Bear with One Another

Context

Theme “Growing Together”

Guide: Paul was a missionary apostle — appointed by the risen Christ to share the good new of reconciliation with God with the Gentile world, the non-Jewish Roman empire.

He traveled and preached and founded churches. After establishing a congregation he would continue his journeys and write letter back to the congregations behind him to give them guidance and encouragement.

This was an essential part of his ministry, because churches in the first century were the first to ever exist and they needed to figure out lots of stuff.

The letter of Paul are meaningful to us because although we are an established congregation, we are entering a new chapter of congregation life — combined worship, education, fellowship — and we will feel like a new congregation, face some similar challenges. Will benefit from Paul’s guidance.

Today our reading comes from Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, chapter 6. Previously, Paul has encouraged the congregation to practice virtues together: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness.

This week he speaks to us about how to handle our missteps steps together.

Text

Galatians 6:1–10 NRSV

My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads. Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

Introduction

Recent visit to hospital. Broken bones, lacerations, cancer. Doctors and nurses and staff moving about trying to bring relief, comfort, and healing. Studied the human body, they’ve practiced working with it, they’ve taken an oath to do no harm but to bring whatever healing they can. We go to hospitals to recover our physical health precisely to put ourselves in the care of those who can help us recover our physical wellbeing.

Would it not be strange to go to a hospital where the doctors and nurses had never gone to medical school. They did not know anything about physiology or surgery. They never made an oath to protect you and were as likely to injure you more as to help you? Would you go to such a hospital?

It has been said, as a piece of Christian wisdom: The church is a hospital for sinners. What do you think: Is it a community of spiritual care-givers who are seeking to bring relief to the one who is injured by sin? Or it a strange thing, where, when our spiritual ailment is presented, we are as likely to be hurt as helped?

Exegesis

Galatians 6:1. Paul addresses the fact that there are and will be transgressions in the church community. Sin will present itself.

Since they are not perfect people, the Galatians should expect that every once in while an ailment of the spirit will be detected: A person will be taken down by

Pride, wrath, avarice, envy, sloth, gluttony, lust.

When that happens…

Galatians 6:1. Those who have “received the Spirit.” Those of you who are mature and guided by the Holy Spirit…

Action: restore the transgressor with gentleness.

Restore = back to the previous state before the transgression. Recover. Reinvigorate. Re-instate.

With gentleness.

Assumes: The person is contrite, embarrassed, ashamed. They do not need to be broken more. They need to be healed. In a good church with someone who wants to be healed, gentleness is the medicine.

Gentleness previously mentioned as a “fruit of the spirit” Gal. 5:23.

Galatians 6:1. And warning to those who are in the Spirit: take care that you are not tempted.

Likely: tempted toward the sin of judgment or pride or self-superiority.

Proud Pharisee and the sinner, Luke 18:11 “11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.”

Galatians 6:3. You are something when you are nothing. The spiritually mature must keep in mind will not be judged based on relative superiority to others, but on the value of our own action sin God’s eyes.

Romans 14:10–12 “10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Paul says, be gentle because we all have “Burdens” and “loads”…we all have our baggage.

You who are spiritual, lend a hand to the one whose burden has gotten too heavy and they are crushed under it.

Therefore: Carry one another’s burdens.

carry one another’s sins. Lend a helping hand, not a hurting hand.

The spirit urges us toward solidarity.

In this way: fulfill the law of Christ.

Christ command: At his last meal. A new command I give you, you must love one another as I have loved you. (John 13:34)

The example of Christ. He bore our sins on the cross.

Matthew 8:17 “17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.””

Paul’s vision of the church. A place where burdens are shared and believers are lifted up by one another.

Christ is made manifest in the community by forgiveness and help, in gentleness, toward restoration is practiced.

Interpretation

Scary thing for culture around us: transgression is detected. Fired. Scandalized on social media. You are cancelled. Social shaming. Where is the restoration? The road back? Sometimes it is not there.

