Is Christ's Yoke Truly Easy?

Jesus contrasts His yoke of discipleship with the heavy burden imposed by the scribes and Pharisees. In Christ's call of discipleship, He declares that His yoke is easy and His burden, light. One may get the impression that Christ's discipleship is less demanding than that of the Jewish religious leaders. However, as Mat 5 shows, it is actually the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees that relaxed God's commands. The standard Jesus sets forth deals not only with outward behavior but the issues of the heart. Christ's yoke is easy, not because it requires less but because we are united with One who has fulfilled all righteousness.