Dusk had fallen on the city. The air was warm as a 12 year-old boy trudged along the sidewalk. On his back he carried his little brother, huffing and puffing as they went. It was hard to carry him. When they passed a man out for an evening stroll, the gentlemen smiled as he saw the young boy struggling. “Quite a load for a boy!” he said. Looking up into the face of the older man, the red-cheeked boy exclaimed between puffs for air, “Oh, he ain't so heavy; he's my brother.”
He ain't so heavy; he's my brother. It's not a Biblical phrase, but surely it reflects a Christian's thoughts in his relationship to others who need his help. The Bible says, “Keep on loving each other as brothers” (Heb.13:1). And again it says, “Love the brotherhood of believers” (1Pt.2:17). And again, “Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ' (Ga.6:2). Think of what a different world this would be if everyone took more seriously the implications of Christian brotherhood. And what a different church our church would be if all would see each believer just as we are through faith in the Savior – a brother or sister in Christ.
It is such a one whose heart has been warmed by the Savior's love that can carry his needy fellow man upon his shoulders and without batting an eye can look up into the face of God and say, “He's not so heavy, Father; he's my brother.” But for us, in the weakness of our flesh, it is not always so easy to do, especially when things aren't right between us. But then, more than ever, is the time our Lord encourages us to keep on loving our brother. Even though at times it may seem to be the Christian's hardest work, “ Keep on loving,” the Savior bids. And if there's something wrong between you…
I. …go to him with the word of Christ.
The Lord Jesus put it this way: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along.” Is there something wrong between you and your brother in the faith? Go to him. Show him when things aren't right. And since the Word of God is the standard by which God judges and by which He makes plain His love for sinners, go to him with the word of Christ . But go!
That's the hard part; there's where the hard work is involved because the devil and our flesh want us to do something different. They seek to prevent us from going with God's Word because the devil wants to keep that person wandering in sin until he's walked right out of the kingdom of God . That's what Satan always wants – another soul lost for eternity. And so he makes it hard.
He may whisper in your ear, “What gives you the right?” He may downplay the matter and say, “Oh, it's not so bad. Just wait and see what happens.” He may try to persuade, “Look, you've done enough. It's his life anyway, not yours.” And with many other excuses and accusations the devil tempts us to overlook sin and the eternal needs of our brother caught in it saying: “It's easier, it's wiser, it's safer, it's more comfortable, it's the right thing to do nothing.”
Jesus responds, “Go and show him with the Word of Christ. Seek to win him for the Savior.”
Hard work? Yes. Because no one likes to be corrected. Sin has a way of making us blind to what we really are doing.
For example, King David was a believer. He was a good man. The Bible even tells us plainly that the Lord loved David. But there was a point in his life when he looked at another woman and committed adultery with her. Her name was Bathsheba. Then he even had her husband murdered to cover up his sin. At that point he had simply turned off his conscience and wouldn't admit to himself that he had done anything wrong.
God sent the prophet Nathan to him to show him his sin, just the two of them because love should move brothers in faith to keep the matter private. “Serve one another in love,” the apostle Paul wrote (Ga.5:13). It worked. David heard the word, recognized his error before God, repented, and was forgiven.
It doesn't always work that way. There was King Saul in the Old Testament and Judas in the New where words fell on deaf ears.
What might be necessary then, after every avenue is sought – for love goes the extra mile – what might be necessary then is that more than just one Christian would go, even representatives of the church. Hopefully then, as others go when things aren't right, the brother would be able to see it and change.
Hard? Yes. But as Jesus' disciples we should not hesitate to be His witnesses and in love do whatever the situation requires. Even if it gets to the point where Jesus says, “Treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector,” remember how the Savior especially reached out to them in His redeeming love when others wouldn't.
After all, isn't that what He did for us? When things weren't right between us and God because of our sin, Christ loved us with an everlasting love and went to the cross for our sin to win us back for Him. That was hard work. But it wouldn't stop Him. And so He did whatever was necessary. That's great love for the Bible says, “There is no greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends” (Jn.15:13). It's the binding factor of our Christian lives.
Regarding this the story is told of a neighbor who one day brought a box she had received in the mail over to her friend. “They fooled me,” the neighbor said. “The ad offered to send a box of perfect glue free. And look what I got!”
Her friend opened the box. Inside was a piece of paper. Written on it was one word: Love.
“The ad promised it would mend almost anything,” the neighbor said, a little angry.
“What they say is true in a way,” her friend responded. “Love will mend almost anything, even broken hearts and lives.” For a moment both were silent. Then they laughed together.
It's true; love is the best glue in the world, especially Christ-like love. It glues a family together; it binds friends to each other; it holds a congregation of believers together. Christ-like love helps them treat each other with heaven's kindness, no matter how honest they might have to be. It mends the cracks that happen when things don't go right. Even in the hardest work that the Lord Jesus places before us in our text today, love in Christ who died for sin and wants us to proclaim that good news to each other, love in Christ binds us together like His redeeming love bound us to God.
So before we say mean words, make that sour face, turn our backs in anger – when things aren't going right between us, go to your brother in Christ-like love. It may be the hardest work you do as a Christian , but Christ's love is the world's best glue, binding us together in Him.
II. …go to the Lord in prayer.
And there is one very important ingredient in that glue that helps. Not only are we to go to our brother in love with the word of Christ, but first and foremost go to Christ in prayer.
After giving these instructions on working with a brother who has sinned against us, Jesus said, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven…And if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” In such hard work, go to the Lord in prayer.
How important that we go to the Lord in every matter, especially when such matters govern the welfare of the soul. How important that we cultivate the habit of payer as we cultivate the awareness of the Savior's presence among His people – whether there be 200 of them together, or just 2 or 3. He is with us; He will hear us; He will guide us; He will bless us with His saving presence. In all that we do in life, especially in the hard work He might give us, our activity shall be blessed beyond measure if we place our hand in His in prayer. And when we come together in His name, “It will be done,” He says.
Here's a simple story to illustrate. Imagine 2 children asking their father to take them on a picnic on Labor Day. The one says, “You ask Dad about a picnic tomorrow.” The other responds, “No, you ask him.” The first then says, “Let's both ask him.” So they both asked their father. When he saw that they both wanted very much the same thing, he said, “Well, if you both want it so badly, maybe we can.”
In a similar way our Lord invites us to go to Him together and talk with Him about anything, especially the hardest things that come before us. Even if there are only two of us, the Savior says that our heavenly Father will be there, will listen, and will answer our prayer as in Christian love we carry each other's burdens.
Isn't that a wonderful promise? And it's ours in Christ. God grant that we always make use of it, no matter the situation or the work that lies ahead of us, and He will bless us; for Jesus' sake. Amen.