Grace In Action 2: Bearing Each Other’s Burdens

Hello dear people of God. It is a new week again and it is a great delight to post a fresh piece in Vignettes of Grace.

We will continue this week in our look at Galatians and we are now at Chapter 6, Verse 2:

“Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2 King James Version.

In May 2002 the Taipei Times ran a very touching story. 30 years before then (back in 1972), a two year old Chinese boy, Hu Jen-Chuan, fell from a table and went into a coma. When he woke six days later, he had become mentally challenged and was not able to talk or move. As one would expect of any parent, his mother was terribly distressed. To worsen the situation, she also could not afford to place him in a nursing home as his health condition required.

Liu Kuei-Lan cared for her son herself and her care demonstrated such depths of motherly love. Because he is unable to move, Hu Jen-Chuan is liable to develop terrible bed sores. So in addition to other acts of care she had been performing for her son, this amazing lady had carried her son around on her back for 30 years!

As at May 2002 when the story was published, Liu Kuei-Lan was 65 years old and weighed 40 kilograms. Her son, by then a grown man (and still mentally challenged), weighed 82 kg. On many occasions Liu had fallen and fractured her bones while carrying her son. Yet she continued to carry him. When asked how she could do it her reply was simple: “he ain’t heavy, he’s my son.”

Liu’s story is a good illustration of what God expects of us as expressed in our verse in focus this week. Bearing each other’s burdens is a practical expression of love and the ‘law of Christ’ fulfilled by doing this is the law of love (John 13:34). The emphasis is on “oneanother's”, in contrast with the selfishness which leaves other people to take care of themselves. 

The modern world generally has moved very rapidly away from a “communal life” outlook to an individualistic selfish outlook. Even though people have recently tried to recapture this “communal life” through avenues like the internet, facebook, twitter and the likes, for most, these are nothing more than trivial diversions. Much of the interaction on these platforms is faceless. 

Rather unfortunately, the same trend occurs in our churches and among many believers. We have embraced the culture of the society around us. Many churches have become cold and impersonal and many of us as believers in Christ do not live in selfless devotion to others. Consequently, we do not bear each other’s burdens as we ought.

While the primary reference of the word  “burdens” used in Galatians 6:2 considering the immediate context may be to the heavy and oppressive weight of temptation and spiritual failure, anything in any form that could weigh other believers down would fall into the category of a burden. The burdens we need to help each other with would include spiritual, emotional and even physical encumbrances. As such worry, guilt, sorrow, anxiety and other such loads would be included. It means we ought to have a deep sense of sympathy and feeling for each other, to the point of considering the case of a distressed brother or sister as one’s own.

The early Church practiced this pretty well –in one instance they gathered and sent some aid to other believers in Judea (Acts 11:28-30), they supported travelling ministers like Paul, prayed for one another e.g. when Peter was arrested in Acts 12, and the likes. This must have contributed to the impact the church had in their societies. After all, Jesus said that it is by the expression of our love to one another that men will know that we belong to Him (John 13:35).

When last did you feel genuine concern and interest in another brother or sister? When last did you open your bowels of mercy to a fellow believer? When last did you allow God use you to lighten someone else’s burden? Have you shut yourself in self-absorption without looking out for others? God has a much better plan for your life and mine.

Grace has brought you and me into a new existence in which it is our responsibility to bear other people’s burdens. That is also a facet of grace in action. This is the reality of the new life in the Spirit.  As we do this, we fulfil God’s directive, God is pleased, we will be fulfilling the reason for our existence and people’s lives will be touched by our lives. 

This week I have picked the song "Shoulders" by For King & Country.

Have a very good day people and a lovely week as well. 

"Shoulders" by For King & Country