Boker Tov! Welcome back to Mishkan Katan. Allright, let’s look at Romans 14, our text for today, as we head into the final chapters of this book. To begin, we will look at the first verse only. As has been my practice in this Romans study, I’m reading from TAW:
1 To him who is weak in faith, reach forth your hand and do not be divided in your thoughts.
When it says “do not be divided in your thoughts”, this is a translation of an Aramaic idiom that means, “don’t be indecisive.”
What this verse is saying is that we should be sensitive to our weaker brothers and sisters in the faith, and not hesitate to reach out a helping hand. Just who is this “weaker” brother or sister? Well, it’s you; it’s me; it is all of us, at one time or another. Even those we consider “spiritual giants”.
Let’s proclaim together that our Elohim is completely and totally good and righteous in all His ways, in spite of challenges that come into our lives. As I sat down to prepare this teaching, I just thanked Him for the opportunity, and prayed for guidance. Why? Well, aside from the obvious, my husband is sick again, and it has been a trying few days. If you are watching this in real time, we’d appreciate your prayers.
Praying for our fellow members of Mashiach’s Body is a very effective weapon to help them. Yesterday, I was reading a Facebook post from a missionary I support in prayer. She was thanking from the depths of her heart her prayer warriors. Here is part of her post:
“I don’t know what stories wouldn’t have been written without your prayers and what stories could have transpired had you not prayed. Your prayers are invaluable. Irreplaceable. And the best thing I have going for me. You go to our Father on my behalf and it makes me the missionary I am today and the one I will yet be in the future. I can’t imagine what has been prevented and can only see what was published in the story He’s writing of my life.”
Isn’t that beautiful? It is a joy to pray for her. We can support each other in additional ways as well - - by extending tangible help in the form of services, goods, money. We can listen to our brother and sisters in the faith share about their struggles, their griefs, their fears, and encourage them with the word of God. All these things pour healing ointment into the wounds we invariably receive as we live sanctified lives.
Paul goes in the next verses to caution us about judging other brothers or sisters for how they live the walk of a follower of Yeshua. Let’s look at verses two and three.
2 For one man believes that he may eat everything: and he who is weak eats herbs.
3 And he who eats, should not despise he who does not eat; and he who does not eat, should not judge he who eats, for Elohim has received him.
Some have interpreted these verses to pertain to the rules in the Tanakh about kosher slaughtering and eating. But, Paul is instead drawing a contrast between vegetarians (non-meat eaters) and meat eaters, saying that neither should judge the other, as long as each person is eating according to how he or she believes is most pleasing to Master Yahweh. Footnote number 135 on Romans 14 from TAW goes on to say this:
“In Hebraic thought any unkosher animal is, by definition, not “meat.” This applies not just to a banned species on either list in Leviticus 11 or Deuteronomy 14, but also to animals that are not slaughtered properly or have a blemish that precludes their use for sacrifices. Once it is established that the meats are from the right species and slaughtered in the right way, the spotlight shifts to what amongst the kosher foods list is preferred and how these preferences vary from person to person.” That latter is what Paul is referring to here.
A few years ago, I embarked on a vegan diet for about six weeks. It was a severe change in my eating habits. None of my friends or family ate that way, not even close. Accordingly, at family gatherings, I received a great deal of criticism about my choices of food, and how those choices were (supposedly) negatively affecting my health. Eventually, I abandoned those eating habits, because the social pressure was just too great to bear, day in and day out.
Here is the scene in Romans 14. Believers from the Roman church were gathering to share meals together. And, when they got to the table, they began to criticize each other for their food choices. Worse, they began to equate certain “superior” food choices with holiness! They weren't talking about the sin of gluttony, letting food consumption go beyond moderation or need. They were arguing over whether one should eat certain meats or be a vegetarian and so forth.
That was not the only thing they tore each other apart over, as we will see in the upcoming verses.
Let’s read on.
4a Who are you, that you judge a servant who is not yours; and who, if he stands, he stands to his master?
