Romans 14:1-6 Welcoming and Loving each other as Christ’s Representative in the World Key Verse: 8 If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God. Hab. 2:4 4 “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.* from Ilumina: The Purpose of the Book of Romans *God’s Revelation of Righteousness in Christ God’s righteousness has not been revealed only to the Jew—because God is not God only to the Jews but to the Gentiles as well, since there is only one God (3:29). He will justify the Jews on the basis of the saving work of Christ at Calvary, and the Gentiles on the basis of that same act of faithfulness to Abraham’s promise (verse 30). Their common faith gives them access to this grace (5:2). The gospel is thus to the Jew first and also to the Greek (1:16). Rom. 14:1-3-Background information The early Christians came from the Jewish population. There were eating laws that were part of the Jewish religion. Each of the elements of the Seder represented God’s work in His people. Each element represents the suffering of the early Jewish people who were slaves in Egypt. The early Christians had meals like the Seder which were called “Love Feasts”. The Seder *Maror and chazeret — Bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery the Hebrews endured in Egypt. Charoset — A sweet, brown mixture representing the mortar used by the Hebrew slaves to build the storehouses or pyramids of Egypt. In Ashkenazi Jewish homes, *Charoset - traditionally made from chopped nuts, grated apples, cinnamon, and sweet red wine. Sephardi recipes typically call for dates and honey in addition to chopped nuts, cinnamon, and wine. *Karpas — A vegetable other than bitter herbs, which is dipped into salt water at the beginning of the Seder. Parsley, celery or boiled potato is usually used. The dipping of a simple vegetable bounces into salt water (which represents tears) mirrors the pain felt by the Hebrew slaves in EgyptZroa — *Beitzah — A roasted hard-boiled egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Although both the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were meat offerings, the chagigah is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning Love Feasts-from earlychurch/LoveFeast.html The expression, “breaking bread,” no doubt includes the celebration of the Eucharist. However, the phrase, “they ate their food with gladness” would also indicate that this was more than communion; it was also a meal. Nowhere is this practice more clearly confirmed than in the communion passage of 1 Corinthians 11:20-34. Paul begins that passage by saying, “Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.” Now, this is obviously talking about more than just the Eucharist. Nobody gets drunk from the small amount of wine taken in communion, nor is it credible that various persons would receive communion before others because they were hungry. No, Paul is obviously describing a meal—the love feast—that preceded the actual Eucharist. Rom. 14:1-3-Eating Habits and Faith 1. Welcome the person who is weak in faith—but not in order to argue about differences of opinion. 2 One person believes in eating everything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Those who eat must not look down on the ones who don’t, and the ones who don’t eat must not judge the ones who do, because God has accepted them. Rom. 14:4-11-Judgmental Spirit A judgmental person is a difficult person to deal with. In Romans 14:4-11 we are told that God is the final judge. We are servants of God and only God can judge His servants. The Lord has the power to change their hearts and minds. We have to let God do His work within a person. He does not need our help in judging the strength of anyone else’s faith. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servants? They stand or fall before their own Lord (and they will stand, because the Lord has the power to make them stand). 5 One person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another person considers all days to be the same. Each person must have their own convictions. 6 Someone who thinks that a day is sacred, thinks that way for the Lord. Those who eat, eat for the Lord, because they thank God. And those who don’t eat, don’t eat for the Lord, and they thank the Lord too. 7 We don’t live for ourselves and we don’t die for ourselves. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God. 9 This is why Christ died and lived: so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you look down on your brother or sister? We all will stand in front of the judgment seat of God. 11 Because it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. I have learned through a study of the scriptures that God’s purpose for man is relationship. To God relationships are more important than rituals. However, rituals can bring people together. We celebrate rituals during the year to help us stop and remember God’s work in humanity and to honor those who are part of our lives. An example is the Eucharist. But, when we get so wrapped up in the elements of the ritual we lose sight of the reason for the ritual. This is the theme of today’s scripture. A positive relationship with God and man is a source of joy and growth. When we suffer a bad relationship we learn endurance under fire. I just watched a Halmark Channel movie called Have a Little Faith. It is a beautiful story of God’s work in man. It also shows us that God is God to all who seek Him. This is a synopsis of the book and movie: Have a Little Faith- Albom’s first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Have A Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an 82-year-old rabbi from Albom’s old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he’d left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor – a reformed drug dealer and convict – who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof. Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Mitch observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi, embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat. As America struggles with hard times and people turn more to their beliefs, Mitch and the two men of God explore issues that perplex modern man: how to endure when difficult things happen; what heaven is; intermarriage; forgiveness; doubting God; and the importance of faith in trying times. Although the texts, prayers and histories are different, Albom begins to realize a striking unity between the two worlds - and indeed, between beliefs everywhere. My prayer for you today is that you know in your heart that God loves you. Whatever has happened in the past has passed and if you are reading this, you survived. Through faith we can learn that love is an action, not a feeling. However, positive actions of love given to us by God do produce a wonderful, warm glow within our hearts. It feels great to let God’s love dwell in our hearts and to give that love to others!!! Love in Christ, Pat
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:06:31 +0000
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