Romans 14: 1 - 4, 13 - 19
I spend a significant amount of time on Facebook -whether that has proven to be beneficial to me or not, I am not prepared to determine - but sitting between innings or games at my sons' baseball tournaments, or interacting online in real time with people who are watching the same television show as I am, or reading an article that appeals to me while my family watches another baseball or football or basketball game on television, I can be found, usually, on Facebook. And the more I read on social media, the more I have found that the worldwide web has become a dumping ground for our opinions. People create clever or inane memes to broadcast their positions, to illicit support for their side, to shame those who disagree. Ideological wars rage every minute online.
And just as the web has united Christians in many ways, these ideological wars also drive wedges among otherwise peaceful followers of Christ. Paul's words in our Sunday School lesson this week apply directly to these ideological wars - these small issues not worthy of our time that serve no purpose but to cause heartache and division among believers.
Let's consider this scenario first. Marc and I have been working diligently to lose weight recently. He has been more successful than I have, but we are both losing weight and improving our health. Everyone around us has heard about our FitBits; very few of our friends don't know that we are watching what we eat. What if one of our friends invited us to dinner and plied us with decadent cheesecake with chocolate syrup and rich, creamy milkshakes? We could politely refuse, of course. Then, what if our friend tried to shame us into partaking of the fattening delights? Told us we were not being true friends if we didn't eat what we were offered. Even told us that we couldn't be friends if we didn't wash down the cheesecake with a big slug of milkshake. Sound like a productive and supportive friendship? Of course not. Yet, we often make a similar mistake with our brothers and sisters in Christ when we argue over "doubtful issues" and place limits on our acceptance of other believers because of these issues.
In our lesson this Sunday, Paul writes to the Roman church, one church he had not founded, but a church that may have been started by other Jewish Christians who fled persecution from Jerusalem. Paul did know some Roman Christians, though, and his letter to them served three purposes: to firmly establish some truths about the gospel message; to solicit support for his plans to journey to Spain to spread the gospel; and to unify the church of Rome, which was plagued with bickering over these "doubtful issues."
The strife in the Roman church came from the blending of various cultures and backgrounds, similar to the blending of cultures and backgrounds here in America. Emperor Claudius had exiled from Rome all Jews - including Jewish Christians - in 49 AD. As a result, Gentile Christians established the church based on their culture and background, which logically did not include Mosaic law or Jewish traditions. Instead, their version of Christianity blended their former festivals and traditions in with their new Christian beliefs. When Jews were allowed to return to Rome several years later, they brought back with them their Jewish festivals and traditions. The two philosophies clashed. They began to argue about food rituals and rules about food. Paul says the "strong" Christians understood that food rituals don't really matter in terms of salvation and that the "weak" Christians needed rules and rituals to feel as if they were obeying God. He offers to settle the matter for them in these passages.
Verses 1 - 4
Paul says we must accept all who profess Jesus as Lord, even if they are new believers who come with all sorts of cultural baggage. We encounter this same situation in an English classroom; English teachers are taught that our students bring very different backgrounds, experiences, and values to the literature we teach. Some students will react very emotionally to a scene or character because of his or her personal experiences and the values and beliefs in his or her home culture while the rest of the class doesn't understand why they react emotionally in that moment. The same is true for followers of Christ. Some of us grow up in church; some of us don't. We grow up in different parts of the country (or world); we come from different socio-economic situations and different ethnicities with different perspectives on the world; and we have been taught very different social protocol and procedures. Even within those of us who come from a church background, our church experiences vary as much as the people themselves do. Yet, we come together with the one and only connection that matters and lasts - our love of Jesus, our belief that He was sent from the Father to save us and redeem us.
He says we must not argue over "doubtful issues." Now, when we consider what doubtful issues might be, we must know that we are not talking about justifying outright and obvious sins. We shouldn't say that because we feel free in the Holy Spirit, we can lie or cheat on our spouse or use deception to get ahead at work. Yet, how often do we argue within the church over issues such as buying lottery tickets or who we are voting for or our spending habits or environmental issues, etc.? While some of us have very strong feelings about the morality of these issues, other Christians just don't see what the big deal is. Paul says arguing over these doubtful issues does nothing but harm the church and our relationships with each other. He says strong Christians know that we don't get into Heaven following rules, but they also understand how weak Christians feel tied to the law and need rules to feel justified, so strong Christians approach the situation with love and understanding and a willingness to pursue peace, even sacrificially.
