Scripture March Madnes!: Day 3

Verse: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens 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 easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

     A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of oxen.  It is attached to a piece of equipment that oxen are to pull.  A person may be carrying heavy burdens of 1) sin, 2) excessive demands of religious leaders (Matt 23:4, Acts 5:10), 3) oppression and persecution, or 4) weariness in the search for God.

    Jesus frees people from all these burdens.  The rest that Jesus  promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labor.  A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.

Related:

1 John 5:3

Jeremiah 6:16 

18th Day of Lent:

  Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came to him and asked "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can not fast.  The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast on that day.

    No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the whine is lost along with the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins."

Mark 2:18-22 

     John the Baptist had two goals: to lead people to repent of their sin, and to prepare them for Christ's coming.  John's message was sobering, so he and his followers fasted.  Fasting is both an outward sign of humility and regret for sin, and an inner discipline that clears the mind and keeps the spirit alert.  Fasting empties the body of food, repentance empties the life of sin.  Jesus' disciples didn't need to fast to prepare for his coming because he was with them.  Jesus didn't condemn fasting however.  He himself fasted for 40 days (Matt 4:2) Nevertheless, Jesus emphasized fasting with the right motives.  The Pharisees fasted twice a week to show others how holy they were. Jesus explained that if people fast only to impress others, they will be twisting the purpose of fasting.

    Jesus compared himself to a groom.  In the Bible, the image of a bride is often used for God's people and the image of a groom for the God who loves them (Isaiah 62:5, Matt 25:1-13, Rev 21:2)

Related:

Matt 9:14-17

Luke 5:33-38