Sermon notes Sunday August 26, 2007 ChristChurch

John Parker Sermon notes

Day Date Place: Sunday September 16, 2007 ChristChurch

Theme: his is a word for the leader, the worker, the= go getters in our church. Don’t stop! Do Rest and work in tandem with your Lord Jesus!=

Songs

I’m trading my sorrows. Jesus I come, Jesus I come to the= e. I will arise and go to Jesus

Text: Matt 11:28-30

²⁸“Come to me, all you who a= re weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, f= or I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burde= n is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)

^=
28δευτε προς με παντες οι κοπιωντες και πεφορτισμενο&= #953; καγω αναπαυσω υμας ²⁹αρατε τον ζυγον μου εφ υμας και μαθετε απ εμου οτι πραος ειμι και ταπεινος τη καρδια και ευρησετε αναπ= αυσιν ταις ψυχαις υμων ³⁰ο γαρ ζυγος μου χρηστος και το φορτιον μου ελαφρον εστιν (Matthew 11:28= -30 Elzevir)

When I was a boy my Dad would come to my room on a Saturday and ell me to get up we’ve got to work in the yard. We had new house dug into the hil= lside with terraced levels which peak at the back lawn which was at the level of the roof! Dad decided that he woluld use railroad ties to build retaining wal= ls all the way around the yard. The end product was solid and is still there. But my calling on Saturdays to participate was not w welcome one.

Somedays now I wake up with chores . My Dad passed away 10 years ago b= ut the experience of awakening to unwanted work is still with me. And soe days I just want to sleep= in and have it all go away. It= never does. So I am looking for plan B.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of your f= aith

Title:

Outline

Stories Illustrations

Student with the fish…studied one full day…thought he was done…professor said Good work do more tomorrow…for three days…student went from frustrated to angry= to eager to self motivated to study the fish on his own. This verse is like that.

John’s Comments

Some people need no rest. They are getting too much = already! They have no burden, no conern, no pathos. They live in a world unto themselves and are, in a way, content with what they have. To those we would say, “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the d= ead, and Christ will shine on you!” (Ephesians 5:14 NIV) We are called to be redeeming th= e time for the days are evil!

On the day Jesus called out they either didn’t= hear or didn’t even show up

I don’t need that.

Bill Gates. <= /span>

Guy who won $91 million…491 lawsuits.

Others here are in great need of rest. This message = is for those of you who are unrested, who are restless, who are over-burdened wi= th labor, care, and responsibility. Unrested physically from working and serving others at work and at home and at church long hours. For those unrested mentally and emotionally. Worn down with anxiety, care, wo= rry, and fear.

We are learning that unrest is the precursor for the messages of alarm real or unreal, necessary or unnessary, valid or invalid, triggering “= flight or fear” that creating stress and sending messages to our bodies th= at we must not rest, not be at peace, must be tense, afraid, and on edge.

To us Jesus says as an appeal and as a command,

Come unto me

Take my yoke upon you

Learn from me

that, because, for (AV tr= anslates as “that” 612 times, “for” 264 times, “because” 173 times, “how that” 21 times, “how” 11 times^{^[1]})

Πρ&#= 945;ος or πραuς

You are here Lord Jesus. You are my savior and your are my borther and you are my friend.

I come to you---

I take my rest---in you!

I take your yoke upon me…

I get such a Baalam spirit…”let me pray and see what God will say…” w= hen God’s already spoken and said, NO!

I learn of your

Note the yoked up words:

weary and burdened

take and learn

gentle and humble in heart

my yoke is easy and my burden is light

When my life gets into hard and heavy I must be unyoked from Jesus. I = must be taking things on that are not in sync with him. I must be off the hook!

Whatever your hands find to do do it heartily as unt= o the Lord!

