Context

This quote is spoken by Jesus in Matthew 11:29.

Jesus drops this little gem during a sermon where he praises John the Baptist and criticizes sinners.

Yeah, he's sort of all over the place here.

Jesus is pretty much saying that folks who put their faith in him will be able to take a load off. If people follow him and live in a kind and generous way, then they won't carry around heavy burdens. Sure, they'll still be like oxen pulling carts behind them, but those load will be super light and easy to drag around. We guess when your heart is filled with the power of meek and lowly love, you learn to be pretty light on your feet.

Of course, Jesus changes his tune slightly in a later chapter of this gospel when he tells his followers to "take up [their] cross[es]" (Matthew 16:24). Seriously, those things sound super heavy.

Where you've heard it

You'll usually hear people say this when talking about how awesome it is to believe in Jesus. He takes all your cares away. Let's just not mention the whole take-up-your-cross thing…

Additional Notable References:

• Wondering what a "yoke" is? It's a wooden beam that attaches animals to a plow or cart.
• In the book Saavy, Pastor Meeks is anything but "meek and lowly of heart."

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

If you're referring to Jesus, you're probably pretty good here. Everyone likes a guy who can lift the weight off their shoulders. If you're comparing yourself to him though, then you might get a few eye rolls.