Embracing Gentleness: Lessons from Matthew 11:29

Be Yoked to Jesus: A Journey of Gentleness and Love

Dear Church, as you read this letter, I hope that your hearts are filled with deep love for God, and that your mind is set on loving Him more and more. It’s a strange thing, the hearts capacity for love. God is love, and as we now have His divine nature in us as Christians, our capacity to love God and others will grow, that said…If there is a Bible verse that has served as the “verse of the month verse”, it would be this one…

Matthew 11:29 “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”.

Before Jesus gives a brief description of Himself, He gives a command, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me…” We are invited to be pressed up against Him like one oxen must be pressed up along side of the other. Two farm animals locked up to each other to do a task as one, stepping out together. Interesting that the Creator of the universe made flesh, using a metaphor of such humility to say, “Here’s how it’s going to go… let’s hook up together so you can learn from me through this close, intimate setting”.

in Luke 6:40 Jesus gives us a goal of sorts… “The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.”

He doesn’t say, “a Disciple when he is fully trained will know everything his teacher knows.” NO! The goal is likeness, that we would be like Jesus, born out of an intimate working relationship… “be yoked to Jesus in the working out of life, and learn to be like Him.” Almost like a riddle, it is the second part of verse 29 that discloses what the “like Jesus” is: “for I am gentle and low in heart”. (meek and humble)

The creator of the universe is GENTLE! Yes, I am screaming because the God of heaven and earth describes Himself as gentle and lowly, and we the sinful, flawed, diseased, broken, decaying flesh humans are proud, rebellious, and harsh. BUT! (Yes I’m yelling again) what a journey we are on, to be willfully yoked to Jesus, trusting that our hearts capacity to receive and give love grows, as we are being transformed into the image of Jesus, by His grace. Oh what an indescribable gift, oh what love, that we should be called sons and daughters of the Most High. (1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!)

Dear Lord, give us the heart change we need, to practice gentleness. May our Christ-like gentleness flow from the reality of your gentle relationship with us, and may our state of son-ship and daughter-ship birthed from grace, cause us to “behold” as one would a “wonder of the world” that you have called us your own. In that Lord, create gentleness in us.

Amen

– Pastor Larry Enriquez