Liberty Restrained

Robert E. Hall
Tarrytown United Methodist Church

February 1, 2009

1 Corinthians 8: 1-13

Corinthians Christians had a problem. They lived in a cosmopolitan metropolis in which many different deities were worshipped. Their social life revolved around meals at restaurants and festivals. And at many of their meals, food that had been sacrificed to other so-called gods was served.

Many more educated Christians knew that they were free to eat the food because, after all, they knew that these gods were phony, that they had no power. There was only one God, after all.

But new believers, or children and youth, or those who were not so educated or sophisticated----and who had perhaps just been converted from one of those pagan religions----had scruples against eating this food that had been offered in sacrifice to other gods. When they would see their sisters or brothers sitting down to a meal in which food offered to idols was being served, they were scandalized! And when the educated believers saw their reaction, they would say the equivalent of “Get a life: don’t you know that we are free to eat this food now?”

We’ve come a long way since then! Our whole mind set regarding food has changed. We are still fascinated by the subject of food, but for different reasons.

But Paul’s advice speaks to us nevertheless in at least two ways.

Paul tells the Corinthians that they need to be careful how they accommodate themselves to the practices which threaten their belief in one God, revealed in Jesus Christ;

and, how their actions can trip up the young or the new Christian, sending conflicting signals.

The issue is the ancient threat: idolatry. Imagine God thundering to Charlton Heston (Moses): “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Martin Luther wrote that that to which your heart clings is your god. Grabs hold of, that which you listen to and obey, the one that “calls the shots.”

Idolatry is subtle. We tip toe into trusting other so-called gods. What do you and I actually trust will make us happy? Saved? Secure? Prosperous?

To whom do we turn for shelter in the storms of life?

There are many answers to life’s enduring questions, fed to us daily in many forms. They come packaged as certain kinds of cars, clothes, schools, zip codes, education levels, certain electronic devices.

 Or even acquisitiveness itself!

You have no doubt seen the TV commercial showing a cool guy with type A computer and the other, a nerd with type B. Which is the person you would like to be like? And, now, we have a counter-commercial, with really cool people telling us that they use type B and they really are cool people too!

Or the pickup truck ads in which a former pro football player confronts another fellow in a different make pickup truck, one which has a heated steering wheel. Now which is the manly man truck? We know.

We take these as amusing entertainment, most of the time. But the message sticks for many people: that is the whole point. To be a cool guy or gal, you will want to be like this person.

You see, there is nothing bad about any of these items; we do not worship these items as such. What we are tempted to cling to is the image of ourselves being fulfilled, or happy, or cool or smart or attractive by owning or using these items.

I once fell in love with a certain brand car. I did not worship the car; I clung to myself pictured in that car!

Now what does this have to do with Paul’s ancient advice?

Paul was an able student of human nature. He knew how vulnerable we all are.

Yes, we believe in one God, and that the other things and images that capture our devotion have no real power over us----and yet! And yet we can be led away to rely on these other things instead of God for our fulfillment, our wisdom and our peace of mind.

And newer believers, or those who are young, may get confused by our mixed signals. We may know that all of the idols of our time cannot make us happy. But new believers, who have said no to these other deities and are learning their way into the faith, may fall back into old ways.

So, our freedom must be restrained, for the sake of those who are learning from us.

A trivial (?) example: horoscopes. I may read what the Libras are supposed to be doing today and chuckle. It is a tongue in cheek observation.  But behind the astrological charts is the belief that our lives are determined by the alignment of the stars not by the guiding hand of a Shepherding God. Can the young see that we are just playing?

Or, our communication of our belief in Lady Luck: that life is just one big roll of the dice, instead of the belief that God works in all things for good with those who love the Lord. We may not believe this, but our talk is riddled with it. Do we sow seeds of disillusionment among the new believers?

Or, on a deadly serious plane, our communication that the poor of the earth are to blame for their dire straits and that we have no real responsibility to make their lives better,

-------instead of the belief that the poor are blessed in God’s coming kingdom, and that Christ himself meets us in the needful whom we touch with healing hands. We may not believe this, but …….our language sometimes betrays our true beliefs.

Here’s the point: When we trust in God in Christ Jesus, we are freed from bondage to sin and death and no other things, even good things can take the place of God.

And, no rules can completely explain the love of God and neighbor. But a life lived in service to the Gospel and in the church which is the steward of this Gospel, means that I must always ask myself,

“Will this behavior, attitude, practice, build up my  sisters and brothers in Christ?” or, in Paul’s words, “We are free to do anything. Yes, but not everything is good for us…..and not everything builds up the community.”

Have an eye out for the influence you have on seekers, on those who have, with great bravery, found their way into the church. And for the children and youth who are piecing the fabric of faith together a day at a time.

The only gospel many people will ever read is the gospel written by you.