“He Ain’t Heavy…He’s My Brother”
Galatians 5:14, 6:1-10, 14-18
Stephen Becker, M.Div.
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost, July 8, 2007
One of the songs that the 1960’s is best known for is a song by The Hollies known as “He Ain’t Heavy…He’s my Brother.” Back in the 60’s, songs were often released on a small vinyl record known as a 45 (now for anyone under 30 here tonight, a 45 was a type of record that held one song on each side and it was called a 45 because it spun 45 times in a minute). On these 45’s, the song hit would typically be on one side and the a “B” song would be on the other. Most people thought of the “B” song as filler space on the back of the record because, well…something had to go there. And that’s the interesting thing about one of the most well known songs of the 60’s that still carries meaning for us today…”He Ain’t Heavy…He’s my Brother” was one of those “B” songs that the producers never thought would amount to the hit that it was. One of the explanations of the origin of the name of this song came from a well known Vietnam War photo where an American solider is carrying a Vietnamese man on his shoulders. A journalist had asked the soldier if he’d been carrying the man far, and the soldier smiled at the camera and said, "He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother." There’s other stories about where the name of the song came from, but they all point to one thing, bearing each other’s burdens. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we are all brothers and sisters through faith, and being brothers and sisters in Christ, God wants us to help each other—in good times and in bad—to help each other stay focused on Jesus as our Way to eternal life. “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Over the course of the past month or so, we’ve been working our way through Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. Remember, the reason Paul wrote this letter to the Christians there in Galatia was that some of them had infused a false teaching into the Gospel of Jesus Christ, insisting that people perform certain works, especially circumcision, in addition to believing in Jesus in order to “earn” salvation. There were some of the leaders of the Church in Galatia that even tried to discredit Paul as a real apostle of Christ. Galatians is one of Paul’s most emphatic and heated letters, where he even calls some of these Galatians foolish because they didn’t fully trust Jesus’ work on the cross. To this idea of works-righteousness, Paul explains that we are saved entirely by Jesus’ work, and we receive Christ’s merit, through God’s grace, by believing in Jesus. In other words, we are saved by Grace through faith. Now as we come to the end of Galatians, Paul addresses a tough situation: what about members of the Church who profess Jesus as Lord and as Savior, but yet still continue to sin? In our lesson last week we looked at how Jesus taught that when we come to faith, when we become a disciple of Christ, we leave our old lives behind because if we don’t, it’s like putting your hand into the plow…your hand is going to get cut off. Paul explains this same teaching, explaining that we are free in Christ to serve Him, not ourselves. So as we come now to the last chapter of Galatians, chapter 6, Paul addresses this very issue of people who say they follow Jesus, but continue to sin. What are we to do with them? Is it “their” problem and not ours? Or is this a problem for the entire body of Christ?
Paul doesn’t beat around the bush when he says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, restore him gently.” Now who is this “someone” that Paul is referring to? He is specifically addressing a person who has already professed Jesus as His Lord, who has come to faith in Jesus as Messiah. If this person wasn’t a Christian, there would be no need for Paul to say “restore” him because there is nothing in the Christian faith to restore in a person who has never believed. But in “restoring” a brother or sister in Christ who continues to sin, Paul is very careful in reminding us not to put our own hand back into that plow, that old life that could end up plunging us back into a sinful life. Paul says, “watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” What’s important to remember is that temptation itself is not a sin; in fact, Jesus Himself was tempted. It’s when we give in to that temptation that sin is committed. So when we “restore” a brother or sister in the faith who continues to sin, we may also be tempted by the ways of the world that this brother or sister are living in; we’re getting really close to the fire again. Also, Satan will tempt us equally, especially when we put ourselves in a position to see un-Godly ways. But just like that soldier who carried his Vietnamese comrade, we still have to care for each other…but we are to do it carefully, with God’s Spirit guiding us. Just as a solider will never leave another solider behind, we as Christians can never ignore the needs of another Christian brother or sister in the faith, whether that person needs food, shelter or in this case, gentle reprimanding because of sin. Listen to Paul’s words here in verse 2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Remember, “the entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
None of us are perfect. I for one hate sin, but I find that I continue to sin every day of my life. I fight it, but Satan is very powerful. I know this and I admit it. I admit that because my sin, I deserve death and hell. But I also know that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that by believing in Him, I have eternal life. So by myself, in my sin, I am nothing. But with Jesus, I am saved! Paul says, “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” See friends, what Paul’s saying is that we need to stay humble. We need to remember who this is all about: Jesus. The same goes for when we encounter a brother or sister in the faith who continues to willfully sin. We aren’t to judge them, but in remembering that we ourselves are sinners saved only by the Grace of God, we can gently restore that person. Listen how Paul puts it in verse 4, “Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.” When we love Jesus, when we are adopted in God’s family, we have a responsibility to others in God’s family. That why our attitude towards brothers and sisters should be one of gentle restoration: “He ain’t heavy…he’s my brother.”
