Whose Burden to Bear?

I think one of the most difficult times in parenting is when your kids are adults.

Maybe because its the time in which I am living.

You can’t ground them anymore.

All you are now is a payed advisor:

If they don’t adhere to your ADVICE you are probably going to PAY for it.

The Burdens they cumulate.

And to be honest ..... Thats where it gets hard!

There is not one parent here this morning that wants to see your children go through hardships.

As a matter of fact ..... we will probably try to alleviate their hardship or pain and take on that burden.

Now I know some of you are saying (to yourselves) “I haven’t done this!” OR “I won’t do that!”

They are just going to have to learn on their own.

I get it!

I would say .... its one thing to talk about YOUR KIDS ..... What about Family members?

WHAT ABOUT FRIENDS? (Helping them with their burdens?)

Let’s look at what scripture tells us about “Burdens” and who is responsible.

Galatians 6:1-10 “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. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Lets catch up with what is going on in this pericope.

Paul has just reminded the Galatians that they are not to go back to the “Works of the Flesh”

That which if practiced causes one to NOT INHERIT the Kingdom of God.

But to LIVE IN THE SPIRIT

Those of the Faith exhibiting the “Fruit of the Spirit.”

Moving into Chapter 6 of this letter we find Paul expounding on the fruit!

Paul starts off with calling them Brothers.

Some translations state “Brothers and Sisters.”

“if anyone is caught in any transgressions”

The word “Anyone” is Nominative

The word caught (Prolambano) means “Overtaken in any trespass (usually by surprise)

: Were the meaning is not that of detecting a person in the act, but of his being caught by the trespass, through being caught off guard. (By Surprise)

The word “transgression” means exactly what you might think (SIN)

sin as a wilful stepping beyond the limits imposed by law

Would you agree that MOST SIN’S catch people off guard!

“you who are spiritual” (Nominative)

Those of the Faith

“should restore” (Imperative)

(Katartizo) To mend!

It is used of reconciling factions, of setting bones, of putting a dislocated limb into place, or of mending nets

“make one what he ought to be”

We are to do this in “a spirit of gentleness”

Same word used in the list found describing the fruit of the Spirit (in 5:22-23).

Humble

One Scholar stated .....

Those Galatians who had not abandoned their dependence upon the Holy Spirit, now are asked by Paul to set those Galatians who have abandoned their dependence upon the Holy Spirit, set them right,

… those who had been seized unawares by sin because they had deprived themselves of the ministry of the Spirit.

The primary thing that they needed to be set right about was not the act of sin which they committed, but that they had wandered off the right road of grace and were stumbling in the quagmire of self-dependence and legalism.

Paul goes on to warn them ...... “Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

skopeo (σκοπεο), which means “to look attentively at, to fix the attention upon a thing with an interest in it, to have an eye for a thing with a view to forming a right judgment of it, to give heed to.”

Its where we get the word “Scope”

The Galatian Christian who has maintained his liberty from the law, is thus cautioned to keep a sharp watch upon himself lest he also forsake that liberty for the allurements of the Judaizers, and fall into sin.

Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

The word bear is from bastazō (βασταζω)

which means “to bear what is burdensome.”

By bearing another’s burdens, Paul does not mean simply the enduring of these burdens in an enforced, reluctant manner as in Gal 5:10 where the same word is used

“I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.”

What Paul is meaning is the assuming of those burdens in a willing, helpful, sympathetic way, despite the fact that the bearing of them may involve unpleasantness and heartache.

Bear what?

One another’s “Burdens.”

burdens: (Baros)

- troublesome moral faults (The meaning is "bear one another's faults').

The word burdens has the following 2 meaning: either “a burden that is desirable” as in II Corinthians 4:17 (weight), or “one which is hard to bear” (Acts 15:28; Rev. 2:24).

The burdens in this context refer to the responsibility each saint should feel for the spiritual welfare of his fellow-saints, specifically when they have sinned.

The word Baros is not defined as what we would define the word “burden” in our culture today … anything one has to bear or put up with; heavy load, as of work, duty, responsibility, or sorrow.

This word is specifically dealing with a persons SIN.

This is unlike our children’s, family or friends burdens

… bad financial decisions

… bad job decisions

This is specifically talking about the burden of sins.

WE ..... as fellow believers ..... are commanded to BEAR one another’s Burdens. (Verse 2)

Some of you might be asking How or why?

Why would God ask us to do this?

The latter part of Galatians 6:2 tells us .... “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

What is the Law of Christ?

I John 4:21 “And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

John 13:34 “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.”

It’s very significant that Paul listed “Love” as the very first virtue of the Fruit of the Spirit.

It is even stated in I Cor. 13:13 “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

I think one of the best ways to bear one another’s burdens and exhibit LOVE is to pray for that person.

But there are time when we are required (commanded) to confront those of the faith who are facing burdens (Transgression) sins!

I think what we can do today those is .....

Come pray for those who are burden and heavy laden.

Come and exhibit Love!