Cross-references:

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm there= fore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Commentaries:

Word study: Weary, Labor <= span lang=3DEL style=3D'font-family:Gentium;mso-ansi-language:EL'>κο= πιάω

Labor and are heavy-laden (κοπιῶντε&#= 962; καὶ πεφορτισ = 56;ένοι). The first an activ= e, the second a passive participle, exhibiting the active and passive sides = of human misery.^{^[2]}

3159= κο= πιάω (kopiaō): vb.; &= #8801; Str 2872; TDNT 3.827—1. LN 42.47 labor, work, give effort (Lk 5:5; Mt 6:28 v.r.); 2. LN 23.78 be tired, grow weary (Mt 11:28; Jn 4:6+); <= b>3. LN 25.289 <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial'>lose heart, be emotionally fatigued and discouraged (Rev 2:3+)^{^[3]}

2872 κο= πιάω [kopiao /kop·ee·ah·o/] v. From a derivative of 2873; TDNT 3:827; TDNTA 453; GK 3159; 23 occurren= ces; AV translates as “labour” 16 times, “bestow labour̶= 1; three times, “toil” three times, and “be wearied” once. 1 to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief). 2 to labour with wearisome effort, to toil. 2a of bodily labour.^{^[4]}

2873 κό= πος [kopos /kop·os/] n m. From 2875; TDNT 3:827; TDNTA 453; GK 3160; 19 occurrences; AV transl= ates as “labour” 13 times, “trouble + 3830” five times, and “weariness” once. 1 a beating. 2 a beating of the breast with grief, sorrow. 3 labour. 3a trouble. 3a1 to cause one trouble, make work for him. 3b intense labour united with trouble and toil. Additional Information: For synonyms see entries 3449, mochthos= ; and 4192, ponos.See entry = 5860 for comparison of synonyms. ^{^[5]}

2875 κό= πτω [kopto /kop·to/] v. A root word; TDNT 3:830; TDNTA 453; GK 3164; Eight occurrences; AV translates as “bewail” twice, “lament” twice, “cut down” twice, “wail” once, and “mourn” once. 1 to cut, strike, smite. 2 to cut from, cut off. 3 to beat one’s breast for grie= f. ^{^[6]}

Word study: Easy

Word study: Burdened, Heavy laden πε= φορτισμένοι

Labor and are heavy-laden (κοπιῶντε&#= 962; καὶ πεφορτισ = 56;ένοι). The first an active, the second a passive participle, exhibiting the active and passive sides of h= uman misery.^{^[7]}

burdened (πεφορτισ = 56;ενοι [pephortismenoi], perf= ect passive participle, state of weariness)^{^[8]}

5412 φο= ρτίζω [phortizo /for·tid·zo/] v= . From 5414; TDNT 9:86; TDNTA 1252; GK 5844; Two occurrences; AV translates as “be heavy laden” once, and “lade” once. 1 to place a burden upon, to load. 2 metaph. to load one with a burden (of rites and unwarranted precepts).

5413 φο= ρτίον [phortion /for·tee·on/] n= n. Diminutive of 5414; TDNT 9:84; TDNTA 1252; GK 5845; Five occurrences; AV translates as “burden” five times. 1 a burden, load. 1a of the freight or lading of a ship. 2 metaph. 2a of burdensome rites. 2b of the obligations Christ lays upon his followers, and styles a “burden” by way of the contrast to the precepts of the Pharisees, the observance of which was most oppressive. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant:small-caps'>2c faults of the conscience which oppress the soul. Additional Informatio= n: For synonyms see entries 922, bar= os; and 3591, ogkos.See en= try 5819 for comparison of synonyms.

5414 φό= ρτος [phortos /for·tos/] n m. From 5342; GK 5846; AV translates as “lading” once. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant:small-caps'>1 a load, burden. 1a of a ship.^{^[9]}

φορτίζω= pf. pass. ptc. πεφορτισ = 56;ένος; cause someone <= i>to carry something, load, burden; figuratively in the NT, = of being weighed down with troubles and difficult circumstances (MT 11.28); metaphorically, of requiring burdensome legal observances burden, caus= e to do many hard things (LU 11.46)^{^[10]}

