Text: Galatians 6:1-4
By: Ezekiel, Oghenekaro
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Brethren, if a man is [a]overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. Galatians 6:1-4.
A veteran of the Iraq war recalls patrolling the street in Mosul on an ordinary Saturday morning when a grenade tossed from the rooftop exploded. He said, he remembered lying down on his stomach unable to move his arms or legs. Blinded by the smokes, his ears were ringing as other bombs went off. Sensing that he was loosing a lot of blood, he said, “this is it, I am going to die”. Suddenly, he felt a rush of comfort as he realised, “they are here, they did not leave me to die”.
John Abruzzo survived because his friends took that verse literally. At 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, he was working on the 69th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Centre in New York City. That’s when the first hijacked plane hit the north tower. Seeing the flames and debris filling the sky, everyone scrambled to evacuate the building. Everyone, that is, except John Abruzzo. A quadriplegic since a diving accident 17 years before this incidence, there was no way he could make it down 69 flights of stairs by himself. Eight men and one woman stayed behind to help him. It was not an easy trip. After they had descended a few stories, the south tower shuddered when the second hijacked plane hit it. Soon the stairwell was filled with hot smoke and panicked workers racing to escape the doomed building. When they got to the 20th floor, after an hour, they heard a roar outside. It was the sound of the north tower collapsing. The lights in the stairwell went out. When they reached the lobby, it looked like a deserted war zone: broken windows, smoke, debris, doors on their hinges, furniture overturned. And no one in sight. As they exited the building, a fireman urged them to run for their lives. They followed the crowds to a high school three blocks away. Ten minutes after they left the south tower, it too collapsed.
A Ministry for All of Us
Most people wonder if there is a ministry they can perform at in the church. Most times what they have in mind is usually an official position, like teaching a Sunday School class, children teacher etc. Those ministries require a certain amount of training and preparation. But there is one ministry that any believer can perform and it does not require special training. It’s called “bearing one another’s burdens.” If you have the heart, and the time, and the desire, you can be a burden-bearer for those in need.
- Restoring the Fallen – Galatians 6:1
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
Here’s the same verse from The Message by Eugene Peterson: “If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out.”
Who are the “fallen” people and how can we help them? This verse gives us four answers to that question.
First, they are trapped by sin. The word “caught” was sometimes used for a bird or an animal caught in a trap. It describes a believer who has been suddenly overcome by some temptation that came upon him unawares. A perfect example is Peter who, after boasting that he would never desert the Lord, denied him three times. It is the picture of a believer whose leg is caught in a trap of sin. The bone is broken and the person is trapped with no hope of escape. What will you do when you hear your brother, your sister, crying for help? Will you walk away? Or will you come and help them?
Second, they require the help of spiritual people. The phrase “you who are spiritual” in this context describes those who are walking in the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, producing the fruit of the Spirit, and keeping in step with the Spirit. Since this is not meant to describe a certain class of super-spiritual saints, it really applies to everyone who loves the Lord and wants to please him. One writer comments that truly spiritual Christians would never use that term to describe themselves. But the mark of their spirituality is that they are alarmed at what sin has done to a brother or sister in Christ, and instead of walking on by, they stop to help out.
Third, they must be restored gently. The word “restore” was used for setting a broken bone and for mending a fishing net. If you’ve ever had a broken bone, you know how painful that can be. And if the doctor is rough, he can make your pain much worse even as he tries to help you heal. That’s why the work of spiritual restoration must be done “gently” or as the King James Version says, “meekly.” It has the idea of doing something quickly, quietly, and with enormous kindness. When a friend is down and hurt by sin, you don’t announce it to the world. You don’t try to ruin his reputation. No, you go to his aid and do what you can to help him recover.
Fourth, they must be approached carefully. Here is a warning we all need to consider. Paul says that we should be careful in our helping lest we should fall into the same hole as our friend. Satan is tricky. He knows that if he can get one Christian trapped in sin, he may soon get another and then another. This is why doctors wash their hands so often. Not only must they avoid giving germs to their patients, they must also guard against receiving germs from their patients. In our attempts to help struggling Christians, we must be careful lest we start making excuses, offering rationalizations, avoiding confrontation, and letting sympathy replace truth.
Before we leave this noble ministry, I should note that Paul does not specify the sins involved and he does not specify the precise pattern we are to follow. This verse describes a willingness to get involved with others and the attitudes that best promote healing and restoration. The precise details and the time involved will vary from case to case and from person to person. Just as no one medicine cures all diseases, there is no magic formula that works in every case. We are called to care enough to get involved and to act in a compassionate, careful way. The Lord can lead us if we will do those two things.
2. Helping the Hurting – 6:2-4
The second ministry is a bit broader in that it includes restoring the fallen but goes on to include ministering to those hurting for any reason. When we see a friend burdened with the problems, cares and pressures of life, we are to drop what we are doing and go to his aid.
First, there is the need to bear the burdens of others: “Carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2a). The burden of this verse refers to an overwhelming load, an impossibly huge boulder weighing you down as you stagger along the highway of life. The boulder may represent any number of things: sickness, sudden calamity, personal loss, financial difficulty, broken dreams, a failed marriage, family problems, career setbacks, or the death of a loved one. I find it significant that Paul does not focus on what the burden is or where it comes from. That does not seem to matter. What matters is that when you see your brother or sister staggering under a heavy load, you drop what you are doing and go help them bear that load. Instead of judging them, you help them by doing whatever you can for as long as you can. Will this not slow you down? Assuredly it will, and if getting to the finish line first is your goal in life, then you would not bother to bear very many burdens. But if helping the hurting is part of your vision of Christian discipleship, then for you bearing burdens is not a distraction, it’s at the heart and core of what it means to follow Jesus.
What Would Jesus Do?
And that brings us to a crucial principle. In every situation, do what Jesus would do: “And in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2b). What is the “law of Christ?” It probably refers to Jesus’ call to love God supremely and to love our neighbour as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). As you march through life, and as you see others falling around you, and as you come upon those suffering from various troubles, ask yourself the question that has become so famous in recent years: What would Jesus do? In almost every instance, the answer will not be, “Just keep on marching.” Almost every time, the answer will be, “Jesus would make a difference in this situation.” He would be there, he would care, he would minister the love and grace and mercy of God. It may help to imagine yourself as the person under such a heavy load. What would you wish that a friend would do for you? Go and do likewise.
Paul next mentions a danger we should all consider. When you see your brother or your sister suffering, don’t be too proud to get involved. “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else” (Galatians 6:3-4). It’s very easy to look down your nose and say, “They deserve it.” “She’s so weak.” “He just can’t handle the pressure.” “I saw it coming.” “Maybe they’ll listen to me next time.” “I don’t want to get involved.” “I’m just glad it’s them and not me.” “I know I would never do something like that.” How quick we are to condemn, to look the other way, to pass by on the other side.
Paul puts his finger on the problem: personal pride. If you think you are something special, then you’ll find it easy to condemn. But if you think that you’re a nobody apart from the grace of God, then you’ll be quick to forgive and ready to help the hurting. Perhaps we can rephrase that a bit. The reason you find it easy to condemn is because you have got an inflated opinion of your own importance. If you were more conscious of your own sin, you would be more forgiving of the weakness and failure of others. So before you condemn or criticize, take a good look in the mirror. You’re not as hot as you think you are, and your hurting friend isn’t as bad as you think he is.
Conclusion
The message of our text can be summarized this way: “I cannot do everything but I can do something.” God never calls any of us to “do it all.” Superman is only a comic book character. But that doesn’t excuse us from doing what we can when we can. You can’t do everything, but there is something you can do. Will you do it?
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