Isaiah
Look back at Isaiah 42 and considerthe stanza’s logic. Isaiahintroduces the
Spirit-filled, soul-delighting servant(Isaiah 42:1) and describes his demeanor:
“He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street”
(Isaiah 42:2). Isaiah illustrates the servant’s demeanor with the reed and wick
metaphors (Isaiah42:3a). He repeats the servant’s missionto bring forth
justice (Isaiah42:1b, 3b) and highlights the servant’s extraordinary
perseverance (Isaiah42:4). According to the logic, the servant’s quiet, public
restraint is what leads him not to break a bruised reed or quench a faintly
burning wick.
In other words, the bruised reed image paints a poetic picture of the
surprisingly effective caution and quietness of God’s servant who brings
justice.
I say “surprisingly effective” because ofhow unusual it is for God to do
anything quietly:
“Let the desertand its cities lift up their voice . . . let them shout from the top
of the mountains . . . let them give glory to the Lord and declare his praise in
the coastlands”(verses 11–12).
“The Lord goes out like a mighty man . . . he cries out, he shouts aloud, he
shows himself mighty againsthis foes” (verse 13).
“Fora long time I have held my peace;I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor” (verse 14).
God will have his moment of ear-splitting vindication, but for a time he will
work justice in all the earth through one who is quiet, restrained, and
inconspicuous.
Another Look at Matthew

When Jesus healedthe man’s withered hand, the chief result was that “the
Pharisees wentout and conspiredagainsthim, how to destroyhim” (Matthew
12:14). Jesus was not giving in to this conspiracy. His hour to be destroyed
had not yet come — “Jesus, awareofthis, withdrew from there. And many
followedhim, and he healedthem all and orderedthem not to make him
known. This was to fulfill what was spokenby the prophet Isaiah. . . ”
(Matthew 12:15–17).
The unbreaking of bruised reeds — and the unquenching of smoldering wicks
— had less to do with Jesus’s compassionfor hurting people, and more to do
with his need for secrecy. He had to bring forth justice, but for a time, he also
had to leave no trace of it. He didn’t want those conspiring Pharisees
following his tracks through the Palestiniancountryside, cutting short his time
to accomplishall his Father had given him to do.
Throughout Matthew’s Gospel, the Pharisees andscribes hunt Jesus down.
They pursue. They initiate. They question. They argue. BecauseJesus’s
ministry grows in effectiveness, he can’t eliminate his PR footprint. Yet after
eachconfrontation, Jesus withdraws. He departs. He leaves them alone and
goes somewhereelse.We could say he tiptoes through the reeds, not breaking
even the bruised ones, and he creeps circumspectlyto prevent his draft from
extinguishing candles — even those barely smoldering. His messianic mission
had a noteworthy ninja element.
That is, until he goes up to Jerusalemfor the final time (Matthew 20:17). His
disciples must not mistake his intentions, nor must we: “See, we are going up
to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests
and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the
Gentiles to be mockedand floggedand crucified, and he will be raisedon the
third day” (Matthew 20:18–19). The time has come for this servantto pick a
fight in public and gethimself killed.
Why It Matters

Thanks to the Puritan Richard Sibbes, the question, “What is the bruised
reed?” often goes unaskedand is simply assumed. Sibbes’s classic work The
Bruised Reedhas much that will profit us, but when we look at the context to
answerthe question, we uncover an even more important question: “Why was
the reednot broken?” Isaiah42:3 isn’t shorthand for “Jesus was gentle with
worn-out people.” It’s a poetic picture of a resolute servant who sneaks by
unnoticed, accomplishing God’s will amid the shadows ofopposition.
Of course, people need compassion. Wisdomoften means listening with
kindness when people suffer (Job 6:14). But they also need to be broken, and
better now than later (Matthew 21:44). Fearof “breaking a bruised reed”
isn’t reasonto hold back speaking the truth in love and thus helping people
grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ (Ephesians 4:15).
Gentle Jesus, Meekand... Tough!
The popular image of Jesus is of some stained-glass window figure who blesses
children and animals. It fits in with modern Christianity which all too often
has rejectedthe idea of God as Judge.
This “Jesus”wouldn’t offend anyone. He has appeared more and more
irrelevant to many people - he cansafely be ignored. The Christian Church is
ruled by a very unbalanced idea of love which in practice means not upsetting
people, being nice, and being easygoing on sinners.
We must never forgetthat he expressedhis love for his disciples. They must
have sensedhis deep love. After all, he was the incarnation of God who is love.
He healed the sick and set demonisedpeople free (Matt 4:23-24).
He said: “Blessedare the meek, for they will inherit the earth ... Blessedare
the merciful, for they will be shownmercy.” (Matt 5:5, 7) (see A discovery of
mercy).