5819 Synonyms

See Definition for <= span style=3D'font-family:BibliaLS'>baros: 922

See Definition for <= span style=3D'font-family:BibliaLS'>ogkos: 3591

See Definition for <= span style=3D'font-family:BibliaLS'>phortion: 5413

^{^[11]}

Word study: Light

Easy (χ= ;ρηστὸς). Not a satisfactory rendering. Christ’s yoke is not easy in t= he ordinary sense of that word. The word means originally, good, serviceable= . The kindred noun, χρηστότης, occurr= ing only in Paul’s writings, is rendered kindness in 2 Cor. 6:6; Tit. 3:4; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 2:7 (Rev.), and goodness, Rom. 2:4 (Rev.= ). At Luke 5:39, it is used of old wine, where the true reading, instead of = better, is good (χρηστός), mellowed with age. Plato (“Republic,” 424) applies the word to education. “= ;Good nurture and education (τροφὴ γὰρ κα= ὶ παίδευσ&= #953;ς χρηστὴ), implant good (ἀγαθὰς) constitutions; and the= se good (χ= ;ρησταὶ) constitutions improve more and more;” thus evidently using χρ= ηστός and &#= 7936;γαθός as synonymous. The three meanings combine in the word, though it is impossible to find an English word which combines them all. Christ’s yoke is wholesome, serviceable, kindly. “Christ’s yoke is like feathers to a bi= rd; not loads, but helps to motion” (Jeremy Taylor). ^{^[12]}

χρηστός, ή, = όν= with a basic meaning being well adapted to fulfill a purpose, i.e.= useful, suitable, excellent; (1) of things good, easy, pleasant; of requirements easy (MT 11.30)^{^[13]}

Word study rest

ἀνά = 60;αυσις, εως, ἡ (1) as a ceasing from activity stopping, interruptio= n (RV 4.8); (2) as a resting from labor or carrying burdens rest, repose= ; figuratively, of spiritual rest (MT 11.29); (3) by metonymy resting pl= ace, settled habitation (MT 12.43)

He towers above all men as he challenges us. “= I will refresh you” (κ̓αγ= ο ἀναπαυσω ὑμ= ;ας [k‚ago anapausō hū= ;mas]). Far more than mere rest, rejuvenation. The English slang expression “rest up” is close to the idea of the Greek compound ἀν= ;α-παυω [ana-pauō]. It is causative active voice.^{^[14]}

Give rest (ἀναπαύσ= ω). Originally to make to cease; Tynd., ease; Wyc., refresh<= /i>. The radical conception is that of relief. ^{^[15]}

Word study “gentle” Greek: praus

4239 πρ= αΰς [praus /prah·ooce/] adj. Appa= rently a primary word; TDNT 6:645; TDNTA 929; GK 4558; Three occurrences; AV translates as “meek” three times. 1 mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness. Additional Information: Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend them against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil peo= ple means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is usi= ng them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time. (Is. 41:17, Lu. 18:1-8) Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s = goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with se= lf at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will. (Gal. 5:23). ^{^[16]}

JSP—I am not to be resigned in the spirit but actively calling in God’s will and power with words of Faith! E.g., “Father forgive them= they know not…” or “Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me.” Or I could call 10 legions of angels” Or get the be= hind me Satan” or “if I don’t wah your feet you have no part with me.” adv. πραθως is often used in the ancient secular world for the quiet and friendly composure which does not become embittered or angry at what is unpleasant, whether in the form of people (Epict. = Ench., 42) or fate. This is an active attitu= de and deliberate acceptance, not just a passive submission, ^{^[17]}

Jesus was meek, gentle, friendly: look at him with Children, with = little man Zaacheaus, with the woman who touched his garment, with Mary who sat = at his feet. Yet he was still assertive and clear: look at him with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, with Pilate and Herod, with Peter, with Martha, with the crowd= who didn’t like his hard sayings (John 6) Let your Yes be Yes and your No = be No. Matt. 5

5. The meek (οἱ πραεῖς). Another word which, though never used in a bad sense, Christianity has li= fted to a higher plane, and made the symbol of a higher good. Its primary mean= ing is mild, gentle. It was applied to inanimate things, as lig= ht, wind, sound, sickness. It was used of a horse; gentle.

As a human attribute, Ar= istotle defines it as the mean between stubborn anger and that. negativeness of character which is incapable of even righteous indignation: according= to which it is tantamount to equanimity. Plato opposes it to fiercene= ss or cruelty, and uses it of humanity to the condemned; but also of the conciliatory demeanor of a demagogue seeking popularity and power. Pindar applies it to a king, mild or kind to the citizens, and Herodotus uses it as opposed to anger.

