This much-loved and encouraging passage tells of the intimacy of the relationship between Father and Son in a way that no other passage of the synoptic gospels does. It is reminiscent of those passages in John 5 which unfold the equality of Father and Son: the Son does nothing but what he sees the Father doing; the Father loves the Son so that he entrusts all things to the Son; and the Son gives life just as the Father gives life.

Then we read about the gentle invitation of the Son to all who are overburdened. The ‘yoke’ is often a symbol of the Law of Moses, which could seem burdensome with its many commands, though it was also valued as God’s revelation of himself to his own people in love. Christ is not a tyrannical master, but is a sympathetic, gentle and humble leader who shares his life with his followers. The ‘yoke’ or law of Christ is the interior impulse of the Spirit which we read more about in today’s second reading. It cannot be burdensome, since it is a joy to carry this ‘yoke’; it is a way of living with Christ and by his Spirit. Martyrs are subjected to physical pains, yet for them joy is a constant feature in the accounts of their martyrdom.

Do you ever feel you can’t cope? Do you ask Jesus for help? What does Jesus mean by his ‘yoke’? Do you find it comfortable?