The Fine Art of Burden Bearing
My son is a United States Marine. One of the first things he had to learn in basic training was how to carry a fallen comrade over his shoulder and out of the line of fire. “No Marine left behind” is more than a motto; it is a lifestyle for those in the Corps.
The same should hold true for those of us in the church. Paul puts it this way: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2, NIV)
But what are the burdens Paul is asking us to help others carry? The answer is found in the verse that comes before this one. Here’s what it says - “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that one gently. But watch yourselves, or you may also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1, NIV)
Notice that I have placed in italics the phrase “caught in a sin.” It’s pretty obvious, then, that the burdens referred to are the burdens of sin.
Paul is telling us how to respond when other believers fall into sin. In fact, the phrase he uses paints a picture of an animal caught in a trap.
In my first full-time church, I used to make the rounds most mornings with a professional trapper. Ed was a farmer who trapped bobcat, fox, and other game to supplement his income. A good hour before sunrise, Ed would pull into the drive of the parsonage, where I would be waiting to join him for his daily rounds.
Ed carried a .22 rifle with him. When we came upon an animal caught in a trap, Ed would shoot it in the head before removing it from the steel trap.
Unfortunately, some Christians and some churches do the same thing with members who find themselves caught in traps of sin. Instead of helping them escape the traps, they shoot them.
But Paul warns us against this kind of hard-hearted attitude toward our brothers and sisters who become ensnared in sin. In fact, he tells us that this is the very thing that leads us into temptation and sin in our own lives. Restore those who have fallen, says Paul. Do so, gently, he tells us. Most importantly, he tells us that in this way, we fulfill the law of Christ.
Now, you may be asking yourself, “What exactly is the law of Christ?” The answer is, it’s the way of love. “A new command I give you: Love one another,” were Jesus’ words to his disciples just prior to his arrest and crucifixion. (John 13:34)
I like to refer to this as the eleventh commandment. And if we keep it, we keep the other ten as well.
Is there a wounded warrior in your life or church who you need to carry off the battlefield, tend to his or her wounds, and nurse back to spiritual health?
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (I John 14:11)
In Christ,
Dan