These pre-Christian mean= ings of the word exhibit two general characteristics. 1. They express outward conduct merely. 2. They contemplate relations to men only. The Christian word, on the contrary, describes an inward quality, and = that as related primarily to God. The equanimity, mildness, kindness, represented by the classical word, are founded in self-control or in natu= ral disposition. The Christian meekness is based on humility, w= hich is not a natural quality but an outgrowth of a renewed nature. To the pag= an the word often implied condescension, to the Christian it implies = submission. The Christian quality in its manifestation, reveals all that was best in = the heathen virtue — mildness, gentleness, equanimity — but these manifestations toward men are emphasized as outgrowths of a spiritual relation to God. The mildness or kindness of Plato or Pindar imply no sense of inferiority in those who exhibit them; sometimes the contrary. Plato’s demagogue is kindly from self-interest and as a m= eans to tyranny. Pindar’s king is condescendingly kind. The meekness of = the Christian springs from a sense of the inferiority of the creature to the Creator, and especially of the sinful creature to the holy = God. While, therefore, the pagan quality is redolent of self-assertion,= the Christian quality carries the flavor of self-abasement. As toward = God, therefore, meekness accepts his dealings without murmur or resistance as absolutely good and wise. As toward man, it accepts opposition, insult, a= nd provocation, as God’s permitted ministers of a chastening demanded = by the infirmity and corruption of sin; while, under this sense of his own sinfulness, the meek bears patiently “the contradiction of sinners against himself,” forgiving and restoring the erring in a spirit of meekness, considering himself, lest he also be tempted (see Gal. 6:1–5). The ideas of forgiveness and restoration nowhere attach to = the classical word. They belong exclusively to Christian meekness, which thus shows itself allied to love. As ascribed by our Lord to himself, see on M= att. 11:29. Wyc. renders “Blessed be mild men.” ^{^[18]}

Word study2 “humble” lowly

5011 τα= πεινός [tapeinos /tap·i·nos/] ad= j. Of uncertain derivation; TDNT 8:1; TDNTA 1152; GK 5424; Eight occurrences; AV translates as “of low degree” twice, “humble” twi= ce, “base” once, “cast down” once, “of low estate” once, and “lowly” once. 1 not rising= far from the ground. 2 metaph. 2a as a condition, lowl= y, of low degree. 2b brought low with grief, depressed. 2c lowly in spirit, h= umble. 2d in a bad sense, deporting one’s self abjectly, deferring servilely = to others.

5012 τα= πεινοφροσύνη [tapeinophrosune /tap·i·nof·ros·= oo·nay/] n f. From a compound of 5011 and the base of 5424; TDNT 8:1; TDNTA 1152; = GK 5425; Seven occurrences; AV translates as “humility” three ti= mes, “humbleness of mind” once, “humility of mind” onc= e, “lowliness” once, and “lowliness of mind” once. <= b>1 the having a humble opinion of one’s self. 2 a deep sen= se of one’s (moral) littleness. 3 modesty, humility, lowliness of mind.^{^[19]}

“Lowly Worm” of Richard Scary books̷= 0;was very effective and inspiring!

I am a worm and not a man Psalm 22.

Moses: Numbers 12:1-15 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. = ²“= ;Has the Lord spoken only throu= gh Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord he= ard this. ³(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of = the earth.) ⁴⁼At once the Lord said to Mose= s, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them came out. ⁵Then t= he Lord came down in a pillar of cl= oud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When = both of them stepped forward, ⁶he said, “Listen to my words: “When a prophet of the Lord is amo= ng you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. = ⁷But th= is is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8With h= im I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the <= span style=3D'font-variant:small-caps'>Lord. Why then were you not afra= id to speak against my servant Moses?” ⁹The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he= left them. ^10<=
/span>When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, l= ike snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; ^{<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>11}and he= said to Moses, “Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have = so foolishly committed. ¹²Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”= ; ¹³So Mos= es cried out to the Lord, = 220;O God, please heal her!” ¹⁴The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for se= ven days; after that she can be brought back.” ¹⁵So Mir= iam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move= on till she was brought back. (Numbers 12:1-15 NIV)

Humility was not a virtue among the ancients. It was ranked with servility. Jesus has made a virtue of this vice. He has glori= fied this attitude so that Paul urges it (Phil. 2:3), “in lowliness of m= ind each counting other better than himself.”^{^[20]}

