> Matt 11:28, 30 Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest...For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

> Heb 12:6 The Lord disciplines the person He loves and punishes every son whom He receives

> John 16:33 In the world ye shall have tribulation.

The objection here is that, according to some critics, "although the burden of following Jesus is supposed to be light, Christians can expect to be punished, disciplined, and burdened with ordeals."

First note the Matthean passage in its full reading: "[28] Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Here Jesus is speaking of those weary and burdened by legalism and the Pharisaic codes. He will give rest in that sense, namely, that our souls will rest. Note the conjunction in verse 29 which is a conjunction of consequence. By coming to Him, taking his yoke, and learning from Him, we shall find rest for our souls. And the yoke we must wear and the burden we must bear is light indeed, as we are saved by grace and co-working (synergy) with the Person and work of Christ, rather than by the burdensome legalism of the Pharisees.

It is a category error to press the Matthean passage against Hebrews 12:6 or John 16:33. First, John 16:33 describes how the world will react to followers of Christ. How the world reacts to followers does not have anything to do with the easiness of salvation. We are given rest in Christ, says the Matthean passage, but the Matthean passage makes no pronouncement on the easiness of our life in the world.

Second, the Hebrews passage also does not conflict with the restfulness of being saved, for it discusses God's fatherly discipline toward us after we have entered the rest that the Matthean passage describes.

This should remove any legitimate claim of contradiction. The Matthean passage deals with the gentleness and restfulness of being saved. The Johannine passage deals with how the world will treat followers of Christ. The Hebrews passage deals with how God will treat His children. These three passages do not intersect and cannot be pressed against each other without committing a category fallacy.