He warned againstselfish anger(Matt 5:21-22).
He urged reconciliation(Matt 5:23).
He challengedus to love our enemies (Matt 5:43-47).
He warned us not to be judgmental (Matt 7:1-5).
He said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest.” (Matt 11:28).
He gently welcomes a despisedCanaanite woman(Matt. 15:22-28).
He affirmed his disciples, for example, telling Peterthat he was a rock (Matt
16:13-20).
He honoured the despisedsinful woman who anointed him (Luke 7:36-50).
He honours a sinful Samaritan woman(John 4:1-26).
He welcomedlittle children (Matt 18:1-5).
He stressedcontinual forgiveness (Matt18:21-35;19:13-15).
He commanded us to love our neighbours as ourselves (Matt 22:36-39).
He comforted his disciples when they were terrified seeing him walk on the
water, thinking he was a ghost(Mark 6:47-50).
He teaches how we canovercome anxiety (Luke 12:22-31).
He washedhis disciples feet (John 13:1-17).
He called his disciples friends rather than servants (John 15:15).
He endured the most sacrificialexpressionof love on the cross for us.
He prayed for forgiveness forthose who crucified him (Luke 23:33-34).
All Christians agree that everything Jesus did was perfectly loving - but was
he really so exclusively "gentle, meek and mild"?

Actually the picture of Jesus who was always gentle and inoffensive is not the
real thing. But that image is such a powerful influence from our background
that we don’t even notice how tough the realJesus was on his disciples. The
real Jesus realisedhis disciples had a battle to fight againstevil and unbelief.
So, like a goodmilitary commander, he sought to toughen them up. In
particular he setout to strengthen their faith.
This article is an attempt to correctthe imbalance by concentrating on the
neglectedside of the love of Christ. Here are some other ways Jesus showed
his love (but all of which we could imitate in a selfish, unspiritual way):-
He Rebuked Hypocrisy
He publicly calledthe clergy (Pharisees)a "broodof vipers" who were "evil"
and therefore couldn't say anything good(Matt. 12:34). He publicly called
them "hypocrites" (Matt, 22:18) "sons ofHell", "blind guides", "blind fools",
"whitewashedtombs" (Matt. 23:13-17, 19? 23-32). He said, "You snakes!
You brood of vipers! How will you escapebeing condemned to hell?" (Matt.
23:33). He was angry at their hardness of heart (Mark 3:1-6).
On anotheroccasionhe said to them, "You are of your father the Devil and do
as your father desires ... He who is of God hears the words of God the reason
why you do not hear them is that you are not of God .... If I said, I do not
know (God), I should be a liar like you" (John 8:44, 47, 55).
Then there was the famous occasionwhen in love he drove the moneychangers
out of the temple courts, scattering their coins (John 2:l4-l6).
He Demanded Commitment
Jesus neversoft pedalled his messageorthe costof discipleship in order to
win superficialconverts. "Now greatmultitudes accompaniedhim and he
turned and said to them, "If any man comes to me and does not hate his own
father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters and even
his ownlife he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross
and come after me cannot be my disciple" .... "so therefore whoeverof you
does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple". (Luke 14:25-33).
When his mother and brothers tried to restrain him he replied by saying -

"Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" He continued that those who
obeyed God were his mother and brothers (Matt. 12:46-50).
In John 6;66-67, many disciples found His teaching too difficult to accept:
"From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed
him" (v.66). Jesus also letthe rich young ruler go awaysorrowfully because
his money was an idol preventing him becoming totally committed to God.
He Rebuked unbelief
After Peterhad takenthe courageousand miraculous stepof faith to walk on
the waterthen beganto sink Jesus didn't say, "Nevermind, you did very well
to get so far. After all you're called to be faithful not successful".No - He said,
"Oh man of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matt. 14:31).
When the disciples thought they were about to lose their lives in the terrible
storm on the lake Jesus didn't ooze human sympathy. RatherHe said, "Why
are you afraid? Have you no faith?" (Mark 4:40). When the disciples couldn't
deliver a demon-possessedboy Jesus said, "O faithless and perverse
generation. How long am I to be with you and bear with you?" (Luke 9:41).
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were grieving at the death of Jesus.
He appeared and saidto them: "O foolishmen and slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken" (Luke 24:25) He also appearedto the disciples
and rebuked them "for their unbelief and hardness of heart" in not believing
He has risen (Mark l6;l4).
He Advised Urgency
If someone was not prepared to receive the message andministry of the
GospelJesus did not advise wasting hours and hours on them out of
misguided human compassion. RatherHe said, "If anyone will not receive you
or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that
house or town" (Matt.10:13-15).
He Urged Discipline

Jesus saidvery little about the church but what He did say was that Church
discipline was vital (Matt. 18:15-17). "Ifyour brother sins againstyou, go and
show him his fault, just betweenthe two of you, If he listens to you, you have
won your brother. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so
that every matter may be establishedby the testimony of two or three
witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the Church, and if he refuses
to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a paganor a tax
collector".
Conclusion
Of course, it is possible to take firm actionwith someone in the wrong way
and for selfish motives. Nevertheless Jesus clearlyshows us it is loving to
rebuke hypocrites (including religious leaders)with honest but strong
language;to challenge would-be disciples so deeply that some are put off; to
rebuke lack of faith even in people who are doing quite well in the
circumstances;to tell a personhis faults, and to take them seriously;and not
to waste time trying to help those not ready and willing to go forward with
Christ, All this must, of course, be done with prayer and sensitivity to the
Holy Spirit
Why was Jesus so tough at times with his disciples? Because, as I said, he was
training them to be spiritual soldiers. He didn’t just see them sympathetically
as individuals with needs; he saw the needs of a world without God and
without hope. And he knew that if he didn’t toughen the disciples up they
would fail in their mission to the world.
Scriptures takenfrom the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®.
Copyright© 1973, 1978,1984by Biblica, Inc.™ . Used by permission. All
rights reservedworldwide.
2 Corinthians 10:1
Verse Concepts

Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness ofChrist--I who
am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
Matthew 11:29
Verse Concepts
"Take Myyoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
Matthew 21:5
Verse Concepts
"SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS
COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN
ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'"
What does it mean to be gentle and humble, anyway?
March 01, 2012
Being self-centeredis exhausting. I’m not sure if you can relate. Maybe not.
Maybe you’re not as self-centeredas I am.
When I get dressedin the morning, I worry about what others will think of
the outfit I choose.WhenI’m out with my kids, I worry about what others will
think of their behavior. When I blog, I worry about what others will think of
my writing.
When I get to the end of my day, I get stressedif I was not able to do
everything I wantedto do. When I go to the store, I getdiscontent if I am not
able to buy everything I want. When I think about friendships, I get
frustrated if I feellike someone hasn’t contactedme in awhile.
Me, me, me. I consume my own thoughts.

Reaching higher. Striving for more. Seeking validation. Maintaining
appearances.
Worry. Stress. Discontentment.
It all makes me tired. And it becomes a heavy burden to bear.
To those like me, Jesus makes anoffer.
“Come to me, all you who are wearyand 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 easyand my
burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28-30
First, Jesus wants to remind us that we don’t need to earn God’s grace. We
don’t need to work harder, be better, or keepup happy appearancesin order
for Godto love us. Jesus went to the cross forus. We don’t need to strive. We
need only believe. We can restin what has already been done.
But I believe Jesus is offering more than restfor our eternalsouls. I believe
He is offering restfor our daily living. An escape from the weight of our own
self-centeredness.
Jesus’“I am” statementin this verse is “I am gentle and humble in heart.”
Gentle is often misunderstood. We often think it means passive. But that
cannot be true if Jesus usedthat word to describe Himself. In other places, we
see that Jesus was not afraid to rebuke and start fights when necessary.
Gentle is the Greek word “praos,” closelyrelatedto the word translated
“meek” in the Sermon on the Mount. This idea of gentleness ormeekness has
to do with our attitude towards God. It means we acceptwhatGod does
without resisting. We trust that God is good. We rely on God’s strength and
not our own.
Humility is also often misunderstood. Many think of humility as meaning we
don’t think well of ourselves. Butthat cannot be true if Jesus usedthis word
to describe Himself. In other places, we see Jesus being confident in His
identity, and confident in the role His Father calledHim to play.