Lowly (τ= ;απεινός). The word has a history. In the classics it is used commonly in a bad and degrading sense, of meanness of condition, lowness of rank, and cringing abjectness and baseness of character. Still, even in classical Greek, thi= s is not its universal usage. It is occasionally employed in a way which foreshadows its higher sense. Plato, for instance, says, “To that l= aw (of God) he would be happy who holds fast, and follows it in all humil= ity and order; but he who is lifted up with pride, or money, or honor, or bea= uty, who has a soul hot with folly, and youth, and insolence, and thinks that = he has no need of a guide or ruler, but is able himself to be the guide of others, he, I say, is left deserted of God” (“Laws,” 71= 6). And Aristotle says: “He who is worthy of small things, and deems himself so, is wise” (“Nich. Ethics,” iv., 3). At b= est, however, the classical conception is only modesty, absence of assumpti= on. It is an element of wisdom and in no way opposed to self-righteousness (s= ee Aristotle above). The word for the Christian virtue of humility (<= span lang=3DEL style=3D'font-family:Gentium;mso-ansi-language:EL'>τα= πεινοφροσύνη), was not used before the Christian era, and is distinctly an outgrowth of = the Gospel. This virtue is based upon a correct estimate of our actual littleness, and is linked with a sense of sinfulness. True greatness is holiness. We are little because sinful. Compare Luke 18:14. It is asked h= ow, in this view of the case, the word can be applied to himself by the sinle= ss Lord? “The answer is,” says Archbishop Trench, “that for the sinner humility involves the confession of sin, inasmuch as it involves the confession of his true condition; while yet for the unfallen creature the grace itself as truly exists, involving for such the acknowledgment, not of sinfulness, which would be untrue, but of <= i>creatureliness, of absolute dependence, of having nothing, but receiving all things of Go= d. And thus the grace of humility belongs to the highest angel before the th= rone, being as he is a creature, yea, even to the Lord of Glory himself. In his human nature he must be the pattern of all humility, of all creaturely dependence; and it is only as a man that Christ thus claims to be = lowly; his human life was a constant living on the fulness of his Father’s love; he evermore, as man, took the place which beseemed the creature in = the presence of its Creator” (“Synonyms,” p. 145). The Christian virtue regards man not only with reference to God, but to his fellow-man. In lowliness of mind each counting other better than himse= lf (Philip. 2:3, Rev.). But this is contrary to the Greek conception of j= ustice or righteousness, which was simply “his own to each one.R= 21; It is noteworthy that neither the Septuagint, the Apocrypha, nor the New Testament recognize the ignoble classical sense of the word.^{^[21]}

Word study3 Yolk ζυγa= 2;ς &nbs= p; zugos

A working attachment of equality

A set of scales balancing

A win-win negotiation

<= /span>

ζυγ= ός (6) =3D times found in the New Testament<= /o:p>

nou= n, accusative

ζυγόν (4)

	M= att 11:29		ἄρατε τ= 056;ν ζυγόν<= span xml:lang=3Del OriginalFontFamily=3DArial> μου ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς καὶ μάθετε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίQ= 15;, καὶ ε<= span style=3D'font-family:Tahoma'>ὑρήσε&#= 964;ε ἀνάπ&#= 945;υσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν·
	A= cts 15:10		νῦν οὖν τί πειράζετε τὸν θεὸν ἐπι_= 2;εῖναι ζυγὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλ_= 9;ν τῶν μαθητQ= 82;ν ὃν οὔτε οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν οὔτε ἡμεῖς ἰσχύσαμεν βαστάσαι; <= /p> Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the t= est by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers = nor we have been able to bear?
	1= Tim 6:1		Ὅσοι εἰ&#= 963;ὶν ὑπὸ ζυγὸν δοῦλοι, τοὺς ἰδίους δεσπότας πάσης τιμῆς ̙= 6;ξίους ἡγεί&#= 963;θωσαν, ἵνα μ<= span style=3D'font-family:Tahoma'>ὴ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ διδασκαλία βλασφημῆται. Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard th= eir own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the t= eaching may not be reviled.
	R= ev 6:5		Καὶ ὅτε &= #7972;νοιξεν τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν τρίτην, ἤ_= 4;ουσα τοῦ τρίτου ζῴ= ;ου λέγοντος· ἔρ= ;χου. καὶ εἶδον, καP= 54; ἰδοὺ ἵππος μέλας, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπ&= #8217; αὐτὸν ἔχων ζυγὸν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand.

