He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

Martin Fair September 29, 2024 4 6

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Galatians 6: 1-5 (NRSVA)

1 My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbour’s work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads.

Those with even a rough grasp of popular music will immediately associate the line ‘He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother’ with the band, The Hollies. Their 1969 version of the song was a worldwide hit and continues to be sung to this day.

But the origins of the phrase would appear to be older. In his 1884 book, The Parables of Jesus, James Wells, the then Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland, tells the story of a little girl carrying a big baby boy. Seeing her struggling, someone asked if she wasn’t tired. With surprise she replied: ‘No, he’s not heavy; he’s my brother.’

Isn’t that lovely? But of course the origins of the line are older still and are captured in what Paul had to say in his letter to the Christians in the churches of Galatia.

Typically, Paul reserved the early parts of his letters for doctrinal matters, determined as he was that new converts might have proper understandings of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. But the final parts of his letters tended to be much more practical. He moves seamlessly from ‘this is what we believe’ to ‘and so this is how we should live.’

In offering advice and guidance for the day to day living of the Christian life, Paul tended to jump from one thing to another and so you get the impression that as he’s thinking about it, he’s saying ‘and here’s another thing… and here’s another thing… and one more thing that I must tell you!’

In the midst of that flow of guiding words, we find this: ‘Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.’

Many are those who have made careers out of complicating the Christian faith but here, in just a few words, we get it at its simplest: Jesus wants us to help one another.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, my prayer is that TODAY you would open my eyes to see a brother or sister in need and that you would strengthen me to help them carry their burdens. AMEN.