Yokes

a Biblical thought...
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:14-16)

a Book thought...
Many who aspire to leadership fail because they have never learned to follow. (p28)

a Dave thought...
This morning at Box Hill I preached on Matthew 11:28-29 "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."
As the Pharisees placed heavy loads on the shoulders of men by insisting on a legalistic interpretation of the law, the message of Jesus was certainly liberating for His followers. As being a follower of Jesus is not about rules, but rather about a relationship.

Different rabbis had different sets of rules, which were really different lists of what they forbade and what they permitted. A rabbi’s set of rules and lists, which was really that rabbi’s interpretation of how to live the Torah, was called that rabbi’s yoke. When you followed a certain rabbi, you were following him because you believed that rabbi’s set of interpretations were closest to what God intended through the Scriptures. And when you followed that rabbi, you were taking up that rabbi’s yoke. (Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell)

I shared how for many years I read books and went to conferences in the hope that a "Rabbi" might be able to teach me the secret of how to live the perfect Christian life. It has taken a while but when you realise that following Jesus is about coming to Him and learning from Him it certainly takes the load off the shoulders. He is the best teacher we can have and well worth being yoked up with.

Just a thought.