Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Stumbling Blocks



1 Corinthians 8:1-13

At first glance, this is an irrelevant passage pertaining to sacrifices made in pagan worship of idols. Paul is writing to the Corinthians’ question of eating meat offered to idols. How easy it would be to skip over this and think that we are beyond this in our modern day religion, but today’s reading reveals a basic Christian principle.

Verse 2 gets my attention:  “The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.”  Could that be me, confident in my knowledge, my righteousness?  Then another verse “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”  We do love our freedom.

Paul helps us to see beyond our knowledge and our application of that knowledge to the more important principle that in every questionable situation, I must not only consider myself and what is allowable to me as a Christian, but also whether my action will help or hinder another.  In the same way that new parents suddenly realize that they are being watched and emulated by their innocent young child, we must all know that as Christians our actions have to be motivated out of our love.  We know when we have to clean up our act if we listen to our heart.  If we listen to our desires, our knowledge can fuel a pride that can overshadow our love.

True knowledge of God and His love invariably involves a sacrifice of one’s “rights” even if that right is truly a harmless desire.  Paul teaches us that our attitude should be how to best act to glorify God and reveal Christ’s life in us.  It is our responsibility that no child, or other vulnerable person, is caused to stumble because we stand on our rights to personal pleasure, self-interest or superior knowledge and position.  So we must ask ourselves, “Could my behavior, though harmless for me, influence others into a conflict of their faith?”

Written by Martha Hamrick

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