Take My Yoke upon You, and Learn of Me

"Lesson 10: “Take My Yoke upon You, and Learn of Me”," New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2002)

Jesus invites usto take

His yoke upon us

and learn of Him.

(Matthew 11:28).

What does it mean to “labour and be heavy laden”?

What are some examples of burdens we bear in this life?

How can the Lord “give us rest” from these burdens?

Mary Fielding and Joseph F. Smith with yoked oxen.

What does it mean to take Christ’s yoke upon us?

28 ¶Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)

Jesus declares that He is Lord

of the Sabbath.The Pharisees’

interpretation of the Mosaic law ignored the true spirit and purpose of the Sabbath and instead focused on traditions that greatly restricted Sabbath activities.

Jesus wanted the people to focus on loving others, not merely on performing public religious ceremonies.

Jesus healed on the Sabbath.

Jesus forgives a woman in the house of Simon

the Pharisee.ATTITUDES Toward

Jesus

The woman displayed repentance, respect, humility, and love.

Simon the Pharisee displayed pride, lack of courtesy, and judgmental attitude.

Elder James E. Talmage taught: “It was a custom of the times to treat a

distinguished guest with marked

attention; to receive him with a kiss of welcome, to provide water for washing the dust from his feet, and oil for anointing the hair of the head and the

beard. All these courteous

attentions were omitted by Simon”

(Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 261).

44 He turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. (Luke 7)

Jesus teaches Simon the

parable of the two debtors,

comparing sin to debt.

We learn that having Christ

as our ‘CREDITOR’

can make our burdens light.

We can choose to

take upon ourselves the

yoke of Jesus.

We can choose

tolearn of

Christ and obey His

teachings.

Only then can we find rest and peace.