What prevents a man from bearing his brother’s burden? Paul identifies the key factor. It is that he sees himself as independent of other believers, when in fact Christ has placed us in the same body and made us dependent on each other. He is too important in his own eyes, too great to be able to stoop in order to bear another’s burden either physically or metaphorically. There is a preoccupation with self that makes it appear to us to be below our dignity to pick up burdens which don’t actually belong to us, for it seems a matter of shame to a proud man to have to serve others. In his view the mark of greatness is to be served by everyone else and to serve no one but himself. But actually it is our glory to serve and it is a characteristic of love that it is humble and is not ashamed of service.