Last week, I took my two boys for a walk. Our youngest is two. When we walked out of the gate, I knew where we were headed and how long it would take us to get there. However, there was a problem. If I walked at my pace, my son would have to run to keep up. If we walked at his pace, getting there would take a while. If I carried him the whole way, I would be tired, and he would miss the exercise that would strengthen his body.
In many ways, that is a perfect picture of the body of
Christ. The church is comprised of people at different stages of Christian
maturity. For this reason, it is often a challenge to figure out the pace at
which the body should move. Some struggle with issues that others deem non-issues.
Some clearly understand where they should be and what they need to do to get there, while some have to be convinced about the need
to go first! Some have resolved some theological and ethical
challenges in their minds and have settled convictions, while some are only beginning to answer the questions.
Such a situation poses a wonderful or potentially volatile opportunity.
Those who are mature in matters, let’s call them the strong, will struggle with
the temptation to look down on or be frustrated with those who are immature; let’s call them the weak. The weak, in turn, will despise the strong for their
freedom and insensitivity to matters. The strong could walk at their pace, to
the neglect of the weak, or they could carry the weak on their back and never
allow them to wrestle through issues. A better option is for them to walk alongside
the weak and help them grow to maturity.
This was the situation at the church in Rome. Romans 14 and
15 address such a challenge between the strong and the weak in the church. In
addition, Scripture admonishes that the strong should lovingly bear
with the weak. In other words, it is God’s design for them to be together and
to help each other joyfully grow. It would be easy for the strong to start
their own church and the weak to do likewise, but such actions would be
motivated by pride and self-satisfaction, attitudes that are works of the
flesh. Therefore, the Scripture exhorts:
But we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those who are
without strength and not please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbour for good, for edification. Romans 15:1-2
Amen
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