Hello, John and Doves,Jesus was a carpenter who made wooden yokes for draft animals.As such, and being the Son of God, He made perfectly fitting yokes, probably out of olive wood,sanded and polished with olive and orange oils.Indeed, a draft animal was blessed to be wearing a yoke made by Jesus bar Joseph of Nazareth,in the line of David, originally of the town of Bethlehem, the city of David, of the tribe of Judah,of the people of Israel, the apple of God's eye.The fact is that a properly fitting yoke evenly distributed the load the animal was pulling,so that all you might need is a little cotton padding to enable the animal to deliver a full day's work.The application to us is that a well-fitting yoke is a joy to bear, "for the joy of the LORD is your strength." [Nehemiah 8:10] That is to say, any burden seems light to those who have the joy ofthe LORD in their hearts.In HaShem,Mike C._________________________________________________________________________________Paul N. F. (4 March 2011)
"CHRIST, THE BLESSED ONE"
CHRIST, THE BLESSED ONE
By A. W. Tozer
Wear my yoke--for it fits perfectly--and let me teach you;
for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your
souls; "for I give you only light burdens."
---Matthew 11:29-30
I feel great sorrow for those who read the Sermon on
the Mount and then conclude that Jesus was providing a
word picture of men and women comprising the human
race. In this world, we find nothing approaching the
virtues of which Jesus spoke in the Beatitudes.Instead of poverty of spirit, we find the rankest kind of
pride. Instead of mourners, we find pleasure seekers.
Instead of meekness, we find only arrogance, and
instead of hunger after righteousness, we hear men
saying, "I am rich and increased with goods and have
need of nothing!"Instead of mercy, we find cruelty. Instead of purity of
heart, we encounter corrupt imaginings. Instead of
peacemakers, we find men quarrelsome and resentful,
fighting back with every weapon at their command.Jesus said He came to release us from our sad heritage
of sin. Blessed is the sinner who finds that Christ's words
are the Truth itself; that He is the Blessed One who came
from above to confer blessedness upon mankind!
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Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.