The word “master” (lower case “m”), as in this verse, always indicates from the Aramaic a human master. Remember that in those days, slavery was widespread and common, even among the faithful followers of Yeshua. When the same word appears in the text with an uppercase “M”, the context will determine if it is referring to Yeshua HaMashiach as either “my master” (mari) or “our master” (maran).
So, here in verse 4, Paul is using an illustration that we, in modern times, have trouble fully understanding, either from the master or slave point of view. But, I think we can understand enough to get his point.
Going on with the rest of verse 4 now.
4b and if he falls, he falls to his master? But he will assuredly stand; for his human master has power to establish him.
5 There is one who judges day to day and another judges everyone all days. But he should be assured in regard to his own mind.
6 He who is mindful of a day before his master, is mindful of it: and everyone who is not mindful of a day before his master, he is not mindful of it.
When I read verses 5 and 6, I thought it was referring to the fact that some earthly masters are more judgmental than others. That is, some watch their servants “like a hawk” “all days”, watching their every move, while others are more trusting and lenient that is, “day to day”.
However, when I began to research it, I realized that these two verses have been commandeered, hijacked actually, to justify throwing over the 4th of the 10 commandments, and in the broader context of replacement theology, substituting in worship on Sunday. Those who hold to this replacement theology interpretation almost unanimously worship on Sundays, as opposed to the Saturday Sabbath. They believe these verses gives them permission to do this and that they should not be “judged” for doing so. Furthermore, these two verses have also been used to justify not keeping the festivals Father Yahweh ordained in the books of Moses, those moed’im, those special days of which Sabbath is premiere. I don’t believe that either of these interpretations is what these verses, nor the whole of Scripture, teach. Keeping the Shabbat (Sabbath) and the other moed’im were foundational, bedrock practices that Father Yah commanded as “eternal statues” (his language, not mine) and which Yeshua followed. I don’t believe Paul, who was a Torah-observant Jewish man, would simply throw them over without a major treatise on the subject.
Verse 7 now.
7 For there is not one of us who lives for himself: and there is not one of us who dies for himself.
8 Because if we live, to our Master (Yeshua), we live: and if we die to our Master, we die. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to our Master.
9 Moreover, for this Mashiyach died and is alive and is risen; that he would be MarYAH to the dead and to the living.
Verse 7 reminds me of a campy, popular song of the 1950s or 60s called, “No man is an island”. Some of you may be old enough to remember it. If not, you can ask Rabbi Google and get a taste. The point is that it is very hard to exist in the earthly plane and not have influence in the life of someone else. The question is: will you be someone people delight to see coming or will you be the person they would love to cross the street and walk on the other side to avoid.
Verse 8 reminds us of the sovereignty of our Master Yeshua, the fact that we belong to Him, no matter what He allows to touch our lives.
Verse 9 is a very powerful verse, because in it Paul is asserting the divinity of Yeshua HaMashiach, who demonstrated his divinity when he was obedient to Father Yahweh unto death and by rising from the dead and ascending to Heaven. He is the Word that is both with Elohim and IS Elohim, according to John 1:1-5. Remember that “Elohim” is the name of the Divine, Mysterious MajestyY which connotes both echad/oneness/unity, as well as plurality.
Yeshua is, according to Hebrews 1:1-5, the exact reflection of Father Yahweh’s nature, and when He returns from Heaven again at His second coming, will have the name of God written on his person as “Word of Elohim”. This is according to Revelation 19:13. This amazing Elohim, in all manifestations throughout Scripture is to whom we belong, as it says in the preceding verse. And, we belong to Him, come what may, regardless of our life’s circumstances, if we have put our faith and pledged our life to Mashiach Yeshua.
Paul goes on to emphasize that this same Yeshua, the Mashiach, will judge all people, past and present and future, living and dead. Look at verses 10-12.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you treat your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Mashiyach!
