Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof

We all have our burdens, don't we? No one is exempt from them. There's an old axiom about the man who complained so much about his burdens that he was allowed to go into a huge room full of other people's burdens, lay his down and pick up any other bundle of burdens he chose. He laid his down and after looking around at all the others, he picked his back up again.
So, if we open this thought with the fact that we all bear burdens in this life I hope that at the end of the lesson we'll understand that it is not the burden itself, but how we carry it, how we deal with it that's important. Let me illustrate my point here by relating to you something said by a lecturer at a "stress management seminar" to his audience.
He raised a glass of water in one hand and asked his audience, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Some called out answers ranging from 8 oz. to 16 ounces. When the answers stopped coming, the lecturer then told them, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it."
"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
And that is exactly the point that I'm trying to get across in our lesson today. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. We need to set the glass down every now and then. Or, better yet, as we'll see further on in our lesson, pour it out.
One thing about burdens is, that they seem to never stop coming. We never seem to get down to having none, do we? But, one of the biggest mistakes we make is to just keep piling them on top of each other. Never setting down or letting go of the old ones. I believe that is exactly what Jesus was telling us in Matt. 6:34. He was telling us how Christians are to handle their burdens. Of course, this is after we've "first sought the Kingdom of God." (Verse 33)
I'm going to paraphrase verse 34 for you and try to explain Christ's message here in my own words. He's saying, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow, because tomorrow will bring it's own cares and burdens. When He says, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof". He's saying, don't keep adding yesterday's burdens to those of today. Don't keep piling them on top of each other. Why? Because, guess what? Tomorrow is coming with it's own set of burdens. Just like the lecturer said, the longer we hold the glass of water, the heavier it becomes.
Right after Moses led the Children out of Egypt we find him trying to "be all" and "do all" for the Israelites. It was obviously wearing him down because his father-in-law could see what it was doing to him. So, he gave Moses some very wise advice. He told his son-in-law to choose some "able" and "God-fearing" men. "Men of truth, hating covetousness (dishonest gain)" and let them help you. They can take care of the "small" matters and you can represent the people to God and God to the people. Otherwise, you'll wear yourself out and the people too. (Ex. 18:17-22)
I see this as Moses' father-in-law teaching Moses and us that it's good for people to share other's burdens if we are able. Yes, I know that some of our burdens can't be shared, or carried by others, that we have to bear them ourselves, but, like Moses was doing, trying to carry them all, we can be helped with the "small" ones. And, we can help others with their "small ones." Just like that glass of water, it didn't weigh much, but the longer you carried it, the heavier it got.
In Psalm 38:4 we find some words of David that takes us into the scriptural lesson for today. He said, "For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me."

Yes, sin is a burden. Gal. 6:5 tells us that "For every man shall bear his own burden." In this verse the Greek word for "burden" means "invoice" or "responsibility." Thus, each of us have to bear our own "burden of responsibility." In Gal. 6:2 we see where we're told to "bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Burden, in this verse, is a whole different Greek word and means that we should help bear another's infirmities, because we all have them.
We are encouraged to, and should, help our brethren bear the load of their infirmities. Help them when they're down. When they're sick or in need. The only thing we can't help them bear is their sins, because that is the burden of responsibility they (and we) alone must bear.
But, don't get to thinking that you can't get help with the burden of your sins. It comes from only one place though and I'll give you a clue - it's not from anything man can do for you. I believe it's said best in Matt. 11:27-30. "All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
In closing, two songs in our hymnal speak directly to our lesson today. One is entitled "Beneath The Cross of Jesus" where the words tell us that this is where we'll find shelter and relief from "the burning of the noon-tide heat, and the burden of the day" (Page 25 and Matt. 20:12). The other song is on page 319 and entitled "Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary." Yes, "Days are filled with sorrow and care, hearts are lonely and drear." And these are the burdens Gal. 6:2 addresses. Those that Christians, those who "so fulfil the law of Christ," help bear because of that law.
Let's review that law for the close of this lesson. Read with me from John 13:34. "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." And, we can verify that "love" is the law being cited in Galatians by reading Romans 13:10. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
Ron Covey

Get a wide variety of Bible commentary and Bible study materials at http://www.abiblecommentary.com today.  There are even FREE text sermons - http://www.abiblecommentary.com/freesermons, FREE  audio sermons - http://www.abiblecommentary.com/audiosermon, and a FREE on-line commentary on the book of Romans:  http://bit.ly/3MRU5I.

The latest commentary on First Corinthians is now ready; this book is very thorough but very easy to use.  Get your copy of First Corinthians today by using this secure PayPal link:  http://bit.ly/9hyC7M