Take my yoke upon you and you will find rest for your soul.

Background
Making life work in the first century was tough.  There was no sick or vacation pay, no modern medicine or hospitals, no social security or unemployment benefits.  Crooked tax collectors could extract from you whatever they felt they could get.  Roman occupiers would tax whatever they needed to expand the empire.  Persecution for the faith was harsh.  Natural disasters and health issues could put you into debtor prison.  On top of that, remnant feelings of never being good enough for God could be completely disheartening.  As Peter said in Acts 15:10, the Law was more than a person could bear.

A grace-filled personal relationship with a loving and wise Heavenly Father was not something that had a long history for people.  It was definitely not the perspective of the culture.  The promise of God found in Matthew 6:33 that if they seek “first” the two greatest commandments that God would meet their material needs was a step of faith that looked like foolishness to culture around them.

What it meant to the original audience
They needed to take a big step of faith to live a life based on values and promises never before seen.  Those that found it could not be turned from it regardless of the cost as highlighted in Acts 8:3-4 where it records them sharing the Gospel as they fled for doing so.

For us today
Today, with technology, social media, a sexualized entertainment industry and a society growingly antagonistic to Christianity, it can be easy to feel pressures that God has no intent for you to bear.  Only when we are in close sync with Him can we close out the noise of the world and live the purpose He has for us.

God knows your abilities, purpose and joys.  Look to Him to recognize what are the false demands of the world.