11 As it is written: “As I live, says MarYAH, to me every knee will bow; and to me every tongue will give praise.
12 So then, every one of us must answer of himself to Elohim.
Yes, even those of us who belong to the Bride, the Body of Messiah, even those of us who are redeemed and justified, will give an account to our LORD of the deeds done in our body, after our justification, after our salvation journey begins. 1 John 2:2 makes this clear. We will not be there in order to be condemned, as Romans 8:1 similarly emphasizes that for the one who belongs to Yeshua there is NO condemnation. No, this judgment will be a time of examination and of rewards. Clearly, there will be varying levels of rewards bestowed, according to how faithfully each one lived after his or her conversion. And, though it should be no problem for the redeemed, we will, like the wicked who will be judged at a different judgment, at a different time (The GWT judgment), we will bow our knee to our Masiach and we will confess verbally that He is Lord, God and King. We will answer for our faith-fueled works, done as we have walked in The Way.
He is going to evaluate our execution of the little things, personal convictions, by whether or not those decisions were made through the exercise of our faith. (Glance now at the last verse of this chapter.) In other words, did we make those decisions as part of growing closer to God, becoming more like Christ? Or, did we make those preferential decisions out of personal convenience, selfish consumption, spiritual pride, etc.? What was the motivation? You see, what is of utmost importance is what drives those decisions, and if we deal with each other selflessly in the making of them.
A sobering thought, is it not? There is no such thing as “cheap grace”. Grace is freely given to the one who seeks the Lord for salvation. But, it is not “cheap”.
It is for this reason that we are again admonished to leave off from judging our fellow brother or sister in the faith. Verse 13
13 From now on, do not judge one another; but rather, you judge more that you do not place a stumbling block before your brother.
I find this wording a bit awkward. Here it is from the CJB.
13 Therefore, let’s stop passing judgment on each other! Instead, make this one judgment — not to put a stumbling block or a snare in a brother’s way.
That’s clearer, now, isn’t it?
As things are in our modern day it was similar in the day that Romans was written - - a relatively minor disagreement could become a reason to break fellowship. We see this today - - - believers criticizing each other over every, little thing and sometimes even changing to another fellowship over it.
There are things we should stand strong over - - - real, actual sins. True acts of unholiness we willingly do, or true acts of holiness we omit. Legitimate breaches of doctrine being taught in the ecclesia. But "the little things"? Personal preferences or personal convictions? That is another matter altogether.
Why is it we think everyone should be exactly like us? In our weekly couples Bible study a few days ago, we were talking about comforting those who are either losing or recently lost a loved one, and how differently people react to the love shown by others during those times. Some people just want everyone outside the immediate family to leave them alone, to give them privacy. Others want to be surrounded by as many friends as possible. Does this make one wrong and the other right? No! It is a matter of preference.
We need to come to terms with the truth that not everyone is like us. We can still love our Christian brothers/sisters as well extending Christian love to our neighbors, even when we disagree.
And, it just hurts the cause of Jesus Christ when we fight over minor issues. May we abhor being referred to as the “Messy Messianics”, though this type of petty fracturing is not limited to our particular denomination either. Fight when fighting is required. Stand strong for the truth. But, don't "major on the minors".
The Message version translates Romans 14:12 like this:
So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.
I love it! "Tend to your own knitting!" The Devil loves to plant critical thoughts in our minds, especially us ladies. But, we don't have to receive them, stew on them or spew them forth from our mouths. What Paul encourages us to do is to re-focus our attention. When we are tempted to criticize someone over a minor thing, we need to turn the focus to examining our own hearts.
What is prompting that criticism?
Is it springing from jealousy? Envy? A desire to be "holier than thou" (that is, pride?)
Hm-m-m-m?
AHEM! I can write about this so easily because I so readily fall into the pride trap.
But, you know, I really have my hands full, tending to my own business: walking in faith with my God. (Or I SHOULD.)
What does it mean to place a stumbling block before a brother or sister? Well, we certainly do this when we judge them for their way of walking with the Lord, in the matter of personal preferences. But, we also can “be a stone of stumbling” when we flaunt our more liberal preferences disrespectfully before them. There is an element of intentionality here, or at least a sense of not caring.
I believe the first mention of this stumbling stone or block metaphor occurs in the Tanakh in Leviticus 19:14, which says this (CJB): “‘Do not speak a curse against a deaf person or place an obstacle in the way of a blind person; rather, fear your God; I am Adonai.”
