Read 1 Corinthians , The Message (I know it’s long, but do it anyway)
The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been
offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or
not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these
kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our
proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone
knows it all.
Some people say, quite rightly, that idols have no actual
existence, that there’s nothing to them, that there is no God other than our
one God, that no matter how many of these so-called gods are named and
worshiped they still don’t add up to anything but a tall story. They say—again,
quite rightly—that there is only one God the Father, that everything comes from
him, and that he wants us to live for him. Also, they say that there is only
one Master—Jesus the Messiah—and that everything is for his sake, including us.
Yes. It’s true.
In strict logic, then, nothing happened to the meat when
it was offered up to an idol. It’s just like any other meat. I know that, and
you know that. But knowing isn’t everything. If it becomes everything, some
people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings. Real knowledge
isn’t that insensitive.
We need to be sensitive to the fact that we’re not all at
the same level of understanding in this. Some of you have spent your entire
lives eating “idol meat,” and are sure that there’s something bad in the meat
that then becomes something bad inside of you. An imagination and conscience
shaped under those conditions isn’t going to change overnight.
But fortunately God doesn’t grade us on our diet. We’re
neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can’t
stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way
that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be
thrown off track.
For instance, say you flaunt your freedom by going to a
banquet thrown in honor of idols, where the main course is meat sacrificed to
idols. Isn’t there great danger if someone still struggling over this issue,
someone who looks up to you as knowledgeable and mature, sees you go into that
banquet? The danger is that he will become terribly confused—maybe even to the
point of getting mixed up himself in what his conscience tells him is wrong.
Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn’t you at
least be willing to give up going to dinner for him—because, as you say, it
doesn’t really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt
your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! When you hurt your friend, you
hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn’t worth it at the cost of even one
of these “weak ones.” So, never go to these idol-tainted meals if there’s any
chance it will trip up one of your brothers or sisters.
The third
specific problem Paul wanted to address in 1 Corinthians is an issue having to
do with eating food consecrated to other Gods.
Some people thought that it was not appropriate to eat such food,
claiming that doing so was effectively idolatry. According to Jewish law, this position is
correct. However, there were others who
argued that since the food is not consecrated to any real God, (for the only
real God is Yahweh) the food is not changed in any way. Thus, it is fine to eat. This is solid logic and Paul confirms that. So the problem is that both sides of this issue
can legitimately claim to be “right.”
In
mitigating this issue, Paul exercises grace by confirming that both sides have
a defendable position. He continues by
saying that the food can be eaten without fear of committing any kind of desecration
in the process. However, Paul stipulates
that in some circumstances, it would be better it the food offered to idols was
NOT eaten. If it is your estimation that
someone who sees you eating such food will be confused by you doing so, Paul
instructs that the food be avoided even though eating it would not cause any
harm. The fact that someone might be spiritually confused
by you eating the spiritually “tainted” food means we should avoid causing them
that confusion.
In navigating
this issue Paul exercises at least two important practices here. First, he allows for nuance. Two seemingly opposing viewpoints can be held
at the same time if one is willing to confirm the value of both sides and work
toward a more nuanced position. For me,
this is huge because I believe our current culture is in deep need for the use
of nuance in addressing so many important issues. Instead, the prevailing practice around these
issues is deep division caused by either/or type thinking. It either this side or the other; one must be
justified as right and the other discredited is the way this is conceived. Paul says it’s not that easy in most
cases. We must see how the valuable
concerns of both sides can be integrated into a stronger, more nuanced position.
To apply this to just a couple of
modern day issues, let’s practice this nuance.
It’s possible to value concerns of both people who love traditional church
music and those who think the church’s music should be more in aligned with the
popular music of our day. It is possible
to simultaneously affirm aspects of both pro-life concerns and those of pro-choice. It makes the work of policy-making and living
out those seemingly opposing values more complicated, but Paul is making the
case that, for the sake of loving God and people, nuanced practice is what we
are called to do.
The second
practice here that Paul advocates is the need to sometimes question our
tradition. Jewish dietary laws were
nuanced and stringent. Most of them had
a good original purpose. However, the
world had changed a great deal and because of that, some of those original instructions
in the law needed to be reconceived to accommodate new information. Again, modern day Jesus-followers need to
willing to enter into some added difficulty and complexity for the sake of arriving
loving God and people more perfectly. “We’ve
always done it that way” is not always an adequate expression of the love that
God calls us to live out.
It may
seem like Paul is making a mountain out of a mole hill by devoting so much time
in this letter (3 chapters!) to talking about just one aspect of the food early
Christians were eating. However, Paul is
modeling for the Corinthians and us how we are to approach even more
substantial matters. Christians don’t sacrifice
love for simplicity and convenience. We
do the hard work of nuance and periodically questioning what has always been
for the sake of loving more like God does.
It is not the easy way, but it our way.
Question: Take an
issue about which you have strong feelings one way vs. the other. Can you identify a valuable concern that
someone on the other side of that issue raises?
Prayer: God, help us not
to shortcut our convictions because we are uncomfortable with the complexity
and or uncertainty caused by nuance and questioning tradition. Help us to be driven by the same nuanced and
affirming love You have shown to us and to those who disagree with us. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Today
is a good day to practice praying for those you identify as your “enemies.”
Song: Both Sides Now –
Joni Mitchell
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