Song:
Blessed Assurance,
Reading:
1 Corinthians 8:
Song:
What a friend we have in Jesus
Readings:
1 Corinthians 10: 23-33
1 Corinthians 6: 12
Song:
Make me a channel of your peace
Reading:
Matthew 7: 1-6
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—
but not everything is beneficial.
Paul uses this sentence in two places in his letter to the Corinthians. He phrases it "You say that". Perhaps it was something said frequently in Corinth. Perhaps it had been said in the letter to Paul from the Corinthian church, which unfortunately we do not have. Certainly, he seems to be answering questions, providing answers to problems, in the way he writes. The problems are many and varied, but presumeably, they were problems which the church members found very real in their day to day experience.
They had been "Freed". They no longer had to observe the full rigours of the Jewish Law. Or perhaps the rigours of the pagan observances.
"The truth will set you free." (John 8:33)
Perhaps, some had been using this freedom for licentiousness. Perhaps, they did not see that rights bring responsibilities.
Freedom is all very well, we enjoy the right to free speech. However, this tight somes with responsibilities. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. " Just because you have the right to do something, it is not necessarily advisable, a sentiment expressed by Paul .
Paul uses a number of real examples of how to deal with conflicts between their faith, their freedom and the rest of the world. One of these is the issue of eating meat offered to idols. This would have been a very real issue for Christians living in a pagan soeciety, as it is for Christians in some countries today. There seems to be different answers to this question in different sections of the letter, ranging from don't; through don't if you know; to yes, its o.k. The most comprehensive answer is the one we read today. 1 Cor. 8.
Since meat is just meat, and the idols are nothing but statues, then it being offered to an idol means nothing, and has not changed it in any way. So it can be eaten with no ill effect.
But. someone else might see and misunderstand. "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak."
Just because you have a right to do something does not make it necessary. Whether or not you eat a certain food does not bring you closer to God, says Paul.
If doing something causes a problem for someone else, don't do it. This is not just limited to diet, there are countless situations in which this should be our guiding principle. Every occasion when someone says "I have a right to do this", we ought to be asking "but is it wise? is it necessary?" There was a fashion a few years ago to wear a wristband "W.W.J.D." What would Jesus do? I wore three out. The idea being that in every situation the wearer would ask the question before making a decision.
Some Christians clearly think that what they should do is be judgmental. In his writings, Paul actually gives us a lot of material to judge people with. In several places he writes lists of sins which will exclude people from the fellowship or from the kingdom. Actions which mean that people should not occupy one or another position in the congregation. The lists vary, according to what is being addressed, and who the letter is directed to.Some actions, which nowadays some people see as very serious, are only mentioned a few times, whereas others are mentioned in most of the lists.
Some people develop almost a mania about one or other "sin" on one of the lists. Some years ago, I was introduced to a member of one of our union churches. We had never met. His first words to me were "There are no homosexuals in our church." I was a little taken aback and did not respond. Since then I realise that I ought to have replied, "What a pity, do they not need to hear the gospel?" Recently, telling this story someone said that I should have asked what is probably an equally telling question "How do you know?"
One of the most common sin mentioned is Envy. If it is this common, in his writing, it must have been seen as a serious problem by Paul, more serious even than the sins which some sections of the church go on about such a lot.
Perhaps we need a campaign to forbid anyone who has ever envied something or somebody, should not be a church officer, or a minister?
Paul acknowledges that we have the right to do anything, but says that it is wrong to be mastered by anything. (1 Cor 6:12) He urges people to be in control of themselves, not to be dominated by their freedom, perhaps in the modern idiom, not to stand up for their rights. When he refers to this freedom again (1 Cor. 10: 23) he goes on to say "not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others." In other words whatever you do, do it to build up the fellowship. Do it for the benefit of others.
From his treatment of eating meat offered to idols, Paul clearly believes that some actions can be a sin to some people, and not to others. That there are circumstances where it might be acceptable to do certain things, and other circumstances where is would be inappropriate.
This makes any suggestion that we are called on to offer judgment on others very difficult.
But in any case, Jesus has very definite advice about judgement.
Don't!
There is a story of a farmer who regularly bought hias bread from the local baker. In his tuurn, the baker decided, buy butter from the farmer. After a time the baker began to suspect that the farmer was selling him short measure. He involved the trading standards officer and the matter went to court.
In court the magistrate inquired of the farmer "Did you use standard approved weights?" To which the farmer replied “No”. "What did you use?" asked the magistrate. "One of the baker's 1 pound loaves." came the swift reply.
In Matthew’s gospel, chapter 7, speaking of judgement, Jesus says “The measure you use is the measure you will receive.” What you do, is what I will do to you.
The message is that we have been given freedom, Christianity is not a religion of a list of rules. Use the freedom wisely to build up others in the fellowship. Use the freedom to attract others, not to give them reasons not to get involved. In our world today, there are always people doing something and saying that they have a right to do it. Our standpoint has to be that of Paul:
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.
Once this is our standard, we will perceive the “Quickening ray”, our dungeons will “flame with light.” our chains will fall off and our heart will be free. Free rise up and follow Jesus.
Song:
And can it be?
Prayer:
Lord, we have grown up to pride ourselves on our freedom; freedom to choose our own rulers, freedom to think our own thoughts, freddom to live our own lives in our own way. But we have learned from experience that freedom is a mixed blessing. In ridding us of domination by others, it puts us quite clearly in charge of ourselves. And sometimes we are not fit to be in charge. We are still slaves, needing release from our fears and compulsions.
Help us to see that what we need is availableto us. Not, as we first think, the freedom of mere independence, but the freedom to be children of yours, rather than slaves to ourselves. It takes us some time to consider this an advantage; but help us to see it -to realise that the freedom of your children is the best freedom we could have: a freedom which limits our responsibility, instead of making it total; above all, a freedom which invites into our lives the onlypower we can wholly trust, the power of your love which will change us without exploiting us: so that we in our turn can treat the world in the same way.
We thank you, Lord, for the offer of being your children through Christ. Help us to realise its value, and to perfect our freedom by accepting it.
Amen.
Song:
To God be the glory
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