CHAPTER 36
"Burdens"
Burden
– (Merriam-Webster OnLine) Etymology: Middle English, from
Old English byrthen; akin to Old English beran
to carry -- more at
BEAR 1a:
something that is carried:
LOAD b:
DUTY,
RESPONSIBILITY 2: something oppressive or worrisome
3a: the bearing of a load -- usually used in the phrase
beast of burden b: capacity for carrying cargo
{a ship of a hundred tons burden}
Nelson New
Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines it like this: a heavy
load or weight. This weight can be a literal burden
(Ex.23:5) or a figurative burden (Num.11:11, 17). The
prophets frequently spoke of their messages as burdens. A
prophetic utterance or oracle usually was ominous and
foreboding, a denouncing of evil and a pronouncing of
judgment against a place or a people (Is.13:1; Ezek.12:10;
Hos.8:10).
It is
usually helpful to look up the definition of a word but a
dictionary can be so cut and dry that the true understanding
is missed. I do not think we must go through every problem
to know how to solve them, but experience adds heart and
soul to one’s understanding. Sometimes a burden is light and
other times a burden can crush a person. Until a person has
been crushed by a burden they can only imagine what being
crushed is like. I think of David’s burden over Absalom was
crushing. Bad went to worse and worse went to giving up and
wanting to die. If it weren’t for David’s mighty men he just
may have never been heard from again. They demonstrated an
undying love that would risk life itself just to provide a
drink of water for their beloved king. David finally came to
grips with his grief and realized that his ministry was not
finished. God still had a job for him to do and people for
him to lead.
Hannah was
burdened to the breaking point over not having children. It
got so bad that she lost complete control of her emotions
and wept like a drunken person as she prayed. It was the
prayers of Eli the priest that helped her to get through.
There are
way too many burdens mentioned in the Bible to recount them
all. Yet each was unique and had a variety of purposes. Some
burdens were the result of poor choices and some resulted
from unexplainable circumstances.
Each of
these cases is different. Sometimes the burden bearer had a
very helpful support group to share the burden with.
Sometimes they had to bear it alone. But each time God was
right there with them giving aid and comfort. Sometimes the
burden was relieved by the solution sought for and sometimes
it was born for the rest of the person’s natural life. But
each time God was seeking to minister and help.
We have
received more help with our burden concerning Andrea than
most people receive for every burden they will have to bear
their entire life. God’s people have been so generous and
giving and understanding. But recently I was again made
aware of those with no human support. Some people carry a
burden of shame and hurt that they just cannot tell anybody
about. Some people have no one to tell. There are many, many
hurting people all around us that for whatever reason do not
reach out for help or when they do there is no one that can
or will help them. My heart goes out to such people as never
before. I am beginning to understand their burden and I
desire to be there for them.
Galatians
6:1-5 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass,
you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of
gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the
law of Christ. 3For if anyone thinks himself to
be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4But let each one examine his own work, and then he
will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5For each one shall bear his own load.
We have a
personal responsibility to learn how to deal with our
burdens spiritually. Having done so we then have the
responsibility to bear the burdens of others. By bearing
someone else’s burden we fulfill the law of Christ (to love
God with all our hearts and love our neighbor as ourselves).
In this passage Paul equates a burden with a trespass (sin).
To the believer it is a great burden to be weighed down by a
sin. The writer of Hebrews in 12:1 calls it … the sin
which so easily ensnares us… He says that it
keeps us from running the race the Lord has given us to run.
It is our job to confront, to counsel, to try to convince of
the truth. But we are to do it in complete humility and
love. Could it be that many burdens stay unknown and
un-helped because we scare people away with our judgmental
attitudes? I pray that God will forgive me for not being
available, approachable or loving enough to be safe to go
to. I know this has been a weakness and I am asking God to
change me.
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