Trending
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
"Knowledge puffs up but love builds up," It's true. Paul encountered people like that in the early church. Some looked down on those who weren't as well educated or as sophisticated. Some were not only elitist in their cultural preferences, but also in their politics, in their social relationships and even in their faith.
Christianity was a very liberating force in the lives of the earliest followers of Jesus. Most had been drawn from the Jewish faith. They had once lived under the law with the burden of the legalisms of that day. But Christ had set them free from all that. And they were proud of their freedom and flaunted it. Paul could understand that. He himself wrote eloquently of the freedom Christ gives. But Paul had a higher vision and an even more tender heart. He knew freedom had a double edge.
Many of the more recent converts to Christianity had been worshiping idols before they came to Christ. And part of their worship involved sacrificing food to idols. Afterwards they'd feast on that food. This was a social event as well as a religious duty. Should they continue to patronize these feast events after giving their hearts to Christ?
Certainly, said some. After all, idols aren't real. But the food and the fellowship are still good. What possible harm could there be to continue participating in the social part of these events even though they were now followers of Christ?
Well, there was a possibility of a great deal of harm. What if a new believer, still insecure in their faith, saw them eating food offered to idols and thought they still believed in idol-worship even after becoming Christians? These newer believers might fall back into worshiping idols themselves. So, Paul encourages these Christians in Corinth, not to let their superior understanding of faith cause them to be a stumbling block to others. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
It's not our intellect that marks us as followers of Christ, but our love. Growing in our knowledge may puff us up, but rather than looking down on others, God wants us to use what we know to find ways to build up others. Jesus was an encourager. He lifted people up–he didn't put them down. And that's what you and I are encouraged to do, as well.
It is not enough to not hate people or do them no harm. We are to be sensitive to the needs of others and find ways to do good for them.
In his book, "Letters to Phillip," Charlie Shedd shared a story about a woman who suffered a car accident. She called her husband as soon as she could to tell him.
Seemingly oblivious to her condition, he asked, "How much damage did you do to the car?" "Whose fault, was it?" Then he told her, "Listen, darling, don't admit a thing. You call the insurance company and I'll call the lawyer. We can beat this thing."
His wife said little until this point. Then, she asked, "Well, do you have any more instructions or questions?"
"No," he said, "I think that about covers it."
"Oh, does it?" She fumed. "In case you're interested, I'm at the hospital with five broken ribs."
Certainly, none of us would act like that! But how amazing it would be if we were sensitive to the needs of others and committed ourselves to building them up. We all need encouragement to be all we can be, don't we?
Consider a woman who brought her new baby and seven-year-old son to the office. Everyone gathered around the baby, and the little boy asked, "Mommy, can I have some money to buy a soda?"
"What do you say?" she asked. Everyone expected him to say, "Please may I have some money to buy a soda?"
What he said, however, was: "You're thin and beautiful."
The woman reached into her purse and gave her son the money.
We all need encouragement, don't we? And so do the people we live with, the people we work with, the people we meet each day.
The truth is little people tear other people down. Little people abuse others and take advantage of them. Just imagine the difference it would make if we all resolved to give positive affirmations!
Eric discovered that. Eric Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea was an unlikely hero of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. The 22-year-old African had only learned to swim the January before. He had only practiced in a twenty-meter pool without lane markers and had never raced more than fifty meters. By special invitation of the International Olympic Committee, under a special program that permits poorer countries to participate even though their athletes don't meet customary standards, he'd been entered in the hundred-meter men's freestyle.
When the other two swimmers in his heat were disqualified because of false starts, Eric was forced to swim alone. Eric was, according to the Associated Press, "charmingly inept." He never put his head under the water and flailed wildly to stay afloat. With ten meters left to the wall, he virtually came to a stop. Some spectators thought he might drown! Even though his time was over a minute slower than what he would need to qualify for the next level of competition, the capacity crowd at the Olympic Aquatic Center stood and cheered Eric on.
After what seemed like an eternity, this young man reached the wall and hung on for dear life. When he had caught his breath and regained his composure, Eric said through an interpreter, "I want to send hugs and kisses to the crowd. It was their cheering that kept me going."
Wouldn't it be nice if our young people could say late in life, "It was the cheering of my family and friends and so many others that kept me going?" Wouldn't it be great if those who've been through a terrible illness could say later, "It was the cheering of so many others that kept me going?"
Knowledge puffs up but love builds up. So, let's use what we know to find ways to build one another up with the love of Christ.
•••
Rev. Charles Eldredge is a member of Maitland Church of the Brethren. He has a Facebook page and can be contacted by email: ce1133 @verizon.net.