Who is Truly Weak and Who is Truly Strong?

The Weak and the Strong

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 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. 4 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. 5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
This is a very interesting passage written by Paul that if it were properly understood would have avoided a lot of pain and hurt in the church over the past 2,000 years.  Paul uses an example that was relevant in his day to make the point.  In Paul's days some Christians did not want to eat meat for fear it might be meat from animal, who had been strangled and offered in a pagan sacrifice.  Or, perhaps it related to dietary requirements in the Old Testament related to eating meat.  So, when Paul talks about the brother or sister who doesn't eat meat he calls their faith "weak".  The supposedly stronger brother or sister who can eat anything should not look down on this "weaker brother or sister".  
In what sense is this person's faith weak?  The only sensible answer is that this person's faith is weak in that they think what they eat will determine what God thinks about them.  They are relying more their observance of the rules than the relationship God has with them through Christ.  Paul says in another passage, "To the clean all things things are clean."  He says in Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ Jesus has set us free, stand firm then and do not be burdened again by the yoke of slavery."
Paul uses a different example of what day the people set aside as holy.  The Jewish Christians they the Sabbath Day, as Friday night sundown through sundown on Saturday night.  The early Christians celebrated their Sabbath on Sunday as a reminder of the day Jesus rose from the dead.  Some people think you can worship any day of the week.  And really does it matter?  At a church I used to belong to that wanted to reach people outside the church, they made Sunday the seeker service where they deliberately planned the service for those who were "unchurched".  Wednesday night became the service for those who were already Christians.  It had a longer and deeper message and longer times for praising God.  Some criticized the church because they didn't think Sunday morning should be look that way. Paul is saying it is not the day you worship but who you worship and why you worship. Everything else is secondary.  
If you are abstaining from meat for the Lord, then do it for the Lord, but don't judge others who do eat meat.  If you don't drink for the Lord do it for the Lord, but don't judge others who do drink.  If you think Saturday is a holier day than Sunday, do it for the Lord, but don't judge others who worship on Sundays.    Most importantly don't judge others by your own piety.  I have seen so many times in the church and in my life where I have done something for God and then looked down on others because they weren't as "spiritual" as I was.  I realize now it was all prideful and self-glorifying not God glorifying.  
So brothers and sisters whatever you do, do it for the Lord and don't worry about what others think.  Don't expect others to do what you do and don't judge them if they don't.  As you stay focused on Jesus your service to him will be pure and bring you and others lots of joy!

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