Galatians 6

Bearing Each Other’s Burdens

Here it is – the last chapter of Galatians. I have to admit, when I first started this study I wasn’t as excited as the past two studies. I did feel God directing me to study this book, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to get out of it. I can honestly say, at least for me, this has been a good wake up call kind of study. I really had to squirm a bit – this is a good thing! I realized that I have let a bit of pride and junk get into my life so I needed to re-examine some things. I had to ask myself, what fruit I have been bearing lately? It’s been a tough year for us all – 2020 will go down in history for sure! We have all had many burdens to bear. As I read this last chapter, I realized what my calling is – and what all of our calling is. We are to bear each other’s burdens. We are to be about lovingly, gracefully, gently bringing our brothers and sisters to a right path so we can transform this world.

Vs. 1-5 Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load.

Are we our brother’s keepers? Cain asked God this all the way back in Genesis. The answer then and now is the same – Yes, we are our brother’s (and sister’s) keepers. We are to look out for one another – especially if we see someone going off into sin. The word for caught is prolēmphthē which means to be overcome or taken. All of us have known someone who has been caught up in something they shouldn’t be doing. And, all of us have been caught up in something we shouldn’t be doing. No one likes to be called out for something they’re doing wrong, but it’s necessary. I think our tendency is not to get involved. We don’t want to hurt feelings, or we think it’s none of our business. If we get involved, it might get messy, or the person might gets angry at our “interference”. In other words, we are just saying, “I’m not my brother’s keeper.” But we are and we should be. The word for restore is katartizete which means to put back together or mend. It is a word used to describe something that has been mended to it’s original condition. If you’ve ever had a pair of shoes resoled, you will get this. Those beat up old soles are taken off and instead the new ones are put on. The shoes are shined up and look brand new once again. We are responsible for each other. We must keep each other on track and, in some cases, keep each other from going off the deep end. We are to bring each other back to where we are suppose to be. This does come with a warning. We must be careful not to fall into the same trap as the person we are trying to help out of the trap. It’s so easy to be enticed thinking what they’re doing isn’t so bad. But when a pilot is off course by even one inch, it can be a disaster down the line.

Paul also says we are to carry each other’s burdens. The word for burden is barē which means a great weight. When we see our brother’s and sister’s carrying around a load, or see them falling off into something they shouldn’t be getting into, it is our responsibility as believers to come along side them and help them carry the load, to lead them back to the right path, to encourage them in their spiritual walk. I love the image above. It reminds me of Jesus, the good shepherd, who carries our heavy load. In turn, we are to do the same. What really keeps us from doing this? Pride. That’s why Paul makes a point at telling people to not think of themselves as something when they aren’t. It’s not that we are not important, but, when we let pride get in the way, we become self focusing and self serving. We stop looking around at the needs of others – at the weight other’s are carrying. We are only concerned about our own load. It could be that your load is really heavy right now, but if we only look at that, we miss out on the opportunity to not only serve one another, but to be served as well. When we are prideful, we can also reject help from others. Have you ever tried to help someone only to be cut off by them – “I can do it myself! – I don’t need help or I don’t take handouts!” I remember a few years ago when a few of us wanted to help a family in our church. They had lost their job and I knew it was hard for them to make ends meet. A group of us got together and collected food, some money to pay the bills and other things for them. But, when we brought everything to their house it was rejected because they didn’t take handouts. They wanted nothing to do with our help. I remember the group was really disappointed and a little hurt. Most of all we felt a great sorrow for them because their pride kept them from receiving the blessings we had to give. We all learned a lesson that day. Don’t let pride get in the way of allowing other’s to receive a blessings from giving, and don’t let pride get in the way of the blessing you get when you receive. Paul also has a word for the giver – don’t give in pride either. We must bear our own load – we are ultimately accountable for how we give, receive and keep each other accountable. We will give an accounting to God.

Vs. 6-10 The one who is taught the message must share all his good things with the teacher. Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

In this context of carrying each other’s burdens, we are to support those who teach us – pastors, ministers of the gospel, teachers. They need to have financial support, and encouragement. It’s easy to take our leaders for granted, but we need to lift them up and share with them. For when we do what God is asking, we are essentially sowing good seed. If we sow seeds of the flesh – pride, a corrupt spirit, gossip, etc. We will reap those things. But if we sow the fruit of the spirit, encourage each other, bear each other’s burdens, we will reap a great spiritual harvest. This is why it says – when you have the opportunity to work for the good of all – we will reap a wonderful harvest.

Vs 11-18 Look at what large letters I use as I write to you in my own handwriting. Those who want to make a good impression in the flesh are the ones who would compel you to be circumcised—but only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even the circumcised don’t keep the law themselves; however, they want you to be circumcised in order to boast about your flesh. But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world. For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation. May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy to the Israel of God! From now on, let no one cause me trouble, because I bear on my body scars for the cause of Jesus. Brothers, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

We are now getting back to the main point of Paul’s letter. He set’s up this last section with reaping and sowing either from the flesh or the spirit. He then takes the pen from the person he dictated to and writes this last part himself – IN HUGE BOLD LETTERS. It would be like us texting someone in all caps. Why do we do this??? Because we want to emphasize something – we want them to understand that what we are saying is important! So here it is. He is telling them that the people who want them to be circumcised are only out to make a good impression in the flesh. They really have no concern for the Galatians spiritual growth. They just want to look good in front of all their “spiritual” buddies. Does this sound familiar? How many times do we find people who just want to look good. They really don’t care about anyone, they just want to look more spiritual. One thing I learned in my study of the Sermon on the Mount is that God looks at the heart. He looks at my motivation for what I am doing. When Paul looked at their motivation, he found a bunch of folks trying to look good who couldn’t even keep the law themselves. They boasted about their own outward actions – but the inside wasn’t really something worth boasting about. This is why Paul says “I never boast about anything except the cross.” You see, the cross is an instrument of death – it’s where we go to die to self. Where we acknowledge we can’t and Christ did. It doesn’t matter what we do on the outside – what everyone else can see. The only thing that matters is what is inside – are we a new creation? Have we allowed God to change us – transform us – renew us – barē (restore) us?

The lesson of Galatians can be summed up as this: don’t get caught up in making the outside look good. Be concerned about getting the inside right. Get rid of the pride that holds you back from allowing God to transform you into a NEW creation. Be filled with the Spirit so that the fruit you bear will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control. And whatever you do – bear each other’s burdens. Because when we can all help each other with the load this life throws at us, we can truly walk in faith and thought that – transform this world with each step. Amen.