Trek through Paul's 14th chapter in Romans, and you can get tripped up.
In "the family," that is, within the relationships of the Body of Christ, we often size each other up. And, we often impact, influence, and effect one another. Just as children take their cues from older adults, so younger disciples of Jesus Christ often take their cues from older (and hopefully, more mature) disciples of Jesus.
When this happens, the example set by the older can advance, or ruin, the faith of the younger. Paul puts it this way, "Decide never to put a stumbling block or a hindrance in the way of a brother."
WHAT'S A STUMBLING BLOCK?
Have you ever tripped over something? Someone left their shoes on the staircase? That uneven pavement along the walk way? Step on your shoelace?
These annoying, common trips are usually not of much consequence. Our sense of balance in most cases keeps us from getting seriously injured.
Paul's reference is to something much more consequential. You may remember that he used this language when speaking about what happened to ethnic Israel. On the whole (although not every individual), the nation "stumbled" over the "rock of offense" (cf. Romans 9:32-33) which was Jesus God's Messiah. Rather than accepting Him as Messiah and believing in Jesus' death for their sins -- so as to build their lives UPON the Rock -- in stubborn disbelief they stumbled OVER the rock and fell away from God.
Now Paul uses similar language to describe the stumble of a "weaker" brother or sister in Christ. A "stumbling block" is thus something a weaker brother/sister in Christ feels free or compelled to do because of the example of an older Christian (who has freedom in Christ to do something)...but for that weaker Christian, engaging in that same action results in their spiritual ruin or falling away.
MORE SPECIFIC, PLEASE?
In the Roman church, the issue often was one which does not face us today. Back then, food was offered to pagan, Roman gods and idols as part of a sacrifice for favor, Since the food was not consumed (invisible gods and dead idols don't eat), entrepreneurs would reclaim the food (after the ceremony) and resell it at a cheaper price in the market. If your budget was low, you could still get quality food at a lesser price. Christians would often get in on the deal.
But other fellow believers, who used to passionately participate in those ceremonies, had trouble eating "meats that had been offered to idols." To now be encouraged to eat such meat represented for their new faith in Christ a severe compromise. So, in the church, some felt free to eat such discounted meat, while others could not merge their old practices with their new faith. Paul thus called for Christians to act in love toward one another.
A "spiritual stumble" then, results when a younger-in-faith believer feels compelled to mix "the old with the new," but whose faith really can't handle it.
A younger-in-faith recovering-alcoholic Christian might have his/her faith ruined by seeing an older Christian he looks up to drink freely in public, and is prompted to drink again, to his falling.
A younger-in-faith son sees his busy Christian father leave the spiritual mentoring of the family to his wife, and decide that "men don't have to bother much with spiritual stuff," to the son's spiritual ruin.
A younger-in-faith 20-something, saved from a rather lurid, personal sexual history and seeking to establish some purity in her new walk with God, looks up to the new friends she has found in her church family. Oddly, they often dress with rather revealing lower necklines or higher hemlines without giving it much thought. Following their example, the younger believer's faith finds itself in serious confusion as her dress invites the "old attention" she used to foolishly invite from men.
A younger-in-faith Christian struggles with indebtedness. Yet his mentor often unthinkingly invites him to participate in an expensive recreational habit. He goes along, wanting to spend time with his mentor, but quickly gets re-entangled in debt, and his fervor for Christ evaporates.
The apostle's description of the "stumble" suggests severity.
CALLED TO LOVE-THINKING, NOT JUDGING
Paul urges that we do look sideways at one another, but not to judge. Rather, to lovingly assess where (especially) younger-in-faith believers are, and when necessary, restrict the use of our liberty in Christ so as not to lead-by-example a weaker family member into a serious spiritual fall.
Let's remember that Paul is not merely talking about doing something someone else doesn't like. Such matters are merely preferences.
However, the Apostle is addressing the examples that older believers set for younger believers, and to "walk" (or live) in love rather than simply in personal freedom.
We are, don't you know, helping each other grow into His likeness.
No comments:
Post a Comment