Ever wonder what the law of Christ is? Here it is simple and to the
point. It is found in Galatians
6:2. Here are several translations
of the verse:
v
New
International Version--Carry each other's burdens, and in this
way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
We are not lone ranger Christians, are we? We are called to discover burdens that
people have and to come alongside them and yoke ourselves to them so that we
can “carry… share…bear” their burdens with them.
This past Sunday pastor Dave debunked the teaching that says
God helps those who help themselves.
Why would he debunk it?
Because this thought is not in our sacred writings. It is a spurious teaching that appeals
to our egos and feeds the age old thinking that all we need to do is pick
ourselves up by our bootstraps and carry on. But what about all the folks in our world who can’t help
themselves? Are they excluded from
grace? And how about you and me
who can’t do a thing to earn God’s mercy and grace. Try to impress God all you want; He’s not buying it. That’s a tough pill to swallow for some
of us in North America who take pride in self-sufficiency. And deep down inside your heart do you sometimes
think the thought that “there ain’t no free lunch. If you can’t help yourself
you’re in the way.”
Our faith says NO to these things. Those who can’t help themselves are invited to the table of
Jesus. All throughout the New
Testament we see Jesus drawing near to the broken, the weak, the sick and
infirmed, the outcast, the disenfranchised. He draws near and treats them as if they are the most
important people on the planet.
Now, we, the Church, carry on in this same spirit.
Truth is, we are all broken. You might be down and out or up and out, it doesn’t
matter? All the ground is level at
the foot of the cross, and on that sacred soil we pray, “It’s me. It’s me, O
Lord; standing in the need of prayer.”
We don’t have time to decide who’s in and who’s out. We extend the right hand of fellowship
to everyone who crosses our path.
We don’t categorize “us,” and “them.” It’s all “us.” And, on a good day, don’t the best of us
stand and testify, “Alas and did my Savior bleed and did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for
such a worm as I?”
We are in this thing called “life” together. We need each other. We are one in the bond of Christ’s love. We are family, so we “Carry…Share…Bear
(pick the translation
that best works for you) each other's burdens,” and when we do so we “
fulfill the law of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Want to make God look good? Find a person in need and help her or him carry their
burden. Draw near to someone
struggling and share the burden.
Embrace someone who is fighting to stay afloat and bear the burden with
him or her.
In the coming months we are launching forward with
intentional commitment to our “Because You Matter” ministry. We are committing with new intention
and zeal our efforts with “Special Olympics.” Hopefully we’ll all move forward with our eyes focused on
folks around us who do desperately need the love God to show up for them in
flesh and blood.
Somebody once said, “Find a need and meet it.” Maybe that’s what it means to “carry
and share and bear” someone’s burden.
I’ll leave that to others for clarification. I do know, however, that when I see brokenness and sickness
and poverty and deep need and overwhelming disenfranchisement and the
categorizing of people into the “haves” and “have nots,” I am drawn to the God
who “emptied Himself of all but love and bled for Adam’s helpless race,”
realizing that when He could have written me off, He didn’t. Who would have
thought it? And, as I am a part of
“Adam’s helpless race,” I really do find myself praying, “It’s
me; It’s me, O Lord; standing in the need of prayer.”
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