September 12, 2004

Mural Worthey

Cawson Street Church of Christ

Hopewell, Virginia 23860

Introduction

"He that loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me. He that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. He that takes not his cross and follows after me is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it." (Matt. 10:37-39.)

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited if shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:24-26.)

"I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Gal. 2:20-21.)

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Rom. 6:6.) "How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:2.)

"Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden." (Gal. 6:2-5.)

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:28-30.)

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7.)

There is some confusion over burdens that we all bear, and the cross that Jesus said that we should take up and carry. Can we say that our burdens are our crosses? Is that what Jesus had in mind?

To the Galatians, Paul said two things about burdens. One is that we should bear one another’s burdens. Secondly, that we should bear our own burden. (Gal. 6:2,5.) The words for burden in these two passages are from different Greek words. The first one is from baros which means going down, weight or burden. Thayer defined it as "troublesome moral faults." (Greek-English Lexicon, 96.) This stays with the context of the previous verse. The second one is from phortion which refers to an invoice or cargo of a ship. Thayer likewise defined it as the weight of a tender conscience regarding faults. (p. 657.) Some make much of the distinction between these two words, but one author warned of making too great a difference. (George Henry Trever, "Burden," ISBE, Vol. 1, 528-529.) There is a burden of life and responsibilities that each is expected to bear for himself. As fellow Christians, we should help one another bear one’s burdens.

In our everyday speech, we use burdens to refer to different things. We might refer to someone who has physical handicaps as that person’s burdens of life. We speak about a widow who raises her children alone without the help of a mate; or to parents whose children have caused them great heartache and expense. Every person bears the normal burdens of life. Additional burdens can be brought on due to one’s own sins, the sins of others, and also wars, natural disasters and calamities. Confusion enters when we refer to these kinds of things as our crosses. Burdens can become crosses in a general sense, but not in the sense in which Jesus meant when he said, Take up your cross and follow me. We need to distinguish between burdens and crosses.

Note some burdens from Galatians 6.

1. Burden of being overtaken in a fault. (6:1.) This seems to indicate something sudden. It was not planned or desired, but he was overtaken. Fellow Christians should help such a one bear this burden and restore him in the spirit of meekness.
2. Burden of self-exaltation. "For if a man thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." (6:3.) We cannot deceive God about our lives. (6:7-8.) When someone is overtaken in a fault, we should be sympathetic. We are not better than they are. If not for the grace of God go I!
3. Burden of the flesh. "He that sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." (6:8.)
4. Burden of even doing well. "And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." (6:9.)
5. Burden of false teachers. The Judaizers were using the Galatians for their own advantage and purposes—that they may glory in their flesh. (6:12-13, 15-17.) They troubled Paul; he had marks to prove it.
6. Burden of the world. "By whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world." (6:14.)

There are many other burdens. 1) Paul referred to his care for all the churches that came upon him daily. 2) Paul had a thorn in the flesh. 3) Jesus had burdens during his life before going to the cross. 4) Burden of the prophets to speak the oracles of God. (Isa. 23:1.) 5) Burden of preaching—Paul wrote that it was laid upon him. 6) The burden of Mary to bear Jesus, the Messiah, and watch him die on the cross. A prophet said that a sword would pierce her own soul. 7) Responsibility of all believers to let their light shine in a world of darkness. (Matt. 5:16.)

Jesus said, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34.) In this passage, taking up one’s cross refers to the self-denial that is required in becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. It means that one must put to death the old man. We must endure a crucifixion and death in the likeness of what Jesus bore on the cross. We are crucified with Jesus.

The Bible makes clear that carrying one’s cross in discipleship is actually light and easy in contrast to the burden of sin and spiritual death. Jesus invited those who "labor and are heavy laden" to come unto him. They were encouraged to take upon them the yoke of Christ. He described his yoke as easy and his burden as light. (Matt. 11:28-30.) Paul wrote concerning the present burdens of life and the great blessings to come in the eternal world. He said, "For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction which is but for a moment works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Cor. 4:16-18.)

We should never think that taking up our cross and following Jesus means that we share along with Jesus on the cross in providing for our own atonement. Salvation is based upon blood atonement. The only blood that can atone is the blood of Jesus Christ. Only his life is pure, without spot or blemish. (Heb. 9:22.) The Hebrew writer said to the Christians then suffering, "You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." (Heb. 12:4.) Even if they had, their shed blood would not be sufficient even in part for their atonement. Jesus paid the atoning price in full.

We have already indicated that all burdens are not crosses. Taking up one’s cross is a description of discipleship and self-denial in following Jesus. All burdens are not a part of that discipleship. In fact, some burdens can be brought upon us a result of our own sinfulness and the sins of others. Some burdens are a normal part of living in the world, whether we are disciples or not.

But some burdens may be a part of taking up one’s cross. Burdens may become crosses when they are a part of discipleship and faith. They may be called crosses when they are born voluntarily. Jesus said this about bearing the cross: "Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it up again. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:17-18.) The sacrifice for our sins was not made unwillingly.

Paul wrote this about his burden of preaching: "For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel. For is I do this thing willingly, I have a reward, but if against my will, a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me." (1 Cor. 9:16-17.)

Our crucifixion with Christ is by faith when we begin our discipleship, but it also continues throughout our lives. We do have burdens that all others have in life, but we have additional ones because of our faith. We have concerns that others know nothing about. But the yoke of Christ is easy and his burden is light. The burdens of life become easier to bear because of our faith.

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers trials, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing." (James 1:2-3.) "But we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation works patience, patience experience, experience hope, and hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us." (Rom. 5:3-6.)

Burdens become crosses when you bear one another’s burdens because of your faith in Christ. This is a part of discipleship and faith. (Gal. 6:1.)

We bear unnecessary burdens when we carry concerns and anxiety that we should not. Jesus asked, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matt. 6:27.) Christians should not be overly concerned about food and clothing. God has promised these things if we seek first his kingdom and righteousness. (Matt. 6:33-34.) We bear unnecessary burdens when we carry the weight of our own sins and guilt. Jesus promised to give us rest from these burdens. (Matt. 11:28.) How many unnecessary burdens we all have born in life! We have tried to carry the cross of Calvary in the sense that we have tried self-justification. How much easier life would be if we trusted in God more and less in ourselves.