Easy?

We like this:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Easy! Light and restful. What a relief he offers!

We aren’t quite as fond of this:

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Mattew 7:13-14)

What? I thought he offered “easy and light”. This says it’s hard! It’s the same Teacher, saying both things. Did he change his mind? Was he confused?

If we pay attention to the details, we notice the metaphors aren’t the same. It’s the yoke and the burden that are easy, it’s the road that’s hard. Different metaphors, so very likely he’s talking about two different things.

I think we find explanation in what he shares with his disciples at the meal before his arrest. Here are a couple of excerpts:

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:19-20)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

The wide, easy way sounds a lot like being loved by the world. No friction, easy going. But where it’s going isn’t where we want to go. The world hating us, persecuting us, yeah that sounds like the hard way. But it’s the way to life. Jesus offering us peace sounds the same as his offer of the lighter, easier load. But he doesn’t offer to take away the tribulation. What he offers is his success in overcoming the world. Overcoming the persecution, the tribulation, and also the wide easy way to death.

Never does he say he’ll make the road easy. What he says is that he’ll share the load, while walking the road. Notice whose yoke it is? It’s his. He’s offering us a spot yoked together with him. He’s already been down this road, and he overcame it. So now he’s offering to lighten our load by helping us. In fact, taking off of us the load of sin that would ultimately break our backs, even as we slide down the wide and easy.

Hard, yes. The persecutions and tribulations aren’t magically gone. Also not gone is our own nature that really wants the wide and easy, even if it’s deadly. Alertness, endurance, perseverance—all those things we’re told we must have, aren’t easy.

Easy? Also yes. What a relief to offload the impossible burden. To have a powerful, immortal Lord offering to do the heavy lifting.

Love, Paul