Discipleship

January 28, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’ Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.

Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘no idol in the world really exists’, and that ‘there is no God but one.’ Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact 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.

It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ‘Food will not bring us close to God.’ We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling-block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.

So how does this scripture apply to us? The people who brought the food must have thought it was a form of worship. Food was like money to them. A small part of it was burnt to give honor to the idol. A larger part went to the priests to sustain their work. Perhaps considered blessed, the remainder was returned to the donor who could consume it themselves or sell it for a profit. Someone else who worshipped the same idol might have considered buying and eating such food would bring them a blessing. Paul essentially asks Christ-followers to consider that even if the meat carries no particular meaning to them, others seeing them buy and eat might assume that they were identifying the idol as their god and eating the meat representing a blessing.

Do we have such idols in our world? What behaviors do we practice that might lead others to practice the same thing thinking it might bring them blessings? I could not help but wonder if the reactions of faith-based groups demanding their rights not to follow the recommended preventions related to COVID 19 is like this. I disagreed with this reaction from many perspectives. Wearing a mask, socially distancing, and washing our hands is a way to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We had that play out in real-time recently. Bars who were ordered to close at 11:00 pm to reduce the spread of COVID sued, and the court ruled in their favor. If the Christians can do it, why cannot they?

Prayer: Lord, help us see clearly how our behavior impacts our neighbors to your honor or disdain. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.