John Calvin Commentary Matthew 11:29

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." — Matthew 11:29 (ASV)

Take My yoke upon you. Many people, we perceive, abuse the grace of Christ by turning it into an indulgence of the flesh. Therefore Christ, after promising joyful rest to wretchedly distressed consciences, reminds them, at the same time, that He is their Deliverer on condition of their submitting to His yoke. He does not, He tells us, absolve people from their sins in such a way that, restored to the favor of God, they might sin with greater freedom, but that, raised up by His grace, they may also take His yoke upon them, and that, being free in spirit, they may restrain the licentiousness of their flesh.

And from this we obtain a definition of that rest of which He had spoken. It is not at all intended to exempt the disciples of Christ from the warfare of the flesh, so that they may enjoy themselves at their ease, but to train them under the burden of discipline and keep them under the yoke.

Learn of Me. It is a mistake, I think, to suppose that Christ here assures us of His meekness, lest His disciples, under the influence of that fear which is usually experienced in approaching persons of distinction, should remain at a distance from Him on account of His Divine glory.

It is rather His design to form us to the imitation of Himself, because the obstinacy of the flesh leads us to shrink from His yoke as harsh and uneasy. Shortly afterwards, He adds, My yoke is easy (Matthew 11:30).

But how shall anyone be brought willingly and gently to bend his neck, unless, by putting on meekness, he is conformed to Christ? That this is the meaning of the words is plain; for Christ, after exhorting His disciples to bear His yoke, and wishing to prevent them from being deterred by its difficulty, immediately adds, Learn of Me; thus declaring that, when His example has accustomed us to meekness and humility, we will no longer feel His yoke to be troublesome.

To the same purpose He adds, I will relieve you. As long as the flesh kicks, we rebel; and those who refuse the yoke of Christ and endeavor to appease God in any other manner, distress and waste themselves in vain. In this manner, we see the Papists wretchedly torturing themselves and silently enduring the dreadful tyranny under which they groan, so that they may not bow to the yoke of Christ.