Chapter 23
WE ARE TO HELP WITH ONE ANOTHER'S BURDEN
(Galatians 6:2-3)
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come into Your presence in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father, please open our ears, eyes and heart so we can understand and do the things that You have called us to do. Father, we understand that we have been created anew in Your Son, Jesus Christ, for good works. Please Lord move upon us to walk in them.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin our study by reading the following Scriptures,
Galatians 6:2-3
"[2] Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. [3] If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
Perhaps the best way to gain additional insight into the significance of these Scriptures is by first exploring the following words of caution:
BEWARE OF THE YEAST OF THE PHARISEES
We begin by addressing the question of: “What was the yeast of the Pharisees?” As we read the New Testament we find that one of Jesus' biggest complaints of the Pharisees was their hypocrisy. To see this let us read from,
Matthew 23:1-4
"[1] Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: [2] "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. [3] So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. [4] They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."
In other words, rather than helping those under their shepherding care the Pharisees preferred to put on a show to illustrate how righteous and godly they were. To see this let us continue our reading from,
Matthew 23:5-11
""[5] Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; [6] they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; [7] they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' [8] "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. [9] And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. [10] Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. [11] The greatest among you will be your servant."
In addition, the Pharisees argued or taught about the finer points of the law but missed the whole point of it, which is to love one another.
For example, they were very diligent to contribute even the most minor offerings for the Temple sacrifices and services. However, they missed the most significant offerings that God desired from them. To read what Jesus said about this let us read from,
Matthew 23:23-24
""[23] Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. [24] You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel."
In other words, Jesus told them and now us that we are not to neglect to help one another. To expand upon this let us read from,
James 1:27
"[27] Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
To extend this principle to all areas of our life let us now read from,
James 2:14-17
"[14] What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? [15] Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? [17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead
Let us notice the following verses,
14 … What good is the faith of those that does not produce good works? Is that really faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit? Or, is it only a profession of words?
17 … Remember, the Holy Spirit in Paul's letter to the Ephesians taught us that we were created in Christ Jesus for good works.
Ephesians 2:10
"[10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Hence, faith that does not produce good works is dead.
SUMMARY
In summary, we found that the Bible teaches that if a person claims to have faith in Jesus Christ and professes to be born again of the Holy Spirit, then their life should be consistent with that profession. With this in mind let us read Jesus’ exhortation as recorded in,
Luke 12:1
"[1] …, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."
With Jesus' warning in mind, let us return and reread the Scriptures for the theme of this study. To do this we return to,
Galatians 6:2-3
"[2] Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. [3] If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
As we explore the above Scriptures we will discover that they contain at least the following three main points:
1. We are to help one another.
2. In helping one another we fulfill the Law of Christ.
3. No one is too big for the task.
With these points in mind let us begin with the exhortation that teaches us that,
WE ARE TO HELP ONE ANOTHER
This command to help one another stretches across the following two main areas of our life: (1) the physical and (2) the spiritual.
THE PHYSICAL
Earlier we read from the book of James that unless our faith produces good works it is as good as dead. Thus, if a brother or sister falls upon difficult or hard times we, out of compassion and love are to try and help them.
To more clearly see and understand this principle let us read a conversation Jesus once had with a person who was an expert in the law. To do this we go to,
Luke 10:25-28
"[25] On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" [26] "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" [27] He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" [28] "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live.""
Clearly the expert understood the full meaning of God's law. However, the conversation did not end here. So let us read what else transpired between Jesus and the expert from,
Luke 10:29-37
"[29] But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" [30] In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. [31] A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. [32] So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. [34] He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. [35] The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' [36] "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" [37] The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise.""
Let us notice the following verses,
31 … The priest, who was appointed by God to offer the required sacrifices and teach His Law, was unwilling to take the time to extend God's love for the beaten man.
32 … The Levite, who, in Old Testament days, was appointed by God to care for the Temple, was also unwilling to take the time to extend God's love for the beaten man.
33-35 … A Samaritan, a person whom the Jews considered to be a sinner, had compassion and helped the beaten man in his need.
37 … We are commanded to go and do likewise.
