Day 8, GIFT #8 - Give the gift of carrying the burdens of others

Joni Erickson Tada is the president of JET ministries, a ministry which aims to serve the disabled. She is herself a quadriplegic. A few years ago she was a spectator at the Los Angeles Special Olympics. Her husband, Ken, was the coordinator for track and field events. Joni was among a large crowd watching the participants prepare for the 50 meters running race.

The starter’s gun fired and off the contestants raced. As they rushed toward the finish line one boy left the track and started running toward his friends standing in the infield. Ken blew his whistle, trying to get the boy to come back to the track, but all to no avail.

Then one of the other competitors noticed, a down syndrome girl with thick bottle glasses. She stopped just short of the finish line and called out to the boy, “Stop, come back, this is the way.” Hearing the voice of her friend the boy stopped and looked. “Come back, this is the way” she called. The boy stood there, confused. His friend, realising he was confused, left the track and ran over to him. She linked arms with him and together they ran back to the track and finished the race. They were the last to cross the line, but were greeted by hugs from their fellow competitors and a standing ovation from the crowd.

The down syndrome girl with the bottle glasses taught everyone present that day an important life lesson, that it’s important to take time out form our own goals in life to help others find their way.

Reflecting on the episode afterwards Ken was reminded of some verses from Romans 15:

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up . . . May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus.” - Source: reported in Joni Erickson Tada, “It’s Called Unity”, found at joniandfriends.org

The law of Christ

"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal. 6:2)

Most Bible teachers understand the law of Christ to be what Christ stated were the greatest commandments in Mark 12:28-31, “‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’”

Love God and neighbors

The law of Christ, then, is to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

All of the Old Testament Law can be placed in the categories of “loving God” or “loving your neighbor.”

We must obey the law of Christ

Various New Testament scriptures state that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Law, bringing it to completion and conclusion (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:23-25; Eph. 2:15). In place of the Old Testament Law, Christians are to obey the law of Christ. Rather than trying to remember the hundreds of individual commandments in the Old Testament Law, Christians are simply to focus on loving God and loving others. If Christians would truly and wholeheartedly obey those two commands, we would be fulfilling everything that God requires of us.

How to carry other’s burdens

• Follow God’s example of doing it for us

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." (Psalm 68:19)

And in Matthew 11 and Galatians 5, Christ is described as the one who frees us from heavy burdens.

• Be patient and compassionate

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Col. 3:12-13)

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Eph. 4:2).

• Notice needy people around you and then do something to help them as though you were helping Jesus Himself

“I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ … ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’" (Matt. 25:34-40)