In addition to here in Romans 14, Yeshua referred to this metaphor in Matthew 18:5-6. Take a look:
5 And he who receives one like this child in my name receives me.
6 And anyone who harms one of these little ones who believe in me it would be better for him that the millstone of a donkey would be hung on his neck, and he be drowned in the depths of the sea.
A similar situation to Romans 14 is discussed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 8. Here in Romans 14, he is only drawing a distinction between those who eat meat and those who do not. Apparently, that was tailored to a particular problem in that local assembly. In 1 Corinthians 8, however, the issue was ... again... food-related, but it involved some believers feeling free to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols, whereas others (mainly Gentiles who had recently come out of idolatry) did not eat such meat, because of its idolatrous associations. Paul told those who criticized fellow believers for these choices that they were wrong to do so. Much like he told the Romans.
When we use our liberty in Mashiach to cause a fellow brother or sister to sin, we are sinning ourselves. If you were out to dinner with a fellow believer who is a recovering alcoholic, would you have wine with your dinner? I would not. If you invited a person who keeps kosher over to your home for a meal, would you serve shellfish? You should not! And, I could go on and on about various other pitfalls. Would you take a person with a gambling addiction to Vegas? Probably not the wisest decision! You get the drift. Let’s go on with our verses now. Paul is going to return to a theme he emphasized earlier, and that is the theme of walking with one another in love.
14. For I know indeed, and am persuaded in MarYAH-Yeshua, that there is nothing which is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him only it is defiled.
15. But if you grieve your brother because of food, you do not walk in love.
AGR points out that the name “MarYAH-Yeshua” is a literal reading of the Aramaic, which proclaims the majesty of the Father in the Son. Supporting verses are Isaiah 11:1-2 and Acts 2:36-38.
AGR’s footnote #141 again emphasizes that “once Father YAH has determined a wide variety of food is kosher, it is up to the individual to decide what is clean or unclean for themselves, based on their individual tastes, as was also expressed in Romans 14:2.
Remember that the early congregations of the first century were mixed - - Torah-observant Jews and also Gentiles who were learning to become Torah-observant. Walking in love involved, as far as food was concerned, giving the Gentiles time to learn the rules concerning kosher foods and their kosher preparation. Paul was not advocating that the Gentiles had to become Torah-observant before coming into the local assembly, or before they came to know Mashiach. Nor was he advocating that anyone be “the food police”, administering “kosher quizzes”! That is not loving behavior. Food was to be received with thanksgiving and grace. Moving on to the next verses.
16 And do not let our good thing be a matter of reproach.
This is a great admonition, whether we are talking about food or about some other act of sanctification. We never want to intentionally give the unbelieving, lost world an occasion to criticize our Master YAH because of some embarrassment we have brought on by our sinful actions.
Now, verses 17 through 21.
17 For the Kingdom of Elohim is not food and drink; but it is uprightness and peace and joy in the Ruach haKodesh.
18 For he who is in these things a servant of Mashiyach, pleases Elohim and stands approved before men.
19 Let us strive after peace and after the edification of one another.
20 And let us not on account of food, destroy the work of Elohim. For everything is indeed pure; but it is evil to the man who eats with stumbling.
21 It is good that we neither eat flesh nor drink wine nor do anything, which causes our brother to stumble.
Have you ever been that person with “an axe to grind”? Verse 17 teaches us about perspective, in our faith walk and in our relations with others. When I was training to become a school administrator, my mentor, the principal asked me this question, as I was ranting and raving over some situation. I was out for blood, over it. He said, “Gena, you have to ask yourself, ‘Is it a mountain worth dying on?’” He pointed out that the blowback from “going in hot” over the situation would be a passel of negative, unintended consequences.
