“Take My Yoke upon You, and Learn of

Me”

Gospel Doctrine Lesson 10: Matt 11-12, Luke 7

Introduction

Furniture Slider Analogy

Purpose: As we take his yoke

upon us and do his will, we will

find the peach and joy he has

promised

3 Areas of Focus:

Take my yoke

Jesus heals on the Sabbath

He forgives the woman in

Simon’s house

Jesus invites us to take his yoke

upon us and learn of him

Matt 11:28 - “come”

How long should we labor? We should come immediately!

What does ‘rest’ imply?

ATOT: Nurses tell you to ‘rest’ between contractions

Why do we need rest? Book of Mormon (come back on the morrow)

ATOT: Building spiritual muscle. Calling fluctuations, stake meetings, etc.

Matt 11:29-30 - “take my yoke” and “learn of me”

Take - willingly ask for burden (covenants)

Learn - seek to understand their purpose

ATOT: T25, I had to take on the challenge and seek to understand how it would work so

I could make it through the tough weeks

My Yoke is Easy

My yoke is easy - How did the apostles/disciples feel about this

message?

How can our burdens feel light?

Joseph F. Smith

Jesus Declares That He is the Lord

of the Sabbath

Matt 12:1-2, Why were the Pharisees watching him ALL the time? (Paparazzi)

Rules for Sabbath worship. Designed after their return from exile by Nehemiah. Increased and

intensified by Rabbis over time

He is the Lord of the

Sabbath

Matt 12:3-8

Three responses. Most in the form of a

question

David (their hero)

Priests (those they see as most righteous)

Hosea 6:6, ‘I will have mercy not sacrifice’

He gave the law! He knows it’s meaning

and they continue to distort its purpose

ATOT: Visiting Teaching every month without

really connecting (sacrifice, not enough mercy)

Jesus heals on the

SabbathNew trap: using his mercy against him

Matt 12:9-10, this wasn’t an emergency. He

could have waited.

Which is more righteous? To serve or to

pray?

D&C 59:9-12

12: Footnote b, oblations means giving

of time, talents, and means in service

Luke 13:10-17, Woman with scoliosis

What is the risk of this kind of attitude? If

we are counting our steps, we don’t focus

on our heart.

Jesus forgives a woman in the

house of Simon the Pharisee

Jesus is now 2 years into his

ministry. The Pharisees are getting

desperate. Simon invites him to

dinner.

Hospitality customs for honored

guests

Greet with kisses

Leave sandals at the door

Offer a place to wash and

ointment to dispel odors

Her gift of love and

sacrificeLuke 7:36-38

Towns only had a few hundred residents. She was known for her “many

sins”

Alabaster box = 2 yrs labor. She was a woman of some means

‘which was’ Greek imperfect tense of the verb. Translates to ‘used to be

but is no longer’. Simon doesn’t see that as important.

She must have known how they saw her…she came anyway. How would

their attitude make her burden heavier? Do we do that?

ATOT: Man in MO who bore his testimony after leaving his wife and

family (years before).

The Lord looketh on the heart

Luke 7:39-43

How often does the Spirit correct us when we judge

unfairly?

Luke 7:44-47

He puts her above all others in the room. He makes them

see her as she IS, not as she WAS

Luke 7:48-50

He makes it personal to her. She wasn’t just an object

lesson. He cares about her and her repentance.

Conclusion

Matt 11:28, How did he give each of these people

‘rest’?

How can we avoid feeling overwhelmed by our

burdens?

See him as a Good Shepherd (the way I see

Violet)

He knows we are imperfect

Isaiah 46:3-4

Howard W. Hunter: “Why face life's burdens alone, or

why face them with temporal support that will quickly

falter? To the heavy laden, it is Christ's yoke, it is the

power and peace of standing side by side with a God

that will provide the support, balance, and the

strength to meet our challenges and endure our

tasks here in the hardpan field of mortality.”