A Contradiction?

[resurrection33]

It is easy to imagine the following two Bible readings contradict each other. If you don’t trust the Lord, you might, therefore, dismiss them. However, there is no contradiction. I will try to explain:

[28] “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
[30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt 11:28-30 RSV

[13] "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
[14] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matt 7:13-14 RSV

The yoke of the Lord indeed is light. However, there is a minimal effort required on our part, and those willing to put forth a minimal effort, apparently, are few.

 

[posthuman]

someone was explaining to me last week about something they learned from the Amish about how a young ox is trained.

it is yoked to a mature ox while that ox plows. this older, stronger ox is doing all the work -- the young ox is simply 'along for the ride' and is being pulled along by the strength of the other. this is how for centuries - probably millennia - a beast of burden has been taught its 'trade.' it is not there to actually do the hard labor, but to become accustomed to the yoke, and to the path that it should trod when it is ready to work on its own. it learns that struggling against the other is futile, and learns to follow it and do as it does.

this is how Christ's yoke is, my friend explained: we do not do the labor. we walk alongside the Lord, as He shoulders the load. so the yoke is easy and the burden, light -- He is the One that worketh and willeth in you; and you submit to His righteousness, not establish your own.
so then although a yoke is placed on you, it is not by works. although we are prepared for every good work He predestined for us, it is not ourselves, but Christ that lives in us, that is worthy of all glory and honor - and we are made His yokefellow, and i tell you, not one of us has strength of his own to keep up with this One!

i liked this explanation i was given very much. i found it profound and enlightening! i hope you do also . . it is of course an analogy, and at some point every analogy breaks down - because it is a way to communicate a truth of God's perfect understanding to our simplistic, human way of thinking.

♥​

 

[posthuman]

notice what Christ specifically says in this regard:

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 11:29-30)​

"learn from me" -- i think this is about instruction primarily, not labor.

 

[MikeHenderson]

All Jesus said we had to do was enter in by the narrow gate. What other WORKS did He say in that verse????????

Matthew 7:13
[SUP]13 [/SUP]“Enter through the narrow gate;

All He said was enter in, nothing else!

 

[thepsalmist]

someone was explaining to me last week about something they learned from the Amish about how a young ox is trained.

it is yoked to a mature ox while that ox plows. this older, stronger ox is doing all the work -- the young ox is simply 'along for the ride' and is being pulled along by the strength of the other. this is how for centuries - probably millennia - a beast of burden has been taught its 'trade.' it is not there to actually do the hard labor, but to become accustomed to the yoke, and to the path that it should trod when it is ready to work on its own. it learns that struggling against the other is futile, and learns to follow it and do as it does.

this is how Christ's yoke is, my friend explained: we do not do the labor. we walk alongside the Lord, as He shoulders the load. so the yoke is easy and the burden, light -- He is the One that worketh and willeth in you; and you submit to His righteousness, not establish your own.
so then although a yoke is placed on you, it is not by works. although we are prepared for every good work He predestined for us, it is not ourselves, but Christ that lives in us, that is worthy of all glory and honor - and we are made His yokefellow, and i tell you, not one of us has strength of his own to keep up with this One!

i liked this explanation i was given very much. i found it profound and enlightening! i hope you do also . . it is of course an analogy, and at some point every analogy breaks down - because it is a way to communicate a truth of God's perfect understanding to our simplistic, human way of thinking.

♥​

A WONDERFUL analogy Posthuman ... thanks for sharing this!

 

[Trail-of-Truth]

He was speaking spiritually. "Rest for your SOUL" not rest for your body. Paul was in jail, yet was singing to God. He had joy, his spirit was light, but what he was going through took great effort. Jail back then was not like jail today with tvs and a hot meal, you were beaten, chained, had rats, etc. Paul did not just believe, he had to put that belief into action (effort).

So many people people try to prove "only belief and zero effort" but that is simply not true. Jesus said our righteousness MUST exceed that of the Pharisees, or we will not enter heaven. Did the Pharisees believe? Yes! Must you do MORE than believe? Yes!

 

[Trail-of-Truth]

All Jesus said we had to do was enter in by the narrow gate. What other WORKS did He say in that verse????????

Matthew 7:13
[SUP]13 [/SUP]“Enter through the narrow gate;

All He said was enter in, nothing else!

The gate is only the beginning, He goes on to talk about the road and where it leads. A gate is short, yes, but a road is long.

 

[miknik5]

All Jesus said we had to do was enter in by the narrow gate. What other WORKS did He say in that verse????????

Matthew 7:13
[SUP]13 [/SUP]“Enter through the narrow gate;

All He said was enter in, nothing else!