And really, I cannot bring another soul into Heaven with me. I will answer for my actions and my actions alone. I will be judged on the way I treat others, on whether I loved others as I loved myself, not whether I was able to prove my correct interpretation of theology. For instance, I have been told by other Christians that I cannot possibly even be a Christian if I vote for a particular candidate or that it is my Christian duty to pull out of the public schools. Yet, just like my students in my diverse classroom, we Christians bring to church very different cultural backgrounds. What was taboo in my home may not even be considered as important in another's home. Who is right? It doesn't matter in the big picture. I have to answer for myself; I must pray regularly that if I am wrong, the Lord will show me how I am wrong. My former minister used to say that, as fishers of men, our job is to hook people; the Holy Spirit will clean them. I know that I must be weak in some of my ways of worshiping the Lord, but only if I submit my heart to the workings of the Holy Spirit can I be cleansed of that blind spot. What blinds me may be clear to a Christian more mature in that area, while I may have clarity on an issue that blinds the very same fellow believer.
We cannot criticize other believers for having different opinions on these issues, and we shouldn't question someone else's faith based on these issues, either. If we are to be strong Christians, we must value people and love and relationship instead of issues.
Verses 13 - 19
Paul says we must decide, make a conscious effort, to refrain from hurting or discouraging fellow believers over these doubtful issues. If we don't refrain, we may become a stumbling block to such believers, and then, we have to answer for our sin, how we inhibited someone else's worship or how we fostered resentment and division. If I am the one who feels free in the spirit on an issue, I must not make fun of someone who feels very restricted or strongly about the issue as a sin. If I am one of the ones who feels very strongly that the issue constitutes a sin, then I must not condemn those who feel free in the spirit. The strong Christian sacrifices his or her personal belief about the issue to keep peace with his or her fellow believers.
For instance, if my friend Joe sees buying a lottery ticket as a sin, then I should not buy one when he and I are in QT together if it will make him uncomfortable. I certainly shouldn't call him "silly" or "uptight" because he refuses to buy one himself, and I definitely shouldn't buy him one as a gift to "loosen him up."
Then, let's flip it. If I feel very strongly that buying a lottery ticket is a sin, then I should not shame my friend who buys one regularly. I certainly shouldn't tell him that he is going to Hell if he keeps buying them even if I am doing so out of concern for him. I can express my beliefs by explaining why I choose not to buy lottery tickets. I can be his friend, show him I love him on a regular basis, and be there to help if his attraction to gambling leads him into trouble. And I certainly can pray for him.
I remember times when I was a little girl and elders of the church would make comments such as, "You are going to bust hell wide open if you ...." Do you know how well I listened to those old men? Not at all. They seemed harsh and cruel and definitely lacking understanding.
Yet, the believers who have had the most powerful impact on my life have been those who shared with me their values subtly. For instance, when I was in college, my Bible study leader with Campus Crusade for Christ, Kim, invited us to her garage apartment for snacks and fun - just hanging out and enjoying each other's company. She offered us Kool-Aid and tea to drink along with an apology for the lack of soda. She explained that as a result of her missionary experience in Argentina, after she saw how wasteful Americans were and how little the farmers in Argentina were compensated for their labor, she vowed not to waste money on frivolous luxuries like a Coke. Rather than condemning me for buying cheeseburgers and Cokes at lunch, she explained her position in a loving way. This time, I listened. I also listened when she explained why she had no TV. She said she valued time with God and time with others more than TV, so she put that in practice by taking away the temptation of television. Wow! What an impact she had on me. Her personal choices, explained with humility, encouraged me to examine my choices on my own and present my choices to the Lord personally. No condemnation. No judgment. No guilt. She allowed the Holy Spirit to do the revelation and cleansing.
And even when I am convinced that my position on the issue is correct, when I have scripture to support my views, when I am passionately engaged in defense of the issue, I must consider relationships first. Paul says that mature Christians understand that the Kingdom of God is "not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." What matters in the end? My obedience to God, my faith in Jesus, and my love for my brother. Nothing else matters. God approves when I pursue peace. God approves when I encourage and build up others. And Paul also says that this attitude is approved by men. People listen when they feel loved and encouraged.
Like Elvis Costello once said, "What's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?"
No comments:
Post a Comment