As the believers follow Jesus outside the camp, bearing His reproach, they follow in His steps (1 Pet. 2:21). First, we enter into the Holy of Holies to receive grace. Then by that grace we come out of the camp to follow Jesus, bearing His reproach, in His steps.
First Peter 2:21 says, “To this you were called, because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving you a model that you should follow in His steps.” The word “model” has been spoiled by common usage. Literally, the Greek word means a writing copy, an under-writing for students to use in tracing letters as they learn to draw them. In ancient times teachers would write letters on writing material, and those letters became a master copy. Another piece of writing material was put upon the master copy. Then the children would practice writing by tracing the letters from the master copy onto their copy. The Greek word for model is the word that denotes such a master copy used in the teaching of writing. The Lord Jesus has set His suffering life before us as an under-writing for us to copy by tracing and following His steps.
We do not follow the Lord Jesus, walking in His steps, by trying to imitate Him outwardly. Trying to imitate the Lord Jesus simply does not work. Instead of endeavoring to imitate Him in an outward way, we need to become His reproduction by experiencing a process that involves the Spirit and the riches of the divine life. The result of this process is that Christ is reproduced in us. Then, having become His reproduction, we shall follow in His steps.
The believers enjoy the dispensing of the divine Trinity by taking the Lord’s yoke on them and learning from Him. In Matthew 11:29 the Lord Jesus says, “Take My yoke on you and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls.” The Lord’s yoke is to take the will of the Father. It is not to be regulated or controlled by any obligations of the law or religion, nor to be enslaved by any work, but to be constrained by the will of the Father. The Lord Jesus lived such a life, caring for nothing but the will of His Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). He submitted Himself fully to the Father’s will (Matt. 26:39, 42). Hence, the Lord asked the believers to learn from Him.
In Matthew 11:30 the Lord Jesus goes on to say, “My yoke is pleasant and My burden is light.” The Lord’s yoke is the Father’s will, and His burden is the work to carry out the Father’s will. Such a yoke is pleasant, not bitter, and such a burden is light, not heavy. The Greek word rendered “pleasant” signifies fit for use; hence, good, kindly, mild, gentle, easy, pleasant, in contrast to what is hard, harsh, sharp, and bitter.
God’s will is our yoke. Because we are yoked, we are not free to do as we please. How good it is to take the Lord’s yoke on us and to learn from Him!
In Matthew 11:29 the Lord tells us to learn from Him. He is meek and lowly in heart. To be meek means not to resist any opposition, and to be lowly means not to esteem oneself highly. The Lord Jesus always submitted Himself fully to the will of His Father, not wanting to do anything for Himself nor expecting to gain something for Himself. Hence, no matter what the situation was, He had rest in His heart. He was fully satisfied with His Father’s will.
In meekness there is no struggling or fighting but giving in. With lowliness there is no high thought. Lowliness is deeper than humility. We may be humble but still have high thoughts about ourselves or our career. Therefore, we need something deeper than humility, and that is lowliness. We should not consider ourselves something or regard ourselves as higher than others. Instead, we should stay in a lowly state. This is to put the yoke of Christ upon us in His meekness and lowliness, not in an outward form but in heart.
If we take the Lord’s yoke on us and learn from Him, we shall find rest to our souls. In Matthew 11:28 the Lord sounded out the call, “Come to Me all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” The labor mentioned here refers not only to the labor of striving to keep the commandments of the law and religious regulations but also to the labor of struggling to be successful in any work. Whoever labors thus is always heavily burdened. Rest refers not only to being set free from labor and burden under the law in religion or under any work and responsibility, but also to perfect peace and full satisfaction.
The rest we find by taking the Lord’s yoke and learning from Him is for our souls. It is an inward rest, not something merely outward in nature. The Lord Jesus always submitted to the Father’s will, taking God’s will as His portion and not resisting anything. Hence, He was always at rest. We must learn of Him and also take this view. If we do, we shall have rest in our souls. If we are struggling for a high position, we shall not have rest. But if we are meek and are content to remain in a lowly state, nothing will trouble us, and we shall enjoy the rest of Christ.
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