A few years ago: Well known actor, whom I admired and enjoyed watching. Bright future. Made a transgression. Went viral. He made the expected apologies. I never meant…I’m so sorry…I see now… and so on. Never made another movie. I don’t know what happened after that. He was just lost to us all.

Woe to us if the church is the same.

Sure: one way to have a pure church is to drive out all the sinners.

If the church were to lose all its sinners…where would the church be?

Because like the Galatians long ago, none of us are perfect. We sin, we transgress, we make mistakes.

IF we want to have a church at all. If we want to have a healthy church: We want to recover each other when sin strikes.

Christian wisdom saying: Church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners.

Speaks to something we desperately long for. A place where our humanity is met with mercy. Instead of run down or run out, we are helped up again by those who know how to help and are committed to restoring us.

My own experience. As a young pastor. I don’t think I appreciated enough the power of gentleness. A mentor pastor. He was a very gentle man. So soft spoken, always a kind word, smile. I almost thought he was too meek. So I thought for years: Until I found myself in need of care. My soul was sin-sick and sin-injured.

I didn’t need judgment or exile or someone looking at me like they were better than me.

Like a glass with a crack in it.

I needed restoration. Gentleness. Someone who could handle a broken soul.

Who did I turn to? I turned to him.

He bore it with me through prayer:

referred to me as “dear brother”

burden became his burden. “we are so in need of your grace and help…and especially my dear brother…”

Stood with me. Solidarity as a fellow sinner.

“help me to help him and we can help each other…”

That showed me the power of gentleness.

He was a spiritual doctor for me. Set the bones of my spirit, wiped away the blood, eased the bruise.

Helped me recover and get back to being a disciple.

If you have ever experienced this, you know you were experiencing something divine. Jesus through another person.

Jesus says to the sinner you still have a future. A future with me and with my people.

St. Paul, persecuted the church before becoming an apostle.

Peter denied knowing Christ before becoming the Rock of the apostles.

We can go on down the list of saints who were recovered from sin…because that is what Christ does. He ever so gently restores the broken soul.

Thus: Every saint has a history and every sinner has a future.

A central mystery of the Christian faith:

It is because he took the place of a sinner and then rose again as the Son of God, that he is able to help the sinner rise up again after being put down by sin.

So the church, his people called into community, are called to show that same mystery.

Sin does not push us away from each other…it draws out our compassion for one another. Go TO one another to restore, to give a future.

Trusting that Jesus’ death and resurrection will bring the forgiveness and new life.

Passing of the peace is more than an social moment. A liturgical action that communicates this is a hand that helps, not hurts.

Application

As a congregation we have a ministry future ahead of us.,…like the Galatians we want to become who God is calling us to be in a new era.

Moving forward always means growing pains. We will see each other’s weaknesses, missteps, and transgressions.

What is true in our life as a church is true in all domains. Siblings, parents/children, marriage partners.

There will always be growing pains. Sins, missteps…will be detected. Humanity revealed.

If we are to have a future together, it will be because we bear with one another.

How can I restore?

Let me be humble before you God.

When we pray: let me be motivated only by love.

Solidarity: When we are “dear brother” and “dear sister” to each other.

When we are on our faces and unable to raise, we are lifted up by another. They put our arm around their neck and say, “Let’s get you back on your feet…”

We have been placed here together to be like Christ for each other.

Jason Gray: If you want to love someone Search their soul for where it's broken Find the cracks and pour your heart in If you want to love someone

In every heart there is a hollow Locked against the pain it's known If there's a key, the key is sorrow Only a trusted hand can hold

Somehow You had a way of seeing Just how deep my wound could go Oh but You were never scared To run and meet me there

And that's how I know…

If you want to love someone Search their soul for where it's broken Find the cracks and pour your heart in That's what You did... If you want to love someone

Conclusion

A hospital for sinners? Yes, I hope we are and will be. We all have been schooled in the spirit by Christ, we have worked with grace for years, and we are committed to healing each other.