Let’s Eat
The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Romans 14:3 NASB
With contempt – Yesterday we learned something about welcoming those whose spiritual walk is different. Hopefully we realized that Scripture values these individuals. They are essential for the well-being of the entire assembly. When we look down upon them because they are not as mature as we think we are, we diminish the entire group. Our arrogance breeds division. Ego has no place in the assembly, even if it is couched in “holy” terms. It’s important to see that Paul’s initial exhortation to welcome those who are a little behind us on the path is followed by a statement about eating. As we know, Hebrew thought is primarily practical. It’s about how we live, not how we think. And the most welcoming expression in the Hebraic world is a meal.
“I’m so glad to see you. I can’t wait to hear about your journey. Hey, let’s get something to eat and you can tell me all about your discoveries.” This is table fellowship, the very heart of welcoming. Abraham, the father of hospitality, is the quintessential man of faith. And in his practice, he runs to get the best meat and the best drink for the strangers who suddenly appear at his tent. Should we not do the same?
In Paul’s first-century world, Jewish dietary restrictions could become a source of rejection. “What? You still eat cheeseburgers?” “You still like baby-back ribs? Don’t you know that you are violating a commandment of God? How can I sit down to eat with you if your diet doesn’t conform to my view?” Ah, but maybe the question should be, “How can I not sit down with you to show you that God’s love is bigger than that shrimp cocktail?” Relationship trumps food, every time. Of course, that doesn’t mean license to eat whatever I want anytime I want. It means that every meal becomes a wonderful discussion about the Torah way of living. It does not mean walking away! Peter did that once. We all know the outcome.
Why does Paul treat eating as the prime example of welcoming? Because eating is life! Eating was a differentiator in the Roman world. Those who came to faith in the Messiah from Gentile cultures knew next to nothing about kosher diets. They were Roman! But they could learn. Imagine the tragedy of telling someone that he was not accepted in the assembly because he didn’t realize Torah included what to eat. Imagine how you would feel if someone told you that you weren’t welcome because you didn’t:
- think the same thing about baptism
- eat the same foods
- wear the same clothing – or ritual attire
- pray the same prayers
- espouse the same beliefs
What matters is being included while we are traveling on the way. Eating is only the beginning. If we are children of Abraham, we must set aside those obstacles to fellowship in order to enjoy each other’s company. Learning to trust each other comes first. All the rest will eventually work itself out. And I’m not in a hurry.
Topical Index: eating, with contempt, fellowship, Romans 14:3
A family discussion around the table…
Lets me think of the 70s when we gathered in the kitchen in the winter around the coal stove talking about life, aspirations and how God is blessing… And yes how we can involve others in these assemblies… Sad to say those leading adults have passed on, and here I am today and feel uncomfortable when people visit as all they talk about is how good it is going with them, how they prosper and how we are missing out not following the same view of life.
A very nice concept when we focus on the purpose of the assembly and not on other agendas… And the apostles lived going house to house in the breaking of the bread glorifying God…
“Learning to trust each other comes first. All the rest will eventually work itself out.” If love is the only basis for real choice; real change; real freedom to move, then it is simply not fair to expect others to be able to come alongside me and to find me where I am at. I must go to them and find where they are at, and STAY THERE. I must heal the fracture. I must forgive. I must make all the moves necessary for relationship. WHY? Because I am the one who is not chained and bound by sin. Sin IS the negation of freedom to choose. This is why Yeshua had to come to where we were, literally dead in trespasses and sins, and find us in that death. He literally died to be able to meet me where I was already at, for a dead person cannot choose to not be dead. If He could choose to come to me no matter where I was at, then, if I am to be like Him, I should be able to do the same.
Dead people cannot choose; indeed they are pronounced dead BECAUSE they cannot choose, for choice is only possible within the fence of Life. Everyone is a walking dead person outside it. Why am I laboring this point? Because I sat straight up out of my sleep this morn with the thought that only when I love is real choice available to me. Everything else is a reaction to what is (the “seen” that Paul is talking about in 2Cor. 4:18 when he was trying to explain this same stuff to Nero.)
Only when I am loving am I able to make real choices. This is a problem, for I am not always loving, yet I always want to choose. I am finding that in those places, I have to wait until the Spirit of Love shows up and gives me the gift of faith that allows me to move in my present. In other words, the only Will that is free to choose is the will of love, but I am not a love source. If I really want to choose, I have to WAIT until I am coordinated with that Source; that Will, for He holds all the real choices. Hence, Yeshua could say that He ONLY did the will of His Father, for if He were trying to d anything else, it would not be a real move, anyway! It also gives new meaning to “waiting on the Lord” being analogous to our strength mounting up like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). When love is my motivation, I also am plugged into the true Power Source which makes sure I am fully supplied with all the power (love) necessary to carry out the task that that Love gives me. Now, why would I expect someone who is still not so connected to be able to do the same? Time to start moving – I do mean showing a real sign of true Life – the only Life possible for anyone, for life is all about choice, but choice is only possible in His choice. Who knew? No wonder the world does not understand choice, even though they think they do! (Hint: they are being lied to, of course.)
The entire concept of eating with believers has been so monumental to our faith. Articles about the Lost Art of hospitality. Evangelism 101. The early church designated in the book of Acts in their stage after the Holy Spirit the book of Acts clearly Defined by The Acts of the Apostles Jewish men inspired by the Holy Spirit in the word of God set down patterns for us to follow acts 2:24 the breaking of bread fellowship and prayer was one of the patterns they set it falls right in line with today’s word. That is how our family first hand grew and spread the word and it is how we do it today still. Sharing a meal with someone sometimes snack at coffee break can be the most intimate time of witnessing but yet still as effective as in a home.
