Image from agnusday.org
Hear the devotional: https://bit.ly/3vLKSPm
View devotional here: https://bit.ly/3S7MZoi
1 The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions - 2 but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. 3 We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all. 4 Some people say, quite rightly, that idols have no actual existence, that there's nothing to them, that there is no God other than our one God, 5 that no matter how many of these so-called gods are named and worshiped they still don't add up to anything but a tall story. 6 They say - again, quite rightly - that there is only one God the Father, that everything comes from him, and that he wants us to live for him. Also, they say that there is only one Master - Jesus the Messiah - and that everything is for his sake, including us. Yes. It's true. 7 In strict logic, then, nothing happened to the meat when it was offered up to an idol. It's just like any other meat. I know that, and you know that. But knowing isn't everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings. Real knowledge isn't that insensitive. We need to be sensitive to the fact that we're not all at the same level of understanding in this. Some of you have spent your entire lives eating "idol meat," and are sure that there's something bad in the meat that then becomes something bad inside of you. An imagination and conscience shaped under those conditions isn't going to change overnight. 8 But fortunately God doesn't grade us on our diet. We're neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can't stomach it. 9 But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a Christian still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track. 10 For instance, say you flaunt your freedom by going to a banquet thrown in honor of idols, where the main course is meat sacrificed to idols. Isn't there great danger if someone still struggling over this issue, someone who looks up to you as knowledgeable and mature, sees you go into that banquet? The danger is that he will become terribly confused - maybe even to the point of getting mixed up himself in what his conscience tells him is wrong. 11 Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn't you at least be willing to give up going to dinner for him - because, as you say, it doesn't really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! 12 When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn't worth it at the cost of even one of these "weak ones." 13 So, never go to these idol-tainted meals if there's any chance it will trip up one of your brothers or sisters. (1 Corinthians 8:1-13 The Message Bible)
Dear Friend, blessings upon blessings for you as you spend time with God. May this be a time dedicated to listening to God and receiving from God that which can bless us for His service.
Two of my professors from seminary once confessed they went to a Hare Krishna event (I don't know quite what their worship or whatever they do is called). There was a big table with flowers and food on it. Among the food items, these professors saw that there was a bowl of popcorn and so they walked over and helped themselves to it. This was a no-no and they were told so in a curt manner. Today's passage is not about popcorn but one can't help but wonder the implications about consuming popcorn dedicated to the deity of Hare Krishna? And the matter brought before the Apostle Paul was a more serious matter.
Imagine being a Christian in the time of Paul and you go into a marketplace in Corinth. You're easily overwhelmed by the fabrics, spices,. fruits, vegetables, and meats; all dedicated to idols during pagan worship. As a believer in the one true God, you wonder about what this would mean to your spirit and life if you knowingly eat meat offered to an idol. But this isn't just about food - it's about a clash of values, about navigating freedom and responsibility, and ultimately, about love. Let's dive into this passage and discover the timeless lessons it holds for us today.
It is our freedom to eat what we want to eat; but as Paul said, "If someone with weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol's temple, won't that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?" (v. 10) The danger in our exercising our freedom, we must consider the impact on others, especially those whose faith might be fragile. Our actions, even if fueled by good intentions, can become stumbling blocks for others.
The ultimate question isn't about the meat itself, but about the price we're willing to pay for a meal. Is our personal freedom worth causing a brother or sister to stumble? Paul says no: "So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge" (v. 11). The weight of this statement hangs heavy - the cost of our choices can be measured in the spiritual well-being of others.
The answer, Paul proclaims, isn't restriction, but love: "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall" (v. 13). This isn't about legalism; it's about a radical commitment to putting the needs of others above our own desires. It's about setting a table where love, not self-interest, is the main course. Let us love others enough to care about them before insisting on our own way. We should balance knowledge with love. We should consider the impact of your actions. We should learn to choose love over personal freedom. And, we should let love set the table.
PRAYER: Loving God, grant us the wisdom to navigate life's choices with a discerning heart. Help us to balance knowledge with compassion, to prioritize love over personal desires, and to always consider the impact of our actions on those around us. Let our love be a testament to You; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Be a mindful traveler in the marketplace of life, choosing acts of love and consideration over self-indulgence.
Receive my love and my tnanks to God for you!
Rev. Eradio Valverde, Jr.
