Day 219: Baring And Bearing One Another's Burdens
Read: Psalm 55:12 - 23, Galatians 6:1 - 10
I do not guess that what I am offering today in the name of the Lord
may be received very well by many of us 'Christians' out there. It will
probably come across to a few of you that I am trying to smack you across the face or insult the 'Christian' walk you are doing such a wonderful job at living right now. "How dare he insinuate that I would do such a thing!" "I am a Christian! I'd never even consider doing what he is suggesting!" "I am not reading his stuff anymore!" "Why would I ever do something so
contrary to what God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit teaches us?"
What has gotten into his spirit that he or He would believe that I would bare rather than bear someone else's burden?"
'For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is
it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could
hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, My companion
and my familiar friend; We who had sweet fellowship together; Walked in
the house of God in the throng (12-14).' Let me now ask you to consider
this (not that you would or ever have been guilty of it): Why would a
friend or fellow brother or sister in Christ ever do something against
another
friend or brother or sister in Christ? Why would they 'lift up their heals' against them? Why would they bare them out before the world? Let me ask you all a silly question: What is a dump truck designed for?
Why did Judas Iscariot go to the Chief Priests of the Temple? Misplaced expectations? Alternative or ulterior motives for following Jesus? Secret agendas? A
sense of being or the expectation of being betrayed by your fellow man?
Not enough trust going on? Not enough faith in the goodness of God or
the goodness of man when he is in the company of another man or a fellow
brother or sister in Christ in fellowship with one another? Would a
Christian go on a 'snipe hunt' against one of his or her own? I know and expect that this is a tough read, probably even anger provoking, or
is right now provoking someone to tears because of a not too distant
memory of the ride they took on that dump truck.
'Baring' versus 'bearing'? What
choice do I make? Shall we ask Judas how he made his decision? Sometimes
that is a tough choice depending on what has been done to the one
thrown into the back of the dump truck - kind of like Jesus was - even
by His own best friends (Peter) and the one whom He loved the most
(John) and the rest of His disciples when they scattered to the hills, ran for their lives when He was arrested that night in the garden. 'Bare' or 'cast off' - to throw off, to
throw away, on broken arm, a burden - load, duty, something hard to
bear, difficult, hard, oppression. Or to 'Bear' take upon yourself one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ? Yes, a tough choice indeed!
Let Us Pray: Father, we are full of words, but they are often words of
anger, great bitterness and jealousy. We use our words to hurt others,
to spoil relationships and to build barriers between us. We use words to
make ourselves sound compassionate, but our thoughts are selfish and our intentions self - centered. We use words that will criticize others, and belittle them privately and publicly. We will
gossip. We will find it easier to tear someone down rather than build
them up. We all know why we do this and so does Your Son Jesus who took it on the chin and accepted his ride in the dump truck of our own making. We built it, we fueled it and we drove it then dumped Him. We have no earthly right to expect forgiveness or mercy for our actions from Him. I'm humbled that while we were yet His enemies, He bore our burdens, and set us free. I am humbled that He did not choose to bare my burdens but rather chose to willingly bear the impossible weight of them upon His shoulders, and upon His Cross.
http://www.youtube.com/
Read: Psalm 55:12 - 23, Galatians 6:1 - 10
I do not guess that what I am offering today in the name of the Lord may be received very well by many of us 'Christians' out there. It will probably come across to a few of you that I am trying to smack you across the face or insult the 'Christian' walk you are doing such a wonderful job at living right now. "How dare he insinuate that I would do such a thing!" "I am a Christian! I'd never even consider doing what he is suggesting!" "I am not reading his stuff anymore!" "Why would I ever do something so contrary to what God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit teaches us?" What has gotten into his spirit that he or He would believe that I would bare rather than bear someone else's burden?"
'For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend; We who had sweet fellowship together; Walked in the house of God in the throng (12-14).' Let me now ask you to consider this (not that you would or ever have been guilty of it): Why would a friend or fellow brother or sister in Christ ever do something against another
friend or brother or sister in Christ? Why would they 'lift up their heals' against them? Why would they bare them out before the world? Let me ask you all a silly question: What is a dump truck designed for?
Why did Judas Iscariot go to the Chief Priests of the Temple? Misplaced expectations? Alternative or ulterior motives for following Jesus? Secret agendas? A sense of being or the expectation of being betrayed by your fellow man? Not enough trust going on? Not enough faith in the goodness of God or the goodness of man when he is in the company of another man or a fellow brother or sister in Christ in fellowship with one another? Would a Christian go on a 'snipe hunt' against one of his or her own? I know and expect that this is a tough read, probably even anger provoking, or is right now provoking someone to tears because of a not too distant memory of the ride they took on that dump truck.
'Baring' versus 'bearing'? What choice do I make? Shall we ask Judas how he made his decision? Sometimes that is a tough choice depending on what has been done to the one thrown into the back of the dump truck - kind of like Jesus was - even by His own best friends (Peter) and the one whom He loved the most (John) and the rest of His disciples when they scattered to the hills, ran for their lives when He was arrested that night in the garden. 'Bare' or 'cast off' - to throw off, to throw away, on broken arm, a burden - load, duty, something hard to bear, difficult, hard, oppression. Or to 'Bear' take upon yourself one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ? Yes, a tough choice indeed!
Let Us Pray: Father, we are full of words, but they are often words of anger, great bitterness and jealousy. We use our words to hurt others, to spoil relationships and to build barriers between us. We use words to make ourselves sound compassionate, but our thoughts are selfish and our intentions self - centered. We use words that will criticize others, and belittle them privately and publicly. We will gossip. We will find it easier to tear someone down rather than build them up. We all know why we do this and so does Your Son Jesus who took it on the chin and accepted his ride in the dump truck of our own making. We built it, we fueled it and we drove it then dumped Him. We have no earthly right to expect forgiveness or mercy for our actions from Him. I'm humbled that while we were yet His enemies, He bore our burdens, and set us free. I am humbled that He did not choose to bare my burdens but rather chose to willingly bear the impossible weight of them upon His shoulders, and upon His Cross.
http://www.youtube.com/
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