Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
— Romans 14:1-4, 13-19

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The Table of Grace
By Jennifer Kane

You feast on greens, I bless my bread,
Each nourished soul by mercy fed.
Yet quarrels rise like smoke and flame,
Each claiming God to back their claim.

But Christ, who dined with saint and thief,
Served truth with tenderness and grief.
He broke His bread for every heart,
And love—not diet—set apart.

Why judge the one whose plate you see,
When God has welcomed both, and free?
The kingdom’s not in food or drink,
But righteousness and peace that link.

Let every bite remind our soul,
That love, not menu, makes us whole.
For in the kitchen, church, and street,
It’s hearts—not habits—that should meet.

So lay aside your prideful tone,
Each table is the Lord’s alone.
If Christ accepts both strong and weak,
Then peace and joy are what we seek.

~~~~~

Scripture: Romans 14:1-4, 13-19

The church in Rome was divided over a seemingly trivial issue: diet. Some believers, likely former idol-worshippers, felt free to eat any meat, while others, perhaps concerned about meat previously sacrificed to idols, conscientiously abstained, eating only vegetables. The issue wasn’t the food itself, but the judgmental hearts surrounding it.

Each group looked at the other with suspicion and spiritual superiority. The “meat-eaters” likely dismissed the “vegetarians” as weak, legalistic, and faithless. The “vegetarians” probably judged the “meat-eaters” as unspiritual, compromise-prone, and unholy. The real problem wasn’t on their plates, but in their hearts.

Can you think of a modern equivalent in the church today? Perhaps it’s styles of worship, personal convictions about entertainment, parenting choices, or political opinions. It’s easy to create our own “meat-eater vs. vegetarian” divisions, passing judgment based on our personal standards rather than God’s eternal truth.

The temptation to judge others unfairly is not a new problem. Scripture repeatedly calls God’s people to a higher standard.

Paul’s solution in Romans 14 is not for one side to win the theological debate. His solution is love.

“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” (Romans 14:13)

The call is twofold:
1. Inwardly: To stop the critical thought before it becomes a condemning word.
2. Outwardly: To actively consider how our “freedom” might cause a fellow believer to stumble in their faith.

Our primary goal is not to be “right,” but to be righteous. Righteousness, as Paul defines it in this context, is about “peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). The Kingdom of God is not about meat or drink, but about living in a way that builds others up (Romans 14:19).

In my pursuit of my own freedoms in Christ, am I inadvertently causing a younger or weaker believer to stumble?
What one step can I take this week to build a “bridge of understanding” with someone I disagree with, rather than judging them from a distance?

~~~~~

Lord Jesus, you are the only righteous Judge. Forgive me for the times I have quickly passed judgment on my brothers and sisters, seeing only their actions and not their hearts. Forgive me for the times my freedom has become a stumbling block to others. Fill me with your Spirit of wisdom and understanding. Help me to pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification. Give me the courage to extend the same grace to others that you have so lavishly poured out on me. May my life be a source of unity and joy in your Church, not one of division and strife. Amen.

October 27 2025