Learning to be content in every situation whether I am rich or poor in all matter of living I have learned to be content. Yet I will never post about my condition two others. Yet if I do Post I will boast in the Lord the god of my salvation for the Glorious things he has done do all.
I understand the idea of love and welcoming, kindness and justice, as the social applications of relationship and those are found even in Torah. Yet, I find utter contempt and abhorrence for certain ways of drawing close to God; drinking blood and strangulation of animals come to mind, but so does worshiping another god, rejection of Torah, replacement of Israel, and acceptance of human sacrifice.
I cannot find anywhere in the book I hold on the will and desires of the God of Israel, including the participation of those who seek Him, in any form of worship such as the above; even when He is blended into that worship form. In fact I find many instances of contempt towards those who attempted to do so. And there wasn’t a whole lot of love shown as a consequence.
Perhaps I am wrong Skip, but I sense a certain innuendo of tolerance for ‘others’ idiosyncrasies in how they worship in your writing in a ‘after all we all seek the one true god’. For myself I cannot worship with those who hold the book I hold, but worship a god unfamiliar to the content of such; or bring another one into the presence of my God. Whatever they may speak with their lips.
No, I am not Torah perfect, and 99.9% of my family and friends as well as those who surround me are Christian oriented. But I cannot enter a church (and most of them state those attributes in their ‘what we believe’) in the pursuit of unity or drawing them towards Torah. And yes I do eat with anyone and everyone.
Shalom Richard. Not one of us I think can walk the perfect line but for me and my house we will serve the Lord as Joshua did. It’s about being holy separated. The Lord will keep us in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on him. Except for the grace of Yahweh the sin of others would be mine also. Keep the unity of the faith was always a mandate. It shows. Yahweh’s love Paul often spoke about not being like the Gentiles even though they were amongst them. Very similar to the teaching on the wheat and the tears they grow up together they cannot be separated but in the end Yahweh claims the faithful amen
Yes…The unity of faith was found in the God revealed in Torah that provides the way to come close to the God of Israel. Unity was found in Torah. IF Torah is DENIED, excluded, reimaged, there is no unity.
Not only were surrounding people slaughtered for their pagan ways MAYBE influencing those who were to follow Torah, even a slight changing by the Israelites themselves brought death (Num.16). And we can see today, the nation of Israel still is not what it can/will be as they allow other ‘religions’ to make camp with them; “There will be one law for you and the strangers and aliens amongst you”…Torah.
We define ‘Gentiles’ differently…but I do not think we define Torah differently, or am I wrong?
Agreed! ” IF Torah is DENIED, excluded, reimaged, there is no unity” – of a certainty, Richard, would be difficult to unite truth with falsehood.
Torah is defined differently when words have been altered, manipulated to present a different message.
Never fear. I agree that there is no place in following YHVH that allows the things you mention. Tolerating differences does not mean accepting what is forbidden. It means not separating over the details. Anything that is strictly condemned cannot be accepted within the community. But I can still eat with anyone (I just have to watch what I eat). Please don’t think my version of “tolerance” would allow the “every road leads to God” craziness.
All roads do but not all end there… Some are passed on to another destination.
Amein, Skip.
Thank you Skip for the clarification. I try to keep my analysis of what one has written to the words and content of what they have written. Those dang paradigms don’t only enter our biblical study, they enter the way we read everything. I hope all read what I write with the love it is intended to be extended.
I feel in this community, at this table, we have a unity in our holding of Torah to be our guidance, a sort of foundation which gives us a common bond. That’s how I see the Nation of God, Israel, still in tact through so many years. They can still have variances in some areas, but there are foundational instructions that are fearfully adhered to. For myself I observe that the fear / respect for God’s attributes has been marginalized and thus we worship the way we find ‘good’.
That s beautiful, Richard, I love what you have written. Same goes for me.
Polite, respectful, non-oppressive conversation at the dining table is community living I will go for.
Shalom!
Thank you Ester; I think to not have some conversations can be harmful even if hard to express or hear. There is a lot I still don’t know but my passion for God brings me here as I think it does you because Skip presents some tough material sometimes. And unless you like a good beating (argument) it must be love for God and seeking Him that brings you here.
The silence I maintain in my world is a concern to me for those who wish not to hear, but my love extends to abiding in their request.
This is a very good and very important discussion.
Having been on both sides of the table and found what might be considered persecution, rejection, judgment and trouble for it; I regretfully admit I have also doled out those things.
These of course come from my self righteousness about what I know to be true and what I believe God expects. But does he really? Yeshua commands “no man should judge another mans servant for to his master alone he stands…and he can make him stand.” When I start should-ing on my brothers they have every right to stand in their convictions. “Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.” Romans 14:15.
We are each individually called to obedience to the revealed word, way and spirit of the Living God. We are accountable for what we know and understand, now and that grows as we do.
It is all such a small thing in the light of Eternity. We have such real trouble here why trouble one another over opinions and conjectures. Eternity waits for us who are trapped in time. Let’s not waste it with the trivialities, but love through it until we get home at last.
May we all get home together united by our shared faith in the one true and living God, not separated by our ideologies, differing opinions or self serving perspectives that if we are really honest with ourselves are simply vanity.
https://worksofwords.live/2017/03/06/eternity-waits/
Before I get jumped on I would add that it is my personal conviction that I want absolute invariant obedience to the will, way and spirit of YHVH as he has made it known to me. That is the Torah, the Commandments and the Rauch Ha Kodesh; This I do as best I can “while in Babalon” (thanks for that Skip). But for my brothers and sisters I purpose to extend grace.
Both comments well stated. I completely agree. Thank you!
As a side note brother, for future reference. Please just post the location, title, etc. of things you want people to check out rather than links. Because links go bad and cause problems like page load times when they’re dead. Thank you 🙂
Refreshing.