Years ago, I was impacted by what is commonly called a “church split”. “Impacted” is such an understatement.... It was a terrible scene. A good man, the pastor, was “run off” as we say in this neck of the woods. He and his wife are good friends of me and my husband. Even though he was very popular, a small group of men in the congregation decided it was time for him to go, and they used duplicitous means to get their way. It was sad to see an ecclesia act in such a manner, because when the truth came to light, the congregation at large did not rise up and demand the injustices be rectified either. You know what? That body of believers has never recovered to its former state. This malfeasance on the part of a very few caused hundred to “stumble”. The kingdom of Elohim was harmed. Peace and edification were not the goals of all that, nor were they the result.
As I mentioned earlier today, we must not “major on the minors”, because when we do, we miss advancing the kingdom of Elohim in the ways He intended for us to do. As one of my mentors was fond of saying, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” The majors, according to verse 17 are walking uprightly, being at peace, actively promoting peace, and embracing the joy that is ours in the Ruach haKodesh. When we focus on these major things, we not only please our heavenly Elohim, we also find favor with mankind.
In our striving after peace, that does not mean we should undergo what John J. Parsons, on his Hebrew for Christians Facebook page, called a “theological lobotomy”. Although we should show empathy to others and “meet them where they are”, this does not mean that truth does not exist or that it should be marginalized. When bedrock truth is at stake, we must stand strong for it. Go read that post today, if you are listening/watching me in real time. It is excellent.
Let’s proceed on to verse 22.
22 You who have faith in your souls, keep it to yourself before Elohim. Blessed is he who does not judge himself in that thing which he allows.
Verse 22 enjoins us to meekness. Whatever your convictions about a faith matter that is not a central doctrine, be meek in how you share about that with others. Live out your convictions with honor and humility. If asked, share about your convictions; but, don’t go hitting people over their heads about it, like you are some holier-than-thou believer. That sounds an awful lot like pride to me. Let the Ruach haKodesh convict others about their faith walk practices. That is His job!
Also, be firmly convinced in your own heart about your convictions/preferences. (a little veiled sarcasm here...) It’s okay to let the Ruach haKodesh change your heart about a matter! I’ve mentioned this before here at Mishkan Katan, but had not my Messianic group just loved me along, as opposed to bashing me over the head about various elementes of faith practice, there would BE no Mishkan Katan, because I would not have stuck around to learn halacha from them. As it was, I was convinced in my own heart about faith matters....until the Ruach changed my heart about some of them. This is called “growing in grace and truth”, as both the apostles Peter and Paul admonished us in 2 Peter 3:18 and in Colossians 1:9-10. Once you are convinced in your own heart about a matter, stop comparing yourself unrighteously with other believers! Remember that true repentance, teshuvah, is returning to the you that you were initially created to become. Be at peace with yourself as you journey along, earnestly seeking His face, seeking to be conformed more and more to His image.
The chapter ends with verse 23.
23 For he who eats and doubts is condemned; because it is not in faith and everything which is not in faith and everything which is not from faith is sin.
I think that this verse expresses one of the most challenging aspects of the believer’s walk. What does this mean, that last part: “everything which is not from faith is sin.” Some theologians say that this means: “if I violate my conscience on a disputable matter of halacha, it is sin to me.” But, I think this admonition goes deeper than that, although the preceding statement is certainly true. The older I have gotten, the deeper my understanding of what it means to have faith, although that’s not to say my understanding is complete. Here’s my take: everything in our lives, every move we make, should flow from our faith in our Mashiach and for the glory of our King. If it does not, then we are sinning. Now do you see why I said this is formidable, challenging? That’s an extremely high bar, is it not? The key issue is: do we really trust Him....with everything? It’s what we should all strive for. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Well, this teaching has been a tough one. Basically, we just, in our carnal impulses, want our own way. We want to make our believer’s walk to be a “Burger King” existence, if you’ll pardon the obvious meat pun. We want to “Have it our way!”, when what our Master requires, what He calls holiness, involves self-sacrifice, compassion, building up others (as opposed to building up ourselves), giving Yeshua the glory (as opposed to glorifying ourselves). It’s not easy to give our flesh the old “smack-down”. Fortunately, through the power of the Ruach HaKodesh, it IS possible. We need to ask the Lord to enable us to distinguish between the big things and the small, and to honor Him in all.
