Romans 15:1-6: a reflection

1Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up. 3For even Christ didn’t please himself. But, as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through perseverance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul calls the strong to bear with the weak, and grounds it in the example of Christ. We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves, he says. Let each one please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ didn't please himself. The pattern is Christ, who did not live to please himself, but bore reproach and gave himself for others; and so we, following him, are to bear with the weaknesses of others and seek their good rather than pleasing ourselves.

Notice the call, and its ground: bear with the weak and please not yourself, following Christ who did not please himself. Those who are strong are not to use their strength for their own pleasure, but to bear with those who are weaker, to seek their good and build them up. And the ground of this is Christ, who did not please himself, but gave himself for others, bearing what was not his to bear. To bear with others' weaknesses and seek their good rather than pleasing ourselves is to follow the pattern of Christ, who lived not for himself but for us.

That call is worth taking to heart, for we are prone to please ourselves rather than bearing with others and seeking their good. We can live to please ourselves, using whatever strength we have for our own comfort and preference, impatient with the weaknesses of others; but Paul calls us to bear with the weak and seek their good, following Christ who did not please himself. Do not live to please yourself, impatient with others' weaknesses; bear with the weaknesses of others, seeking their good and building them up, as Christ did not please himself but gave himself for others. Follow the pattern of Christ, who did not please himself, by bearing with the weaknesses of others and seeking their good rather than your own pleasure, as Paul calls the strong to bear the weaknesses of the weak; for to please not ourselves but to bear with and build up others is to follow Christ, who lived not for himself but for us.

Lord, Paul calls the strong to bear with the weak, and grounds it in the example of Christ. We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves, he says. Let each one please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ didn't please himself. The pattern is Christ, who did not live to please himself, but bore reproach and gave himself for others; and so I, following him, am to bear with the weaknesses of others and seek their good rather than pleasing myself. Show me the call, and its ground: bear with the weak and please not myself, following Christ who did not please himself. Those who are strong are not to use their strength for their own pleasure, but to bear with those who are weaker, to seek their good and build them up. And the ground of this is Christ, who did not please himself, but gave himself for others. To bear with others' weaknesses and seek their good rather than pleasing myself is to follow the pattern of Christ. Take that call to my heart, for I am prone to please myself rather than bearing with others and seeking their good. I can live to please myself, using whatever strength I have for my own comfort, impatient with the weaknesses of others; but you call me to bear with the weak and seek their good, following Christ. Keep me from living to please myself, impatient with others' weaknesses; help me bear with the weaknesses of others, seeking their good and building them up, Lord, as Christ did not please himself but gave himself for others. Help me follow the pattern of Christ.