This week's devotional thought comes from 1 Corinthians 8:
1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God.
4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
Click through for the "meaty" lesson in this text!
Paul confronts an interesting quandary here. Idols were obvious and commonplace in his days. Not only temples but family gatherings and street vendors might feature a "god" of stone, wood, or some malleable metal before which food was ritually offered before consumption. How should a person of faith navigate this minefield? Was eating such food a sin? Should true Christians abstain from any meal that they couldn't prove was free of this taint?
We don't have as many overt idols in our midst but we do have multiple forms of distraction from God and a plurality of belief systems fighting for attention and validation among us. Who knows what religions or customs the owners and chefs at your local restaurant follow? In some towns the best--and only--meal available comes from a bar. As much as we'd like to frequent local mom and pop stores budgetary realities (or simply product availability) sometimes force us to patronize multinational corporations without knowing where the money from that transaction is ultimately headed, for good or ill. We, too, walk in a minefield. Is eating General Tso's chicken at the Chinese buffet a sin because signs of Eastern mysticism dominate the decor? Should we avoid the hamburger because liquor sits beside it on the counter? Is it wrong to purchase something from a store unless we know the political beliefs of the owner and each employee who benefits from our dollar?
Paul's answer to these questions is elegant. A Christian person knows that idols are nothing. In Paul's day they were just a hunk of stone. That liquor on our counters is really just fermented grains or fruit of some sort...produce that's been left out too long. That's it! Those idols were no more inherently evil than a random rock beside the road. Jack Daniels is no more inherently evil than a moldy banana.
The use of those materials can be quite evil, however. Too much Jack Daniels followed by driving is a crime and a careless sin. Hunks of stone (or pieces of paper) which lead people away from God do horrible things to the world. Even if we, as people of faith, can dismiss the power of these things we cannot be sure that everyone around us does the same. Eating a burger next to some whiskey is not a problem. If eating that burger causes someone else to believe that getting drunk is OK--congruent with the faith, even--that's a big problem.
Our actions usually aren't a big deal one way or another. What those actions convey to other people about God, faith, goodness, and life is always a big deal.
I learned a homely version of this lesson in my teenage years. Living in Portland street lights were plentiful and traffic heavy. My friends and I would frequently jaywalk to avoid long delays at lights. Though technically illegal, it was no big deal. I had two personal rules, however. I would never do it when it caused a delay for someone in a car. My convenience shouldn't make them angry. And I would never, ever jaywalk if I saw any kids around. I would never want my actions to put their safety at risk. The act itself wasn't a big deal. Its effect on the world, and on a child's life, could be.
The same holds true of alcohol. I have a drink now and then. I had one with a bunch of church people at Theology on Tap a couple weeks ago. I've walked into bars in both of the towns I've served as a pastor, eaten, and even had a beer. I've also had plenty of beer and wine when visiting people at their homes. The decision whether to partake or not has nothing to do with the alcohol itself, rather the witness it will give. Choosing to not have the occasional beer at home or the local bar would tell people I was snooty, better than them, neither familiar nor trustworthy with common, ordinary people or issues. Almost to a person I see people relax and sigh in relief when I accept a beer in their home for the first time. That's when the conversation really starts! If, however, I knew that the person in question had a problem with alcohol I would almost certainly refuse the same beer. Neither do I tend to frequent the bars when things get rowdy. Even if the beer means little my tacit acceptance of the damage alcohol can do would be a poor witness.
Paul told his people to go ahead and eat the food offered to idols in the abstract. It wouldn't help or hurt us more than any other food. The food you eat can't keep you apart from God. But he also told them to be mindful of the effect eating had on their community. If eating that food would lead people astray they should put it down and run.
Following Paul's advice requires us to walk with eyes open, having a heart and mind for the people around us. It's not good enough to accept or avoid objects (like a chicken or can of beer). We have to consider our community and the needs of people around us as we partake or reject. We spend our time looking around, not down. We make our decisions based on what we see...the needs of our neighbor.
As you go through your week consider your actions...judging right and wrong not in absolute terms but by the effect you're having on your environment and community. What are you witnessing by what you do and by how, when, and where you do it? Those questions provide the bright line between holy people and holier-than-thou people. They also provide a nifty guide to questions that otherwise get immeasurably thorny.
--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)
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