Romans 14:13-5:7

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The stumbling block

Romans 14:13 ESV
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
We started with a therefore so what’s it there for? It’s the last line of the previous verse. We will all give an account to God. With that in mind let’s not be judgmental of those brothers and sisters around us. Again like last week not to say we won’t challenge one another to more and more righteousness or call out those saying they are Christians and yet revelling in their sin. Now, we aren’t to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of someone. What the heck in that? This is such a church word at this point that if you didn’t grow up in church, or maybe you did but it was a different church culture you are lost at this point. The word and context here gives us a clue but lets do a quick dive into this. First there is the very literal since of a block think of a literal block that you might trip over. We see this phrase in that same way in Lev 19:14 “You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” Dang, what kind of mean childish things were people doing good grief. Anyway there it was speaking of a literal object placed in front of someone for the purpose of making them trip or stumble. What does this mean for how Paul uses it here in Romans? We imagine the same thing but in a spiritual sense. Often times we’ll talk about our spiritual walk. How is your spiritual walk going? Is your walk with the Lord going well? Another churchy thing to say I know. What does it mean to trip someone up in that sense?
All of first Corinthians eight is a pretty clear picture to understand this from context.
1 Corinthians 8 ESV
Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
So, eating meat offered to idols was a struggle for some people. Some really thought it would bless them. We know it’s just a superstitious ritual that don’t mean nothin’ when it comes to reality. So what’s it to us if we eat it or dont? Well it doesn’t mean a thing so it doesn’t matter. Then we remember we’ve got this new Christian in our midst. They are still weak in the faith. They’re still tempted to go get some sacrificial meat… it might help with that job interview to be a grape stomper or something. To them, this activity is sinful. They know relying on a false god is wrong. They are struggling with this and may have so far done a good job and not fallen into that temptation. Their walk is going well. Then they see Pastor Mark at the local pray and slay meat market because that’s where the cheap food is anyway… and he’s just bought himself an entire blessing of the belly otherwise known as lamb chops. This crisis of faith blows up in their heart and mind. They might think they just do this every once in a while its just a little sin or might leave the church thinking it must all have been a lie. If we have people of weaker faith that legitimately have issue of faith over things we need to be mindful of that.
Now, this is a warning from last week… should we start enforcing rules about what it truly means to be a Christians and ban meat from our church? Heck no. We should be mindful if we know of anyone that has those struggles. We also have to have some reasonable lines too… if one of you thinks shoelaces are satanic and wearing shoes with laces is evil but man you’re tempted because they stay on your feet so well… I think we have to go back to the beginning of chapter 14 and figure out how we can address that in love.
The next word hindrance is the same but different. This word is also sometimes translated as temptation or temptation to sin. Both of the words are characterized as a snare, like the trap you would catch an animal in. The stumbling block would just be something the animal ran into and got caught. The hindrance would be the baited trap that lured them in before it snapped shut. Let’s not invite that friend over for dinner and serve them the meat sacrificed to an idle.
Okay I feel like we have probably stretched out one verse long enough… does a stumbling block and a hindrance make sense?
Romans 14:14–16 ESV
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
Don’t let the freedom in Christ which is good be spoken of as something that crushed the faith of another… don’t flaunt your freedom.
Romans 14:17 ESV
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
A good reminder while we’re talking about all of the doing stuff is that the Kingdom stuff is being not doing. BEING righteousness because Christ has declared us righteous Rom 5:1 and BEING peace because Christ has given us peace John 14.27 and BEING joy for God is with us. Psa 16:11
Romans 14:18–19 ESV
Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Let’s all serve Christ and build each other up, Amen!
Romans 14:20–23 ESV
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Here’s a recap: Don’t screw up someone else’s spiritual walk. If it’s something others are going to struggle with keep it private, you are not bound to their conscience. Don’t get pulled into doing things you either think are wrong, or you’re even a little bit sketchy about. If you aren’t doing it from faith in God’s person and promise it’s missing the target.
We’re going to bleed into Chapter 15 to tie up this thought connecting the weak and the strong in faith.
Romans 15:1–2 ESV
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
So, to those who know the freedom of Christ, don’t use that freedom for self gratification. Use that freedom to build good in each other.
Romans 15:3–6 ESV
For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here when I say Christ was strong in faith. He did not stand on that strength for his pleasure or “best life now.” In contrast we see Christs sacrifice exemplified from a line of a Psalm

וְחֶרְפּ֥וֹת ח֝וֹרְפֶ֗יךָ נָפְל֥וּ עָלָֽי

kher-eh-po^t khor-ee-phey-da naph-ey-lu a-lie

Οἱ ὀνειδισμοὶ τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων σε ἐπέπεσαν ἐπʼ ἐμέ.

The insult of the ones that insult you falls on me
No sacrifice of our pleasures ever matches the sacrifice Christ made for us.
We are encouraged to be active in two things when resting in Christ who became disgrace in our place. One is Scripture, it gives us hope and encouragement. The other is in glorifying God the Father in unity with our family of faith.
Romans 15:7 ESV
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
To conclude from where we started last week Welcome as Christ has welcomed, not so that we can fix up someone else’s life, but because we love them as Christ loves us.
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