1
Corinthians 10:25-29
GOD’S WORD Translation
(GW)
25 Eat anything that is
sold in the market without letting your conscience trouble you. 26 Certainly, “The earth is
the Lord’s and everything it contains is his.” 27 If an unbeliever invites
you to his house for dinner, and you wish to go, eat anything he serves
you without letting your conscience trouble you. 28 However, if someone says
to you, “This was sacrificed to a god,” don’t eat it because of the one who
informed you and because of conscience. 29 I’m not talking about
your conscience but the other person’s conscience.
I took a group from my church on a tour last Thursday. We
visited the local Hindu temple on their new year, Diwali. I noticed that some
of the people were very, very nervous on the whole tour. In the Indian food
market near the visitors’ center I purchased some food. The sellers looked very
shocked when some of our group asked if any of their food had meat in it. To my
knowledge, any good Hindu is a vegetarian. The food is all marked “Swaminarayan
Vegetarian”. Some of my group looked very nervous in the market. I didn’t
understand what was making them so nervous. In the car on the way home I opened
the Masala Papdi and passed it around. Some took it and enjoyed it. Others
wouldn’t touch it. After a while one of the nervous ones said, “Did you read
the statement in small print at the bottom of the label?”
It reads “This package contains sanctified, vegetarian
cuisine prepared and offered to the divine image of God in accordance with the
dietary beliefs of the Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan
denomination of the Hindu religion.”
I confess I was taken aback, not from the statement on the
package, but that there should be a question about food offered to idols in
this Christian era. We talked a bit about it, and it was quite clear that these
people had definite fear and trepidation about consuming foods that had been
offered to “devils”.[ii]
We had guests over for Sabbath lunch, and I tried the masala
and the concern on this group. They enjoyed eating it and expressed no feelings
of any hesitations about eating it.
I’ve read chapters 8 and 10 of 1 Corinthians enough times so
that I remembered the counsel there without looking it up. However, never in my
whole life, especially having lived in a Christian environment most of my life,
did I expect that this would ever be an issue! Now I need your counsel! Let me
know your thoughts on what my course of action should be!
Dear Lord, what a
strange predicament I find myself in. I know that the offering of food to idols
makes no difference to my conscience, my health, or my faith. I have found out
that it does concern some others, though not many. Please give me wisdom about
what is appropriate now in a Christian environment in 2015.
A response from Jud
ReplyDeleteDear Lord, we pray for those weak in faith to be strengthened and not hindered by our actions. We ask for sensitivity to know how to encourage trust in You in all our lives including eating and drinking. We thank You for Your grace which covers our mistakes. We ask for Jesus' sake and in His name. We love You Jesus.
A comment from Clyde
ReplyDeleteHi Will, Thanks for all the sharing .Once in Wichita Ks. as a teen we had a visitor from Alaska at our church, who said it was a sin to eat ice cream.. I asked my pastor, is this true? He said, when in the company of others who believe differently I also avoid eating anything that could be a stumbling block to others . Then he said, remember if the top rail of a section of fence is gone, the cattle within will find it easier to get over and out . So that if for that person, they eat ice cream it will be that much easier to do and eat other things that lead to a lower life, and for them eating the ice cream is something they should avoid, for it is the top rail in their fence.
My borrowed comparative council,
A comment from Mono Enzo
ReplyDeleteWell said Will. I agree. We do it for others weak conscious.
A Comment from Lorraine
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this since I read it yesterday. I think that your course of action is to pray for those individuals & watch for an opportunity to let them know their picture of God is not right. God doesn't operate on a judicial law system like man does, His law of love operates on the picture of a God who is healing us & whose law is the natural consequences that we reap from our actions. An inanimate stone can't make food offered to it good or bad, the natural law that makes some foods unclean applies, not a stone saying so!!
Praying for you as you seek to educate your friends about our True God.
A Comment from John
ReplyDeletePaul's counsel still stands in religion, but it really is all meaningless, eat what is available and wholesome. :)
I believe it all comes down to what I believe, and why I believe what I believe. If what I believe gives me confidence, and enjoyment, mixing with people of other faiths is not an issue. However, if not, then I am always on the defensive when it comes to mixing with people of other beliefs. The fear is caused by an insecurity in ones personal belief. You are secure in what you believe, and therefore very comfortable in mixing with people of other beliefs. Your parameters are set, whereas some with you did not have clear parameters in their life yet. Their beliefs are not yet their own at this juncture in their lives. This is not to elevate or put down anyone down, and has nothing to do with good or bad. These are simply two states of being. We are commissioned to love one another, which involves gentleness, and sensitivity with one another.
ReplyDeleteWell stated! Needless to say I was surprised at the very real and evident fear a few displayed.
Delete