Carrying the burdens of life: Together

Matthew ends his Gospel story with a mountain top appearance of Jesus. Typically, we call what Jesus expressed to his disciples as the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of Trinity.  

This final commissioning and reminder, I am with you always, to the end of the age, can help us understand that we are never alone in this life and that the burdens that we endure sometimes are not ours alone to carry. 

I thought about this in the context of people who are in relationship with one another. These relationships can be in marriage, community, or friendship. Many times, I have heard one person lamenting that they don’t want to be a burden on the loved one or friend who is filling the role of caretaker.  

Just like the disciples in their work of bringing all nations into the love of God as made known to them in Christ Jesus, we all face difficult circumstances in our lives. If we are lucky enough to have a loved one caring for us during these times, it may feel like we are helpless, and we don’t want to be a burden on anyone.  

I wonder if we could understand this, I Am with you always as a wonderful piece of wisdom that is contained in Gospel of Matthew.  

The burden is real, and we may want to admit this out loud in situations that become difficult for any number of reasons. If the person being cared for can say I don’t want to be a burden and the caretaker can honestly say, this is a burden, not you, but yes this is a difficult situation we are in. 

If the two people can speak honestly to one another, “this situation is a burden for both of us, but we will navigate it together and I am with you.” 

Then the burden falls on both the one being cared for and the one taking care. The situation becomes the burden that both are carrying together instead of one needing care and one giving care.  

Jesus’s words may help us in these difficult situations. We are with each other until the end of the ages. We are here to care for each other during these burdensome times. We are here to share each other's burdens. The situation may bring us closer to each other, love and our faith. The situations in life may sometimes just simply suck, but we are not alone.  

If we can take the spiritual reality that Jesus speaks of and experience God as the eternal partner in life, then we can mirror that sentiment in all our relationships, “I am with you, we are here for and with each other”.  

Maybe we can even take the words of Jesus, incorporate them into the relationships in our homes, communities, and churches. Maybe our relationships will be healthier. Maybe our society will be healthier for everyone when we realize that the burden that we are all carrying is creating and maintaining a society and culture where everyone has the freedom and means to thrive.

Our relationship with/within God, our churches, our homes, our personal relationships can teach us how to be caretakers of each other.

Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians that the law (way, life, teachings, wisdom, understanding, spirit) of Christ is to carry the burdens of our neighbors.

We are called to be here for one another until the end.