The Reason for Burden-Bearing

“Bear ye ojie another’s burdens, for every man shall bear his own burden” — Gal. vi. 2, 5,

Is not this a strange reason given for burden-bearing? “We could have understood the sequence better if it had been said, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, for it is not right that any man should bear his own;” but is it not strange to tell us, as a reason for bearing our brother’s load, that “every man shall bear his own burden “? No, it is not strange; it is sublimely, divinely beautiful. What is the burden of which the apostle speaks? It is the burden of temptation, the burden of being “overtaken in a fault.” What he wants to say is this: Bear ye one another’s temptations, for ye have all temptations of your own for which you equally will need charity. Thou that judgest thy brother, hast thou considered thyself? Hast thou considered that thou also hast a burden of temptation for which thy brother will need to extend charity to thee? Thine may not be the same burden as thy brother’s; thou may est be strong in the place wherein he is weak. But let not this be a boast to thee; there is a place wherein thou art weak and in which he is strong. When thou ascendest the throne of judgment, and when the books of thy brother’s life are open to thy view, remember that thou too hast books te be opened. Remember that thou too hast in the recesses of thy heart sins that call for pardon, thoughts that await expiation, deeds that require atonement, desires that cry out to be purified; remember this, and thou shalt bear with thy brother, and in thine hour of need thy brother shall bear with thee.

My soul, wilt thou fulfil this royal law of Christ? It is far in advance of the law of Moses; the law of Moses said, “Thou shalt not hurt,” but this says, “Thou shalt bear.” It is not enough for thee not to injure thy brother; thou must help him, thou must succour him, thou must do him good. “Wouldst thou be able to bear with his temptations?

then must thou be conscious of thine own. How shalt thou be conscious of thine own? Come to the Day spring from on high. Stand before the gaze of the searching purity, the spotless holiness, the stainless sinlessness of the Son of Man. There, in the vision of His humanity, thy humanity shall sink low and lie abased in the dust. There, in the blaze of His unblemished sunshine, thy flickering light shall be extinguished, and thou shalt learn thy darkness. The knowledge of thy darkness shall be thy first true light; it shall waken thy sympathy with man. When thou hast felt the pressure of thine own burdens, thou shalt lift the burden of thy brother; and in lifting the burden of thy brother thine own load shall fall.