August 14

The Law of Christ

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."Galatians 6:2

All through his life on earth Jesus sought to carry other's burdens. So many times did he remove their burdens and the scriptures reads, "and the strength went out of him." It cost Jesus something, but he never wavered in his resolve to reach out and take on the burdens the world was carrying. If we are to be followers of Christ, we need to follow his example and bear one another's burdens. When a brother or sister is suffering, we must go beyond sympathizing with them. We need to stand with them in prayer. We need to suffer with them and as we seek to enter into another's grief and sorrow, we will pick up their load. When we do this we succeed in lightening their burden. Just as Jesus did, you cannot pick up another's burden without feeling its pressure and we must be prepared to suffer. It will cost us something. But there is an up side to this law of Christ and that is as we seek to carry others' burdens, we often lose our own. That is how this law of Christ works, each of his followers takes on the burden of their brothers to bear for them and so no one is left alone to struggle with their own trials. It is the law of community, this law of Christ. Each reaching out to the one next to him and lending that helping hand. It is a law that draws us together, one that results in total unity. Let us seek to bear one another's burdens that we might fulfill this law of Christ.

Father, thank you for the example of Jesus Christ! Thank you for the way in which he reached out to the hurting people of this world and removed their burdens from them. We know it cost him something, but he never hesitated or held back. He continued to give right to the very end, to the cross. Let us be like Him. Let us look around us today and take up the burden of our brother or sister who is struggling. Give us a selfless heart like Jesus. And grant us the blessing of bearing our brother's burden that we might know the joy of community and thus fulfill this law of Christ. Amen.