C.S. Lewis gives a greatdefinition of humility,
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”
Jesus says, I am gentle and humble. Learn from Me.
Learn to trust what God does. Learn to follow what Godsays. Learn to notice
what God sees. Learnto love what God loves.
And in this, find rest.
To be honest, this conceptis still a struggle for me. But I have had glimpses.
Some of my happiest days have been ones when I have set aside my own
agenda. Some of my most meaningful days have been ones when I have looked
for ways to help others.
I have felt the lightness of the gentle and humble yoke.
But then I worry, and take my heavy and self-centeredyoke back.
But I think that’s okay. Jesus says “learnfrom me.” That means there’s a
journey. After all, if we take this analogyfurther, an ox doesn’t wearthe yoke
24-7. Eachday, the masterputs it back on. Each day, I have the choice of
which yoke to take.
Hopefully, I can be smart enoughto take the light one more often than not.
This is what Jesus saying "I am gentle and humble in heart." reveals to me.
What does it reveal to you?
http://www.stephaniejspencer.com/everydayawe/what-does-it-mean-to-be-
gentle-and-humble-anyway/
sermon: The Meekness andGentleness ofChrist
A Gentle Spirit Is Very Precious to God
Martin G. Collins

Given 28-May-05;Sermon #721;67 minutes
Description:(show)
Topics:(show)
Volume 90%

The Fruit of the Spirit: Meekness
Meekness
BlessedAre the Meek
Unity (Part 8): Ephesians 4 (E)
Prove Yourself A Man!
Unity (Part 7): Ephesians 4 (D)
A Leader in Every Man!
More...
Harshness comes in many forms. Listen to this dialogue betweena sharp-
tongued boss and a dissatisfiedemployee seeking a raise:
"I know perfectly well that you are not being paid what you are worth!"

"So?" askedthe employee, his hope returning.
"But I cannot allow you to starve to death, can I?"
In the world, sometimes those with the greatestopportunity to help, offer only
harsh and biting words.
Mostof the world's literature and entertainment has exalted the conquering
hero who refuses to submit, and who exerts his or her interests againstanyone
who might challenge those interests. Mostof the world's cultures have
reservedtheir rewards for people who compete successfullythrough strength
of will and superior power. In contrast, the meek and gentle person is
ridiculed for being weak and soft, and of no real value in society.
Often, the most rewardedsales people are those with the most aggressive
methods. The politicians most often voted into office are usually the biggest
liars, and the most ruthless of men and women. Today, frequently, the heads
of large corporations are those who have robbed others blind, stolen secrets,
and cheatedpeople of their retirement funds.
In such a context, Jesus portrays the ideal disciple as someone who is meek
and gentle. The promised reward that such a personwill inherit the earth is a
bold contradictionof worldly wisdom.
There is a cleardistinction betweenexistence in the world, and worldly
conduct and methods. There is no denying that all Christians have human
weaknesses, but we know that spiritual warfare demands spiritual weapons.
We canwage a successfulcampaignin the spiritual realm only as worldly
weapons are abandoned. Total reliance must be placedon the spiritual
weaponry, which is divinely effective for demolishing seemingly impregnable
evil strongholds and defending the ongoing attacks.
In this societytoday, as in the societyof the first century, these evil
strongholds that crumble before the weapons ofthe spirit are such things as
intellectualism and traditions of men. Paul calls these "the wisdom of this
world."

Jesus was gentle

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Jesus was gentle

Similar to Jesus was gentle (20)

More from GLENN PEASE

More from GLENN PEASE (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Jesus was gentle