“…with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with oneanother in love…” Ephesians 4:2
As a family of believers, we laugh and weep together. When the sorrows and joys of life come, we share them with one another.
When we bear one another’s burdens, we do it out of humility and not from the position of an elevated self. When we see a brother stumbling or troubled, do we say, “Oh, I’m better than this. Why can’t that person get it together?”
As followers of Jesus, we must come in humility and enter into their suffering, knowing one day we might be in need.
Jesus entered into our suffering and took upon Himself our burdens. He became the servant of servants, and never once did He say, “Oh, it’s Shawn again; I sure dislike putting up with this guy.” Instead, He sings over us, loves us, and upholds us when we cannot keep ourselves.
It’s individually and with others that I have come to know Jesus. The one who was chastised for my peace. How far did He go to bear my burdens? I think Isaiah says it well, “But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
When we bear one another’s burdens, we do it unto Christ. Jesus said when you do it to the least, you do it to Him. We are not just putting up with people; we are allowing Christ into our lives and the lives of others.
May we come to see ourselves and our neighbor as the beloved. May we put aside our pride and put away the words that hide beneath the surface, “Thank God I’m not like this sinner.” May we know the love of Christ, and in turn, may we wash one another’s feet.