Christian Controversies - What to Eat

Romans 14:1-7

Message No. 0785 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

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The best way to ignite disunity and quarrel among people is to find them something to argue about. Empires fall, and lives are destroyed because of disagreements based on matters that don’t matter. In christianity, one of such trivial matters is food. People argue about what should or should not be eaten. This is a trick of the enemy, and this week, we encourage believers not to fall for it.

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One of my managers traveled frequently, and was occasionally upgraded by airlines. On one trip, he was fortunate to be upgraded to first class. It was his first first class experience in an aircraft. Unknown to him, he sat in the company of people who had strong opinions about food. They were kosher. When the crew brought food for them and he pointed to the bread that he wanted, the server asked him to pick it up, but the passenger beside him exclaimed, c’mon, how could you give this unclean bread to this man. Though my manager did not care what type of bread he got, because of the people around, he pretended to be kosher too, and asked for the bread to be changed.

Christian denominations don't agree on all things, and one of the areas of disagreement is food. While some christians stick to the Old Testament Law of Moses, for instance, eating of pork (and other four-footed animals) is prohibited as pigs are considered unclean, others take their clues from the vision of Peter in Acts chapter ten, where he saw heaven open and a sheet containing all manner of animals descended and presented to him to kill and eat. Peter objected, as he believed that those animals were unclean, but he was corrected and told to not refer to anything God had cleansed as common or unclean. Based on this, for this set of believers, anything goes, there are no prohibitions.

In between these two endpoints, believers believe many different things, and not only are there differences in what to eat, there’s also differences in when to eat. Some do not eat meat on Fridays because they continue to mourn the day of the week when Jesus was crucified. Others abstain from meat on Wednesdays because they feel it is not good to eat meat on the day Jesus was betrayed. Unfortunately, divisions arise among children of God based on something as trivial as food. Denominations speak against denominations, and members distance themselves from members, as they believe that one person’s christianity is not authentic.

But why argue, and who is correct? In Romans chapter 14, Paul dedicated a section of his letter to clearing arguments and confusions of this type. In verses 1-4, Paul wrote:

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

As far as the New Testament is concerned, food should never cause division among believers. Because in verses 14-17 of the same chapter, Paul balanced his message by elaborating further:

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The devil will always want believers to argue about something, and to disbelieve something, and to despise other believers because they don’t believe the same things as they believe. We all ought to know that there is no denomination in heaven. The Kingdom of God is one, just as our God is one. God has given us liberty and the ability to take decisions as we deem fit, provided that we are not walking in disobedience to God. There is no need to criticize your fellow brother or sister in matters as inconsequential as food. 

There are more important things to care about in the household of faith, such as winning the lost to Christ, and living holy so our lives can be examples to those who do not believe, and so we do not miss eternity ourselves. Don't fall for the trick of the enemy. Let us keep our eyes fixed on the Author and Finisher of our faith. As the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12:13, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

What to Do?

Stop arguing or despising anyone based on food. It is inconsequential, and a diversion from matters of importance.