Let us now move on to,
THE SPIRITUAL
In our previous study (Chapter 22), we saw that we, out of love, are to gently help restore the brother or sister who has fallen into sin. To refresh our memories, let us read from,
Galatians 6:1
"[1] Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently..."
As we read the Scriptures further we discover that this command to help one another in the spiritual realm extends way beyond restoration from sin. What we find is that each and every born again believer has been given a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit. We also discover that this gift is to be used to help one another grow and mature in their walk with Jesus Christ. To see this let us read from,
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. [7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." [8] for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, [10] to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11] But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Let us notice the following verses,
4-6 … Within the body of Christ there are different gifts, functions and workings.
7 … To each member of the body of Christ, which is each born again believer baptized in the Holy Spirit, has at least one spiritual gift. Also note that the gifts are to be used for the common good. In other words, the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit are not to be used to exalt ourselves but are to be used to help our brothers and sisters grow and mature in their faith.
8-10 … This is only a partial list of the spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit. Additional examples of the Holy Spirit’s gifts can be found in Romans 12:3-7.
11 … God the Holy Spirit distributes His gifts as He wills.
To expand upon this let us read from,
Ephesians 4:11-16
"[11] It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, [12] to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. [14] Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. [16] From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
Let us notice the following verses,
11 … Not every born again believer is an apostle, or prophet, or evangelist, or pastor, or teacher. As we read in 1 Corinthians 12:11 God the Holy Spirit distributes His gifts as He wills.
12-13 … The gifts are to be used to help the born again believers grow in their love and faith in Jesus Christ.
14 … The purpose for this growth is so that the body of Christ grows and remains steadfast in their faith. In other words, each member is to mature and grow in their faith so that they are not tossed around or fall into confusion by various non Biblical deceptive doctrines, teachings or practices.
15-16 … The church is to grow and mature in their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and in their love for each member of His body.
This brings us to the second half of,
Galatians 6:2
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Notice: The Scripture tells us that when we help each other we will be fulfilling,
THE LAW OF CHRIST
This brings us to the question of: "What is the Law of Christ?" We receive a clue to the answer for this question by reading the following excerpt of Jesus' sermon on the mountain,
Matthew 7:12
"[12] So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Specifically, the Law of Christ is for the born again believer to love one another. To see this let us read the command Jesus gave to all His disciples, which includes you and I. It is recorded for us in,
John 13:34-35
""[34] A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.""
Thus, when we help carry another person's burdens, we are tangibly expressing our love for that person. Hence, we are fulfilling the Law of Christ.
With all of the above in mind let us now read,
Galatians 6:3
"[3] If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
In other words,
NO ONE IS TOO BIG FOR THE TASK
To see this, let us recall some of the things Jesus, Who is the "King of Kings and the Lord of Lords" did during His sojourn upon this earth. For example, we find that
JESUS HEALED THE SICK
An example of this is given in,
Matthew 14:14
[14] And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
In addition we discover that,
JESUS FED THE HUNGRY
A good example of this is when Jesus fed 4,000 men in addition to the women and children. To read what occurred we go to,
Matthew 15:32-38
[32] Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” [33] Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” [34] Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” [35] So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. [36] And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. [37] So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. [38] Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
For our last example let us read how,
JESUS HELPED THE LOST
To see this let us read what Jesus did when He saw a multitude coming to Him and His disciples. To do this let us read from,
Mark 6:34
[34] And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
Thus, we found that by helping those in need, Jesus Christ was also a living example to demonstrate the following principle for those who belong to Him. To read this example we go to,
Matthew 23:11-12
"[11] The greatest among you will be your servant. [12] For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
To drive this important point home to His disciples and now us, let us read what He did after He ate His last Passover meal.
John 13:1-17
"[1] It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. [2] The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. [3] Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; [4] so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. [5] After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [6] He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" [7] Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." [8] "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." [9] "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" [10] Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." [11] For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. [12] When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. [13] "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. [14] Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. [15] I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. [16] I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. [17] Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."
SUMMARY
Perhaps the best way to summarize the message to be learned from this study is by reading the following Scriptures,
Philippians 2:3-8
"[3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. [4] Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, [7] but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!"
Shall We Pray?