“Leave it to the boss to sort out”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Romans 14:1-12 (Forward, p. 82) CEV p. 1185
Imagine a workplace where the ‘underlings’, that is, the common, ordinary workers took it upon themselves to continually monitor, pass judgment and try to correct or control the performance of the other workers in pursuit of their individual duties. It would something akin to ‘hell’ and would certainly undermine the role and responsibility of those in management, especially if those meting out these instructions were not given that role. It would be fraught with danger, but it would be well-nigh possible that the one they were correcting were simply carrying out orders.
Yet, in a sense, we do that very thing in the church all the time. We pass judgement on our fellow Christians all the time and try to control and correct their behaviour. Sometimes, as the apostle Paul points out, it is in fairly minor things, like food and drink and ones’ choice of when to worship God. But, then, it could be in a more serious matter. Either way, the principle is the same: we are passing judgment, trying to control, someone who falls under someone else’s authority, and that somebody is God. God is their boss, their master, and really, it is His job to direct their behaviour, and sort it out, if need be. And so, it is best to leave it to Him. And, to think of this on a personal level, isn’t it so much better to have just one Boss—and one that is so wise and understanding and helpful as God is. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Forward notes: “Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions” (verse 1).
“The conventional wisdom is that Paul is a stickler for rules, yet here, he makes room for a whole host of religious practices within a single community. In fact, the community itself is Paul’s primary concern, that as a whole body, they will continue to grow together in faith.
“Focusing too much on our differences makes it harder to see one another as siblings in Christ, whose lives and salvation are bound up in our own. By extending grace and withholding judgment, we will have a clearer view of the grace that has been given us.
“But does this mean anything goes? Not quite. Certainly, from everything else Paul has written to the church in Rome, the reality of sin and our need for repentance is clear! But as we build communities of faith, God gives us crucial room to grow so that we might give that room to others—room for confusion, insecurity, and maybe even doubt. Knowing that judgment rests with God and not with the community, we grow not only as individuals but also in our love for one another.”
MOVING FORWARD: “How can you offer room to grow to a friend or loved one?”