But once having entered in through the Narrow gate, do we have the right to tear up HIS fields?
Try yoking two opposing "oxen" together and that is exactly what one will get...a torn up field.

Didn't we enter in to do the work and will of GOD?
Didn't HE call us into HIS labor?

 

[miknik5]

He was speaking spiritually. "Rest for your SOUL" not rest for your body. Paul was in jail, yet was singing to God. He had joy, his spirit was light, but what he was going through took great effort. Jail back then was not like jail today with tvs and a hot meal, you were beaten, chained, had rats, etc. Paul did not just believe, he had to put that belief into action (effort).

So many people people try to prove "only belief and zero effort" but that is simply not true. Jesus said our righteousness MUST exceed that of the Pharisees, or we will not enter heaven. Did the Pharisees believe? Yes! Must you do MORE than believe? Yes!

Paul learned to be content in all seasons.

 

[miknik5]

Be still and know that I am GOD is sufficient.
Faith in HIM in seasons of sun is quite easy.
Faith in HIM in seasons of rain is another story.

Yes, we must "do" more than believe.
We must trust and wait by faith in HIM...and REMAIN in HIM and not "go out"

 

[posthuman]

Be still and know that I am GOD is sufficient.
Faith in HIM in seasons of sun is quite easy.
Faith in HIM in seasons of rain is another story.

Yes, we must "do" more than believe.
We must trust and wait by faith in HIM...and REMAIN in HIM and not "go out"

♪♪ . . to enter His rest -
close to His chest;
and after His own heart .. ♫

 

[1LonelyKnight]

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matt 16:24

 

[FreeNChrist]

But once having entered in through the Narrow gate, do we have the right to tear up HIS fields?
Try yoking two opposing "oxen" together and that is exactly what one will get...a torn up field.

Didn't we enter in to do the work and will of GOD?
Didn't HE call us into HIS labor?

You oppose Him when you work against Him by trying to do His work, instead of simply resting in Him. The reason Jesus' yoke is easy is because He carries the load. Posthuman's post nailed it. It was the same in biblical times...a farmer would use the practice of yoking a mature ox with a young ox side-by-side. It was the strength of the older ox that literally pulled the entire load. The young ox simply kept pace with the older.

This is a picture of our entire Christian life. We are the young ox, and Jesus is the older ox, we may think that we are sharing the load, but it is really Jesus who is actually doing all the work. So many see the Christian life as learning to "carry the load on our own", considering that to be Christian maturity. When the reality is that the Christian life is learning more and more that it is Christ who carries the load, and are need is to simply walk by faith with Him.

 

[reneweddaybyday]

It is easy to imagine the following two Bible readings contradict each other. If you don’t trust the Lord, you might, therefore, dismiss them. However, there is no contradiction. I will try to explain:

[28] “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
[30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt 11:28-30 RSV

[13]"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
[14] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matt 7:13-14 RSV

The yoke of the Lord indeed is light. However, there is a minimal effort required on our part, and those willing to put forth a minimal effort, apparently, are few.

In Matt 7:13-14, we are given warning that the way is hard, that leads to life.

In Matt 11:28-30, as has been stated previously, the Lord does not add any burden to the yoke we are encouraged to take upon us. The Lord does, however, shoulder our burdens as we are on the way ... that leads to life. He helps us in our times of distress , He encourages us, strengthens us, rejoices with us. He is always with us, in times of suffering and in times of ease.

 

[notmyown]

♪♪ . . to enter His rest -
close to His chest;
and after His own heart .. ♫

♫ You let my heart die
but left Yours beating in my chest ♪ ♪


lol.... i do love that song ☺

 

[crossnote]

Why does saving the sheep have to be equated with discipling the sheep?
First He saves us (we become His) then He disciples us.

 

[oldethennew]

AMEN,

and then our love and enlightenment begins to unfold, for His most gracious knowledge begins and
continues until the rest/end of our lives in our service to Him and His...

 

[Stephen63]

His yoke is easy..... but still a yoke, with work to do. Conforming to that yoke(conforming to the spiritual image of Christ) takes quite an effort.
His burden is light..... not nothing. There's still a burden, light as it is.

 

[crossnote]

His yoke is easy..... but still a yoke, with work to do. Conforming to that yoke(conforming to the spiritual image of Christ) takes quite an effort.
His burden is light..... not nothing. There's still a burden, light as it is.

Yes, and that nicely depicts our walk with Him, not our rescue by Him.

 

[resurrection33]

Why does saving the sheep have to be equated with discipling the sheep?
First He saves us (we become His) then He disciples us.

Yes, some people equate getting saved with going to heaven. I don't.