The Yoke

Hidden in the womb of a young girl, growing up in the backwaters of Empire, lived a tiny secret. Legions marched, cultures shifted, the “fullness of time” had come.

In a typical birth sperm and egg form a zygote, from the Greek word meaning “yoke.” No bigger than a dot, this cell becomes a baby.

All births are miraculous; this one, uniquely so, because Mary was a virgin.

The Angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.” Luke 1:35 (NRSV)

What happened, we long to know. But the Most High, sheltering Mary under wings of love, hid all those fascinating (and ultimately irrelevant) details from prying eyes.

A zygote, a yoke: a thought with a rich family of meanings! Literally a yoke is a wooden collar that couples two farm animals, such as oxen.

That picture of the yoke broadens, like circles on a pond, to include many things.

• It means service due a king. Upon his death Solomon’s subjects objected that his yoke was heavy, and petitioned his son to lighten up. Rehoboam, listening to the wrong advisers, boasted, “My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 1 Kings 12:11 (NRSV). The northern tribes quickly gave him the boot.
• It means slavery and subjugation. Centuries later Jeremiah prophesied that God had put an iron yoke on the necks of many nations and given sovereignty to Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 28). The rule of other empires such as Egypt also was likened to the yoke of slavery.
• It means friendship and cooperation. The apostle Paul wrote, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” 2 Cor 6:14 (KJV) Here he unites with a long history which prohibited yoking together different species, weaving different kinds of cloth, planting different crops in the same field.
• It meant being a disciple. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 (NRSV)

  Jesus’ yoke is gentle because he shares our human condition.

 Surely he has borne our infirmities
     and carried our diseases, said the prophet. Isaiah 53:4 (NRSV)

 Quoting an early hymn Paul wrote,

[He] emptied himself,
     taking the form of a slave. Phil 2:7 (NRSV)

 The English word yoke shares a common origin with the Sanskrit word yoga. The spiritual goal of yoga is more than to enjoy strong bones and limber muscles; it is to yoke, or unite, the soul with God, Eastern and Western understandings of which profoundly differ. In the West unity with God does not mean loss of individual self. Rather, it means becoming a mature, whole self, then surrendering to God.

These mysteries begin in the heart of God beyond words, beyond thought.

They first enter human history, however, in the remarkable personhood of a young peasant girl. When confronted with news that has baffled theologians and philosophers for millennia,  she said simply, “Here am I, the slave of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 (NRSV)

Like a bright star in the dark night, doesn’t she shine!