Romans 14:10-21: a reflection

10But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’” 12So then each one of us will give account of himself to God. 13Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling. 14I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don’t destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. 16Then don’t let your good be slandered, 17for God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19So then, let’s follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up. 20Don’t overthrow God’s work for food’s sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating. 21It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak.

Paul addresses disputes among believers over matters like food and drink, and he urges a care that goes beyond our own liberty. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the one for whom Christ died, he says; do not let your good be spoken of as evil; do not put a stumbling block in your brother's way. He calls us to be willing to limit our own liberty, our own rights, out of love for a weaker brother who might stumble. It is good, he says, not to do anything that makes your brother stumble.

Notice the principle: love limits its own liberty for the sake of a weaker brother. Paul does not deny that we may have liberty in disputable matters; but he says love may lead us to limit that liberty, so as not to cause a weaker brother to stumble. Our own rights and freedoms are not the highest consideration; the good of our brother is. Love is willing to give up its liberty, to limit its freedom, rather than cause a fellow believer to stumble. The kingdom is not about eating and drinking, but about righteousness, peace, and love.

That is a searching principle, for we can insist on our own liberty, our own rights, without regard to how it affects weaker brothers and sisters. We can stand on our freedom in disputable matters, even when exercising it causes a weaker believer to stumble. But Paul calls love to limit its liberty for the sake of the weaker brother. When exercising your liberty in some matter would cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble, be willing, out of love, to limit that liberty. Do not insist on your own rights and freedoms without regard to their effect on weaker believers; love is willing to give up its liberty rather than cause a fellow believer to stumble. The good of your brother, for whom Christ died, matters more than your own liberty; be willing, out of love, to limit your freedom for their sake, as Paul urges, pursuing what makes for peace and builds others up, rather than insisting on your liberty at the cost of a weaker brother's stumbling.

Lord, Paul addresses disputes among believers over matters like food and drink, urging a care beyond our own liberty: do not, for the sake of food, destroy the one for whom Christ died; do not put a stumbling block in your brother's way; it is good not to do anything that makes your brother stumble. Show me the principle: love limits its own liberty for the sake of a weaker brother. You do not deny that I may have liberty in disputable matters; but love may lead me to limit that liberty, so as not to cause a weaker brother to stumble. My own rights and freedoms are not the highest consideration; the good of my brother is. Love is willing to give up its liberty rather than cause a fellow believer to stumble. That is searching, for I can insist on my own liberty, my own rights, without regard to how it affects weaker brothers and sisters. I can stand on my freedom in disputable matters, even when exercising it causes a weaker believer to stumble. But you call love to limit its liberty for the sake of the weaker brother. When exercising my liberty would cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble, make me willing, out of love, to limit that liberty. Keep me from insisting on my own rights and freedoms without regard to their effect on weaker believers; the good of my brother, for whom Christ died, matters more than my own liberty. Help me be willing, out of love, to limit my freedom for their sake, Lord, pursuing what makes for peace and builds others up. Help me limit my liberty out of love.