My yoke is easy and my burden light (Mt 11:30). I understand these words form today’s gospel as an invitation to those who are tired, overwhelmed by their busy life, and struggle to make ends meet. I believe this passage of Matthew relates to the passage from the previous Sunday, when we were invited to take up our cross in following Jesus (Mt 10:38). Jesus is not promising to his follower a journey without a cross. Contrary, our crosses are necessary requirements of discipleship. We understand our cross as the daily work, responsibilities, sickness, and perhaps people we have to relate to. We carry our crosses and often take it negatively. It is like a burden to us. It does not need to be like that. Instead, Jesus invites us to take his yoke that is easy and burden light. How to reconcile these two passages from Matthew about the cross and easy yoke, which seem contrary to each other?
The word “cross” has a broader meaning in the original language. The Greek word “σταυρός” (stavrrós) could mean a piece of wood that was used to torture and crucify people by Romans 2000 years ago. We usually take this meaning and interpret the entire passage negatively. But the word “stavrrós” has a few other meanings. It could be translated as a support or tool to make somebody’s task or job easier to accomplish. I believe the author of the gospel of Matthew used “stavrrós,” in the latter meaning. In a spiritual sense and our context “stavrrós” means God’s grace and call to accept the way Jesus shows us. Jesus offers us the beatitudes, the ommandments to love, and the sacraments – these are the spiritual tools – to make our journey possible and meaningful. Jesus’ offer, when received and implemented, leads us to life, contrary to offers of the World that lead to distress and spiritual death.
If we graciously accept “stavrrós,” which God offers to each of us, and when we embrace it and make it our own, we realize our journey can be meaningful and easy. You feel at peace, harmonious and close to God. The conviction that you are in the right place and on the right way makes you stronger to complete your task and mission “for the yoke is easy, and burden light.” When the yoke is right, realizes the energy, and makes the mission possible and the burden light.
There is another profound element of this meaningful passage from today’s gospel. The words “burden light” does not necessarily mean light in weight. Often the burden is heavy anyway. The word light could mean a visible radiant energy, that kind of light which shines in darkness. The spiritual sense of light means a sign, encouragement, a way to safe place, especially to those who are broken, confused, and stuck in darkness. Anyone who accepts Jesus’ yoke and follows God’s way makes their burden as the light of Christ, a sign and encouragement for those in darkness.