Have you ever been working on something hard to do, and then someone gave you a task that was easy? What a contrast! Easy made it almost fun…!
The other day I tackled a hard job that has been on my “to do” list for some time. I painted a bedroom closet. The ceiling was high and the area was cramped. The ladder didn’t fit well and it was difficult to maneuver. Furthermore, it was hot and stuffy. It was a very unpleasant job, but eventually I got it done and breathed a sigh of relief. Then I discovered I had painted it the wrong color and I had to do it all over again. Wow – what a day! Now, that’s when you begin looking for something easy – something a little more pleasant.
That is what Jesus is offering to us when in Matthew 11:28-30 He says, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.…For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Notice – He turns labor into easy, and a heavy burden into something light. Now that is quite a deal!
The word “easy” actually means easy in the sense of being good and pleasant. It really means “useful,” and comes from the verb that means “to furnish what is needed.”
So what Jesus is saying is that He will furnish what we need so that our difficult labors will become easy and more pleasant. Now the point is that when we come to Jesus and give our troubles to Him, He begins to bear them for us. He begins to work on our behalf in some difficult situation – to accomplish what we could never do. All we need to do is keep praying and trusting in Jesus, and what we are laboring over will suddenly become easy.
Now you know the real meaning of the word.
Think of it! Jesus has a way of turning labor into something easy. Now, that’s amazing, isn’t it?