This passage begins with the well-known words, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (v. 28) And it concludes, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (v. 30) The word "yoke" literally means an attachment put over the neck of an animal, such as an ox, that is used to pull a cart. It is obvious, however, that Jesus is using the word in a figurative sense. We know that rabbis in this period spoke of "the yoke of the law," as a way of referring to the commandments of Torah. The meaning of this passage seems to be that learning about Torah from Jesus will make its burdens lighter. Moreover, the passage promises that those who follow Jesus will find rest for their souls.
Unlike the letters of Paul, which argue that Christ has replaced the (Jewish) law, the gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the law of Moses. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says clearly that he has not come to abolish the (Jewish) law, and there he teaches his disciples to keep the commandments until all that God has planned is accomplished. As the gospel was written for one or more churches, which were waiting for the end to come, the early Christians reading the gospel of Matthew must have been adhering to Jewish law, unlike the churches organized by Paul. But as Gentiles came to outnumber Jews in the churches, keeping Jewish law disappeared from the life of the church.
Grace and peace . . . Bob
