Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened ...
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all. Come to my benefits. And first is set down the invitation; second, the necessity for the invitation; third, the usefulness.
He says then, come to me; which are also the words of wisdom: come over to me, all you who desire me, and be filled with my fruits (Sir 24:26). Hence, draw near to me, you unlearned (Sir 51:31), because he wishes to communicate himself.
But why is it necessary? Because without me men labor greatly; you who labor. This applies in a special way to the Jews, because they were laboring in the burdens of the law and the commandments; as is said, this is a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear (Acts 15:10). Likewise, it applies in a general way as regards all who labor because of the fragility of humanity; I am poor, and in labors from my youth (Ps 87:16). And are burdened, namely with the burden of sins. For my iniquities are gone over me head: and as a heavy burden are become heavy upon me (Ps 37:5).
And what will we have if we come to thee? I will refresh you. If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink (John 7:37).
Next, he explains the invitation.
And first, he explains it;
second, he gives the reason, at for my yoke is sweet and my burden light.
Concerning the first, thus. He had set out the invitation, and to what; now he wishes to show what the invitation is, saying, take my yoke upon you. But why? You say that you want to refresh us, and to take our labor from us, and right away you command us to carry the yoke? We thought to be without a yoke. I say that it is true: without the yoke of sin. For the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the sceptre of their oppressor you have overcome (Isa 9:4). Not that you will be without God’s law, but without the yoke of sin; let us cast away their yoke from us (Ps 2:3). Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God: for you have fallen down by your iniquity (Hos 14:2). Being then freed from sin, we have been made servants of justice (Rom 6:18). Take therefore my yoke, namely the Gospel instruction.
And he says, yoke; just as a man joins and binds the necks of the cows for plowing, so the Gospel teaching binds both people to its yoke.
And what is this: learn from me, because I am meek, and humble of heart? For the whole new law consists in two things: in meekness and humility. By meekness a man is ordered with respect to neighbor. Hence, O Lord, remember David, and all his meekness (Ps 131:1). By humility, one is ordered with respect to himself and with respect to God. But to whom will I have respect, but to him that is poor and little, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembles at my words? (Isa 66:2). Hence humility makes a man receptive of God.
Likewise, he had said, I will refresh you. What is this refreshment? You will find rest for your souls. For the body is not refreshed for as long as it is affected; and when it is no longer affected, then it is said to be refreshed. And just as hunger is in the body, so desire is in the mind: hence the fulfillment of desires is refreshment. Who satisfies your desire with good things (Ps 102:5). And this rest is the rest of the soul; I have labored a little, and have found much rest to myself (Sir 51:35). The meek are not set at rest in this way in the world; hence you will find an everlasting rest, namely the fulfillment of desires.
But do not marvel if I invite you to the yoke, because my yoke is not heavy. Why? Because my yoke is sweet, and enjoyable; how sweet are your words to my palate (Ps 118:103). And my burden light.
And these can be referred back to two things. The yoke holds the cows, but a burden is carried; hence the yoke is referred back to the negative commands, the burden to the affirmative commands.
But this seems to be false, because the burden of the new law seems most heavy, as was said above, you have heard that it was said to those of old: ‘you shall not kill’ . . . But I say to you, that whoever is angry with his brother, will be liable to the judgment (Matt 5:21–22). And thus it seems that the burden is heavier. Similarly, it was said above, how narrow is the gate, and straight is the way that leads to life (Matt 7:14). Likewise the Apostle, in many more labors (2 Cor 11:23). Hence the yoke seems most heavy.But this seems to be false, because the burden of the new law seems most heavy, as was said above, you have heard that it was said to those of old: ‘you shall not kill’ . . . But I say to you, that whoever is angry with his brother, will be liable to the judgment (Matt 5:21–22). And thus it seems that the burden is heavier. Similarly, it was said above, how narrow is the gate, and straight is the way that leads to life (Matt 7:14). Likewise the Apostle, in many more labors (2 Cor 11:23). Hence the yoke seems most heavy.
For this reason, two things should be considered: the effect of the teaching and the circumstances of actions; and in all things it is light. The teaching of Christ is light in its effect, because it changes the heart. For it makes us not love temporal things, but rather spiritual things: for the one who loves temporal things, to lose only a little is more heavy for him than for the one who loves spiritual things to lose a great deal. The old law did not forbid those temporal things, so it was heavy for them to lose them; but now, although in the beginning a small amount was heavy, yet afterward it was too little; I will lead you by the paths of equity: which when you will have entered, your steps will not be straitened (Prov 4:11). Likewise, as regards action, the law burdened one with exterior actions. But our law is only in the will; hence, for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink (Rom 14:17). Likewise, the law of Christ renders right actions pleasant; hence the Apostle, but justice, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17).
Similarly, the new law is light as regards circumstance, because there are many adversities. Hence, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, will suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12). But these are not heavy, because they are seasoned with the spice of love. For when someone loves something, whatever he suffers for it is not heavy to him: hence love makes all heavy and impossible things light. Hence if someone loves Christ well, nothing is heavy for him, and so the new law does not burden him.
