Bearing Burdens Together

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Have you ever learned incredible spiritual truths from watching your children? Maybe you don't have children of your own, but if you have ever observed toddlers, small children playing, interacting, making mistakes and figuring out life, you may know what I am talking about. This morning, I went into another room to make phone call. I was in the room for maybe 5 minutes. I thought, "what is the worst thing that could happen?" That statement reveals my naivety. When I finished my phone call, I came downstairs to find my 18 month-old son Michael had made a mess that should be impossible to make in that amount of time. Stuff, toys, vegetables, things scattered everywhere. I was immediately overwhelmed! I wanted to be angry. I wanted to be upset.

But then I remembered the scripture we read above. I thought to myself - "that is me." I have made messes in my life. I have made mistakes with consequences and results that spread further than I thought was possible. I have been in the same position as my toddler. When Michael made that mess, he wasn't thinking of the consequences. He wasn't thinking of the cleanup, the results. Isn't that what we do sometimes? We make messes in our pleasure that turn to dread and drudgery in the cleanup. We would think we would learn, but we are in a battle that we often lose.

That is where Paul's admonition in Galatians 6 comes in. "If anyone is caught in a transgression." Think of transgression as the mess that my son made. He had gone over the line. Playing is one thing, but needlessly scattering toys and food and pillows all over the house, that is early evidence of a major aspect of sin nature - the propensity to make decisions based on enjoyment. He was caught in his transgression, red handed, as he threw potatoes on the floor. Have you ever been caught up in a transgression? Something that you deliberately chose against God's revealed will? There is no excuse, you know what happened. You can't say "why" and saying "why" wouldn't be all that helpful in the moment. So you are left with a mess. You are overwhelmed. The mess made, the lasting consequences, are worse than the offense itself, it seems.

That's where Christian, brotherly love comes in. Paul tells us, when we see our brother caught in a transgression, we aren't to point and stare and gawk and have a "told you so" mentality. We are to "restore him in a spirit of gentleness." Think of it this way. When I came downstairs to the pile of rubble that my son had created, my fleshly reaction would have been anger. But what would he have learned from that? I communicated with him as best as possible for a toddler, I told him I loved him, and then we got to work. (By the way, it is amazing how young a child can learn obedience, especially when it comes to cleanup!)

Paul tells us to "bear one another's burdens." I didn't need to be sorry for the mess that my son made, but I didn't need to take a position of self righteousness either. That sounds silly when applied to a toddler, but its not so silly at all when it is our spouse, our friends, our fellow church members. We have all made messes with our sin, and we know the difficulty - the impossibility - of cleaning those messes up alone. We are made to aid our brothers in repentance. We are made to hold each other accountable. To answer the question, "what does repentance look like in my situation?" And beyond that, we are made to help. The onus of one's sin is never on someone else, but the burden that comes with it can and should be shared in love. The most difficult days in the Christian life are the days we convince ourselves that we are alone. We are not meant to go it alone.

We are on a journey of sanctification. On that journey, some may struggle greatly with one aspect of the travel, and someone else may struggle with an entirely different aspect. We can bear each other's burdens. This is difficult. Helping someone clean up the mess of their sin may feel like getting dirty. You may be tempted to run from the situation and take a "not my problem" perspective; but this is not Christian love. This does not "fulfill the law of Christ." What is that law? I believe it is what he told us are the greatest commandments: To love God, and love others. The "love God" aspect of that is the obvious one. The "love others" part needed reinforcement. That is why Jesus said in John 13, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

How did Jesus love? He didn't love from a distance, he drew near to us. He didn't love merely with words, he took the ultimate action. He didn't love only those who deserved love, he loved those who were the furthers from it. He didn't love those who were clean and pure on the outside, he loved those who needed to be pulled out of the pit of sin. He didn't love when it was convenient, he loved when it was the most inconvenient, for "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Loving someone often includes telling them where they have gone wrong, and loving someone never includes ignoring or hiding sin; but loving someone also includes being willing to jump into the trench with that person and fight their battles with them. Loving someone includes holding their hand while they walk the walk of repentance. Loving someone includes holding the dustpan while the broken pieces are swept up. Loving someone includes embracing and upholding someone when the shame of their sin buckles them at the knees. Loving someone includes crying the tears of sadness when they fall, and crying tears of joy when they experience spiritual victory. We can never repent for someone, and we can never take responsibility for someone else's sin, but we can take responsibility for bearing burdens together.

Now as I write this, I realize that for many people, (myself included), the difficult part is not being willing to love and help others. The difficult part is not being willing to sacrifice time and emotional energy in seeing someone else restored. For many people, the difficult, humbling, pride-swallowing part is when it is our turn to be helped. Admitting that you need someone to help you is the other half of "bearing one another's burdens." It is a two-way street. Would you fulfill the law of Christ? That kind of love includes honesty whether you are the wrong one or the right one. Do you have a burden of sin you have been trying to hide and bear alone? Run to Christ first! But then find a friend, your spouse, your pastor, your brother or sister, and ask them to fight with you. Ask them, "what do you think repentance looks like here?" Ask them to be honest and blunt if needed, and ask them to share this process with you. If you have never done that before, it can be difficult, but it is the Christ-way.

When my toddler Michael and I were picking up his mess this morning, I was thanking God for his grace, and for the ones in my life who have "jumped in the trenches" with me when I needed help.

In love and humility,

Pastor Aaron Frost
February 19, 2021