Letting the brother or sister continue in his or her sinful ways just isn’t an option. And sometimes confronting the person with the sin can be tense, but when we really love him or her as a brother or sister in Christ, we can’t help but to help them. If your brother or sister were drowning, you would certainly jump into that water to help them. It’s the same here, people who have profess Jesus as Lord but hold on to the ways of this sinful life are literally drowning in sin because instead of allowing God the Holy Spirit to lead their lives, they are instead allowing Satan to lead them away from Christ. Verse 7: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction, the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
I have recently needed to approach somebody I have known for 16 years about a sinful way of life. He lashed out at me, told me I was judging him and tried to justify his ways. It wasn’t easy. In fact, this person is old enough to be my dad. I know he loves Jesus, but right now he’s choosing to follow the ways of this world. He is putting his hand back into the plow. I’ve gone back and forth with him for a while and now he’s pushing me away. So do I give up? Well, in prayer, I’m asking God to continue to lead me in bringing this person back to the faith. We can’t give up, because eternal lives are at stake. Paul says “let us now become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Those are some powerful and pointed words of instruction from the great Apostle to the Gentiles. He’s telling us that we aren’t to give up because the Holy Spirit will help us along the way. And with the Holy Spirit we can do God’s work; we can do good not because we have to , but because we get to. God wants us to serve all of His children, doing His good work. But Paul goes out of the way to explain that we are to do good, including pointing out sin, “especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” That’s why, as uncomfortable as it is, I won’t give up on this person who is serving the ways of this world, instead of serving Jesus, our King.
Now this person I have been working with is responding by telling me that I am being self-righteous in pointing out his sin. And that is something we have to be careful of. Remember, we are to restore somebody caught up in sin. But we aren’t to think that suddenly we are better or less sinful than that person. As we do the work of God, we should always remember that we can do absolutely no good without God the Holy Spirit living in us and working through us. It’s always all about Jesus and never about us. Paul says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” It’s all about Jesus and never about us. Without Jesus, we are all lost sinners. But in Jesus, we become new people, children of God adopted into His family. “What counts is a new creation.”
“He Ain’t Heavy…He’s my brother.” That song has new meaning for me…especially when I think of Jesus going to the cross for us. Of all the people ever born, Jesus Christ was the one who deserved the least to be punished for sin. Jesus resisted every temptation. Jesus understood God’s Law to love your neighbor as yourself. He understood it so well that instead of writing us off, instead of giving in to Satan’s temptation, instead of calling down angels and arch-angels to defend Him, he went instead to the cross for us. He bore our sins and paid for our sins. And He did this not because He had to, but because He loves us. Jesus is the ultimate example of someone who looked at his sinful brothers and sister and instead of leaving them behind in their sinful condition, He rather understood the message of “He Ain’t Heavy…He’s my brother.” So friends, as we wrap up this journey through Paul’s letter to the Galatians, remember the theme of the letter: trust in God’s mercy, trust in Jesus’ Perfect work on the cross, remember that yes—you are a sinner—but by putting your faith in Christ and letting God the Holy Spirit take over the direction of your lives, He will lead you in the light on Christ to do His work. So, steer clear of the ways of this world. Instead, let us take on the marks of Christ on our bodies. Whole we may still live in a world filled with sin, we are people who are saved not by anything we have done, but entirely by Who Jesus is done and what He has done for us. We are new creations through Christ. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Now may the true faith…
