Romans 14-16
December 19, 2014

Two key thoughts today, I'll start with the smaller one first.   Paul clearly has plans to travel to Spain and plant churches there.  His intent is to spend some time in Rome, but not to put down roots there.    If you know the rest of the story, it goes like this:  Paul is taken captive in Rome, writes there for a time while he is under house arrest, and later while he is in prison...but he never leaves, at least as far as we know.   The Bible doesn't tell us what happens to Paul, but tradition has it that he was beheaded by Nero, shortly before Nero himself died.      The most famous martyr of Rome has to be Peter, who is said to have been crucified there.   The Romans couldn't crucify Paul, because he was a Roman citizen, as well as a Jew.    In either case, it seems like Rome has much to answer for in heaven.

The more important thought is the idea of accommodating those who are "weak" in areas of faith.   By this definition, I could be said to be "weak" in my belief about drinking alcoholic beverages, wine for instance.   I take the position of total abstinence, even though I know that the Bible allows for some drinking without finding fault with it.   Therefore, those who are sitting with me at the table should refrain from drinking in my presence, if they believe it would cause me to doubt the seriousness of their faith.    On the other hand, I am instructed not to doubt their desire to wholly serve the Lord by looking down on them because they occasionally have an alcoholic beverage.
The same idea is meant to apply to days of the week!   Paul didn't insist on a Sabbath.  Again, I could very well be looked at as "weak" in this area also.   I have to try very hard not to doubt the maturity and seriousness of the person who never comes to church.  In my mind, you need to be there, and set a day every week aside.   I don't think Paul would agree with that in principle...but I also believe that he would honor the Sabbath faithfully, if for no other reason than because it is important to me.

This is what it means to "bear with the failings of the weak".   Pride tells us that because we go to church every week we are stronger and in some way more faithful.  Humility posits that we need to be here more often, lest we surrender that which cannot be taken from us.

Isn't it funny that every time we read these verses we tend to think of ourselves as the stronger people because of our practices, rather than the weaker ones?    Truthfully, it is easier to accept the peculiarities of my Christian brothers and sisters, and to think more highly of them once I accept that I am not the stronger brother simply because of my practice.     Perhaps they are "putting up with me" rather than the other way around.

hmmm..


PR