July 30, 2006
Rev. Rich Knight

Romans 14:1-19

Do Not Judge Another - Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgement on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honour of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honour of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honour of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Do Not Make Another Stumble - Let us therefore no longer pass judgement on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification.

Youth mission trips - “These people have a bigger TV than we do!” And they must have had 500 videos! If they’d sell their video collection they could hire a painter to do this work!”

New Orleans - going through people’s stuff - pictures, clothing, DVDs, throwing out 99.9 % of their stuff The thought did occur to me - “Why aren’t they here doing this? -it’s their stuff. But these were residents that had requested the help and we were told they were parishioners of the local churches and I suspect they weren’t living nearby and were just trying to make ends meet. And besides, we were there to serve.

1. Judging Others put us in the place of God the Creator. - God is the Holy One, the Just one, the One who alone has the right to pass judgment on human beings.
Verse 4 “Who are you to pass judgment on one another?” - “for before their own lord they stand or fall?”
Verse 10: “Who are you to pass judgment on your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” For it is written, ‘As I live says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then each of us will be accountable to God.”

2. Judging others puts us in the place of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to grow and shape people, not ours. To convict, redirect and inspire people.

3. Judging Others takes us away from a humble perspective regarding our own sinfulness. “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like You!” - no, no, no - like me! In John 8 - a woman is caught in the act of adultery - “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” In Matthew 7 - "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye?"

4. Judging Others destroys Christian Unity. That’s Paul’s concern in Romans 14. “God has welcomed all of you - welcome one another, even when you disagree. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of one another. “We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.” Judging destroys Christian Unity.
The Church has disagreements. There’s a big difference between - “I disagree with their perspective” vs. “You can’t trust them. They’re incompetent. They don’t know what they’re doing.” One way of speaking keeps the issue focused on the issues. - the other on the people’s character One way of speaking judges the issues, the other ways judges people - “thou shalt not” Verse 19 - “Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”

5. Judging Others cuts us off from loving them. Verse 10. “Who are you to pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or why do you despise your brother or sister?” Notice in his mind - Judging and despising go together.
Stanley Hauerwas is a professor of Christian Ethics at Duke University. He tells the story of going off to college in the 60’s and getting involved in all the anti-establishment protests. He came home for Thanksgiving and his father had a very special gift for him. It was a replica of a Civil War rifle that his father had worked very hard to make for his son. Hauerwas looked at his father and said: “Some day they’ll take guns away from people like you.” He later reflected, “I was never at a lower point in my moral development than that.”

Amen