I Fell Beneath the Load
Jesus carried His cross, and so must I. Beneath its load, He fell on the way to Calvary. This fall has, for many years, been a symbol of the crushing weight of responsibility. Following Jesus means taking up a burden and necessary self-denial. Every true believer has borne a cross in his time, and there are no exceptions. This biblical truth does not fit well with the current emphasis on receiving in the name of Jesus with minimal loss.
Bearing a cross is emblematic of identifying with Christ. For Christ-followers, such a cross means the burdens of belief. In other words, faith in Christ entails responsibilities. Among these are general responsibilities of Christian living, such as prayer and Bible study, but also unique and personal persuasions of God. Jesus shouldered a burden to save us, and we shoulder a burden when we are saved. We do this because we are and not to be saved.
Paul carried a great burden to see the salvation of the Israelites. It broke his heart and spurred his evangelical fervor. God has likewise given you and me responsibility in this area. My cross involves personal spirituality but also the presentation of Christ to society. Jesus bore the cross to His death, and His followers must commit their lives to His cause until they reach their end of days. Jesus cannot bear the cross alone and all the world go free.
Serious-minded believers will feel the weight so acutely that they may despair in the midst of sincere efforts. We are not capable of carrying the load without God’s help. Such realization drives us to Christ for comfort and strength. In this way, the burdens we bear actually facilitate our relationship with Christ. The things that would seem to break us will serve to build us. In the spiritual life, disciplines are interconnected.
Jesus has a yoke of teaching and participation for all His disciples. It is a burden, but it is light. The life that ensues is one of comfort and rest unlike the lives of those who carry burdens born of the cares of this life. There are burdens to Christianity, but they are bearable. The life of a disciple is a unique blend of weight and lightness, joy and pain, heartbreak and hope. We can carry the burdens we were meant to bear.
What I cannot carry is the burden I assume but was never meant to shoulder. There’s a cross for me, but it is within the realm of my service to God. He tailor-made my duty to be manageable with His help. I have twisted in the winds of consequence for exercising myself outside the will of God but felt peace in a tempest when I worked thanklessly under His direction. The cup of water in my hand pleases God if it is the burden given me to bear.
Sterl
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