nou= n, dative=

ζυγῷ

G= al 5:1

Τῇ ἐλευ&#= 952;ερίᾳ ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς= ; ἠλευθέρωσεν&middo= t; στήκετε οὖν καὶ μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

nou= n, nominative

ζυγός

M= att 11:30

ὁ ^= 7;ὰρ ζυγός<= /span> μου χρηστὸς καὶ τὸ φορτίον μου = ἐλαφρa= 2;ν ἐστιν.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The rabbis used yoke for school as many pupils find = it now a yoke. The English word “school” is Greek for leisure (σχ= ολη [scholē]).^{^[22]}

Yoke (ζυγόν). “Thes= e words, as recorded by St. Matthew, the Evangelist of the Jews, must have sunk the deeper into the hearts of Christ’s Jewish hearers, that they came in their own old, familiar form of speech, yet with such contrast of spirit.= One of the most common figurative expressions of the time was that of the yoke for submission to an occupation or obligation. Very instructive for the understanding of the figure is this paraphrase of Cant. 1:10: ‘How beautiful is their neck for bearing the yoke of thy statutes; and it shal= l be upon them like the yoke on the neck of the ox that plougheth in the field= and provideth food for himself and his master.’

“The public worshi= p of the ancient synagogue commenced with a benediction, followed by the shema (Hear, O Israel) or creed, composed of three passages of scripture: Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21; Num. 15:37–41. The section Deut. 6:4–9, was s= aid to precede 11:13–21, so that we might take upon ourselves the yoke = of the kingdom of heaven, and only after that the yoke of the commandments. = The Saviour’s words must have had a special significance to those who remembered this lesson; and they would now understand how, by coming to t= he Saviour, they would first take on them the yoke of the kingdom of heaven,= and then that of the commandments, finding this yoke easy and the burden light” (Edersheim, “Life and Times of Jesus, ” and “Jewish Social Life”). ^{^[23]}

Word Study: Take up

αἴρω fut. ἀρῶ; 1aor. ἦρ= ;α; pf. &#= 7974;ρκα; pf. pass. ἦρμαι; 1aor. pass. ἤρθην; fut. pass. ἀρθήσομαι; (1) literally, as lifting up something take up, pick, raise (MT 17= .27; RV 10.5); absolutely, of a ship weigh anchor, depart (AC 27.13); hyperbolically, of a mountain arise (MT 21.21); idiomatically αἴ= ;ρειν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺ&= #962; ἄνω literally rai= se one’s eyes, i.e. look up (JN 11.41); αἴρ = 49;ιν τὸν σταυρόν literally take up the cross, i.e. be prepared to suffer to the point of death (MT 16.24);^{^[24]}

Word Study: <= /span>learn

3129 μα= νθάνω [manthano /man·than·o/] v. Prolongation from a primary verb, another form of which, matheo, is used = as an alternate in certain tenses; TDNT 4:390; TDNTA 552; GK 3443; 25 occurrences; AV translates as “learn” 24 times, and “understand” once. 1 to learn, be appraised. 1a to increase one’s knowledge, to be increased in knowledge. 1b to hear, be informed. 1c to learn by use and practice. 1c1 to be in the habit of, accustomed to.&nb= sp; ^{^[25]}

Word study: you shall find

Ye shall find (εὑρήσετ= ε). Compare I will give you and ye shall find. The rest of Chri= st is twofold — given and found. It is given in pardon a= nd reconciliation. It is found under the yoke and the burden; in the develop= ment of Christian experience, as more and more the “strain passes over” from self to Christ. “No other teacher, since the world= began, has ever associated learn with rest. ‘Learn of me,= 217; says the philosopher, ‘and you shall find restlessness.’ ‘Learn of me,’ says Christ, ‘and you shall find rest= 217; ” (Drummond, “Natural Law in the Spiritual World”).

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See Eccl. 1 about wisdom creating weariness and grie= f. ¹⁸For in much wisdom is much vexat= ion, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. (Ecclesiastes 1:18 ES= V)