28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 KJV)
Thomas Scott’s Commentary
Verses 28-29: The divine Saviour having thus declared his dignity and authority, invited all those “who labored and were heavy laden” to come to him. In some sense this includes all men: For worldly men labor like slaves, and burden themselves with fruitless cares and disquietudes about increasing wealth, or acquiring honor and pre-eminence: the dissipated and sensual labor hard, and are heavy laden in pursuing pleasures and diversions: the slave of Satan, and of his own strength and passions, is the veriest drudge on earth; if he attempt by his own strength to break loose, he labors in vain: the superstitious labor in the very fire, and are heavy laden with self-imposed burdens: the Jewish ceremonial caused the people much labor, and laid heavy burdens on them compared with those of the gospel: they who endeavor to “establish their own righteousness,” are equally burdened and wearied in vain: the convinced, trembling, broken-hearted sinner, labors under great discouragements, and is heavy laden with guilt and terror: and the tempted and afflicted believer has his labors and burdens also. In short, every “heart knows its own bitterness;” but Christ invites all, who in any respect “labor and are heavy laden,” to come to him for rest to their souls: though such as labored under a deep sense of guilt, or were heavy laden with the burdens imposed on them by the Scribes and Pharisees, seem especially intended. Christ alone gives this invitation: prophets, apostles, and ministers, direct men to go to the Saviour: the Father speaking from Heaven, and the spirit speaking in the heart, concur in the same instruction.—Men come to Jesus, when, feeling their guilt, misery, and inability to help themselves, and believing his love and power to help them, they seek to him in fervent prayer, and rely and wait on him for salvation. All who thus come to him, receive rest as his gift: they are released from bondage and condemnation; relieved from anxious cares, fears, and superstitions; and obtain peace, satisfaction, and comfort in their hearts and consciences. But coming to him, they must take his yoke upon them, and submit to his authority as their Lord and Master. They must also learn of him, as their Teacher and Counselor, all things relating to their acceptance, comfort, and obedience. To encourage them in this, He assures them that he is “meek and lowly in heart.” Some explain this of the lesson which he teaches, even imitation of his meekness and lowliness: And doubtless this is necessary, and tends to inward rest and peace; for the storms that rend the cedars on the lofty mountains, leave the lilies unmolested in the lowly valleys. But it is rather to be understood of our Lord’s character as a Teacher and Ruler. He does not govern with rigor, or treat his scholars with harshness; but he deals gently with them, bears with their ignorance and incapacity, condescends to their weakness and infirmity, rejected no willing scholar, and accepts the willing servant notwithstanding all his numerous mistakes, defects, and incidental faults. In his school and service, therefore, men “find rest to their souls,” and there only. Nor need they fear his yoke: His commandments, indeed, are the same for substance with the moral law: but that “law is holy, just, and good,” and obedience tends to proportional felicity: Ads it is put by the Saviour as his yoke upon the believer, it is deprived of its condemning power; it is enforced by evangelical motives, encouragements, and promises of assistance and gracious recompense, it is made easy by love and divine consolations; and a correspondent disposition is wrought in the heart be regenerating grace. Indeed this obedience requires self-denial, and exposes a man to difficulties in many cases; but all this is a hundredfold compensated, even in this world, by inward peace and joy. So that Christ’s yoke is easy and pleasant in itself; as well as when compared with the yoke of Satan, sin, superstition, or self-righteousness; some of which they who reject the yoke of the Redeemer must bear. Indeed the burden of corrections, tribulations, temptations, and persecutions, to which Christ’s service may expose us, would sink us if we were left to ourselves: yet being counterpoised with internal supports, it proves “light, and is but for a moment, and works out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” So that every way Christ’s “yoke is easy, and his burden light.”