The Yoke of Freedom Generally speaking, we don’t associate freedom with a yoke. The two concepts strike us as opposites. And yet the very One who said He came to set us free also invited us to share His yoke. Hmmm. To complicate matters even further, He promised rest for those who take Him up on His offer. Once again, we’re confronted with what seems to be a contradiction in terms. How can one possibly find rest by putting on a yoke? When Jesus spoke of a yoke, He was referring to a relationship—a relationship in which two would walk side by side in the same direction, covering the same ground, encountering the same obstacles, and traveling at the same speed. By inviting His audience to submit to His yoke, He was asking them to come alongside Him. In essence, He was offering three things. First, He was offering to help shoulder their burdens. Second, He was offering to guide them, for whenever two oxen were yoked together, one was always considered the lead animal. And third, Jesus