I was thinking about this passage today during my time alone with God.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)
A yoke is still a yoke. A yoke is used for something. It has purpose. It's for accomplishing an end. Jesus never said it would for real be easy. It is necessary. It's work. Doing stuff takes stuff. The yoke was made for doing stuff.
We read Matt 11:30 and think that means it should be a walk in the park but then we forget that all of his disciples were martyred. Even John had multiple attempts made on his life. The kind of easy Jesus was speaking of was altogether different than the connotation of the word we drag up in our comfortable 21st century minds.
Paul talked about being a slave to Christ. It's hard sometimes. And ministry life can be really hard at times—but it beats the hell (literally) out of the alternative.
To live is Christ, to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)
Paul said that too.
A burden is still a burden. There's a big difference in the burden that Jesus brings and the one sin brings. Jesus brings a burden of peace, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, love, understanding, consideration, and justice—all wrapped in grace. Sin brings a burden of brokenness, wretchedness, insecurity, deception, blindness, stubbornness, and fear—all wrapped in death.
The burden Jesus brings is a burden. But it's light.
It is easy to carry in respect to the death that is the alternative. The yoke is light but it is a yoke. It is quite simply a great relief to your soul in regards to the death that is available should you choose to shackle yourself to a yoke of your own making.
Jesus is better. Believe it.