Read Matthew 23:1 through 24:51
“He ain’t heavy; he’s my brother” started simply enough—a brief story in an 1880s Scottish Presbyterian book on Jesus’ parables telling about a girl happily carrying her younger brother. In the 1940s, it became the slogan of Catholic Father Flanagan’s Boys Town. It continues to spread.
This unpretentious statement became popular because it appeals to the Judeo-Christian ethic of concern for others—Jesus’ second commandment. Jesus had a lot of patience for sinners, but He spared no scorn for those hypocrites who, rather than help others carry their burdens, only add to them:
“They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:4).
What a contrast between the callous Pharisees and Jesus’ tender heart! Jesus’ followers should be known by their never-ending love for others.
Challenge for Today: Find three people who have a burden; then find a way to help them bear it.
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