The burdens Paul is talking about must have to do something with the previous verse.

There he wrote about a brother who is caught in a sin.

Paul admonishes us not to leave this brother behind, but to restore him gently.

Such a sinner has to carry a burden. He fell into a certain sin. Now he needs help.

Perhaps he feels terribly embarrassed that he fell into that sin and now he is afraid of the judgement of the people.

He fears the confrontation with his brothers and sisters. For he knows how easily people condemn each other.

Unfortunately also in the church.

Everyone knows that this should not be and that it is totally wrong, and in the meantime it still happens.

As a result the sinner becomes more and more isolated.

He feels himself condemned by the others.

And before you know it, there is a break with the congregation.

Therefore Paul shows another way to deal with the sinner and his sin: Carry each other's burdens.

Or: Help him to carry his burden.

Just stand alongside the other one and real­ise how difficult it is for him. Apart from the burden of his guilt before God, he has to carry the cheap condemnation of the people.

Within the congregation you should carry such a burden together.

This is possible too for we have a good exam­ple.

The Lord Jesus took the burden of all our sins upon himself. That was a very heavy load.

He was shattered under this burden though He had neither art nor part in sin.

So if we start to carry each other's burdens, we fulfil the law of Christ. For then we show to our brother the love that Christ showed to us.

The law of Christ is not an obligation with which you can comply sighing and complain­ing.

You only start to do this when you are touched yourself by the love of Christ.