Paul is going to tell the church of Galatia that in order to be like Christ they must be willing to lend their support to their brothers and sisters who are struggling underneath a heavy load. Just because someone is a Christian doesn't mean he will never have to face depression, discouragement, doubt, family problems, financial problems, physical problems, or anything else that happens in a fallen world like ours. Becoming a Christian isn't like receiving a vaccine that makes us immune to troubles. The church members are to minister to each other, for they are family, and this is how a family treats it's members.
When we concluded yesterday we found Paul telling us we have a duty to help our brothers and sisters in Christ when we see they have fallen into sin. Today he speaks of helping our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing hard times in life, for as we all know, hard times come sooner or later to everyone. Christ cared about people and took time to talk with them and listen to them and help them with their problems, so if we belong to Him we should feel Christlike compassion for our fellow man. "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) When we see a brother or sister struggling under a heavy load of care, our hearts should go out to them, causing us to want to take some kind of action to encourage them. Even the most faith-filled Christian sometimes grows weary under the strain of dealing with pressures and problems. They deserve the love and support of their brothers and sisters in Christ. If even the Lord Jesus needed help carrying His cross, we can be certain our fellow man needs help from time to time carrying the heavy crosses of this world. (Matthew 27:32)
Paul isn't advocating laziness or telling us it's okay to pretend to be helpless in order to get others to take care of us, for he is the same man who said of those who are able in both body and mind to work, "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10b) The Greek word that has been translated into the English "burden" is the Greek "baros" which means "heaviness, weight, burden or trouble". What Paul is saying is something like this, "When you see your brother or sister is depressed or discouraged, or if you see they are emotionally drained by family problems, or if you notice they are experiencing spiritual doubts and struggles, you are fulfilling the law of Christ by behaving toward them as Christ would behave. Go to that person and offer your love and support. Pray with them if they want you to. Pray for them every day. If it is within your power to lighten their load in any way, be willing to pitch in. In this way you will be doing to others as you would have others do unto you."
I'm going to make up an example of one of many burdens we might be able to help ease. Suppose the lady next door to us has just been widowed. It's good if we go over to express our love and sympathy. It's even better if we offer more practical help, such as easing her loneliness by checking on her regularly or taking her to lunch or to a movie from time to time. Another practical way we might help is, (if we are physically able), to take on a task or two that her husband used to perform, such as shoveling snow from her walkway in winter or mowing her lawn in summer. Any of us can tell someone we love them---and we ought to tell them we love them---but it's even more valuable to show someone we love them. What Paul wants us to ask ourselves is, "What would Jesus do if He lived next door to the elderly widow?" We fulfill the law of Christ by doing what Christ would do.
Before Christ went to the cross He gave a new commandment for us to follow. Because He is God, Christ has the authority to add an eleventh commandment, so He said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34) This is why we are fulfilling the law of Christ if we love each other and help each other to bear the heavy burdens of this world. Christ is in heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father, so we are His hands and feet in this world. When we minister to others, Christ is ministering to them through us. When we show love to others, they see how much Christ loves them. We have the ability to help people to grow in their faith and to grow in their relationship with Christ simply by how we treat them. What an awesome privilege this is, that our Lord would let us be a small part of the great things He is doing in people's lives!
Our passage reminds me of a particular song and I'm going to include the link to it below. It asks us all a very serious question: If we (the church) are the body of Christ, why don't we do what Christ would do?
If We Are The Body
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