Romans 14:12-14, “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. 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.”
1 Corinthians 10:23-24, “’I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything
is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive. No
one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”
These next few devotions, Seek and Serve, tie greatly into the last few devotions, Love and Obey. As we see Jesus telling and showing us throughout his life how to live in
peace with each other, in Luke 6 he also conveys boldness. Quite simply but boldly, he
declares himself Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5). He makes no question about it.
He knew the thoughts of his critics, which were firmly planted in the law of doing no
“work” on the Sabbath. Jesus put human need before the law by healing a man’s withered hand. He emphasized the true meaning of the Sabbath as ministering to the needs of others. “…keeping the Sabbath is grounded in understanding God’s heart, rather than developing increasingly detailed rules and exceptions.”1
When we read all of Romans chapter 14 it is convicting. It’s easy to say you can do what
you want, as I Cor. 10:23-24 puts it, “I have the right to do anything…”. Yes, you do. But
living out a life devoted to Christ and loving our neighbor, “bearing with one another,”
does not allow us to ‘do anything.’ We do have a responsibility to withhold our desires,
even when they are not sinful, if they will be a hindrance to someone else at the time.
Those aren’t my words! You read them above. Need more? 1 Cor. 10:24, “Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.” 1 Cor. 8:9, “Be careful, however
that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” Last
one, Matt. 18:6, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to
stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck
and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Hold on. That’s serious. We truly impact
others by our actions and words. And God means business about us loving others with
our words and actions. Talk about boldness.
So before we think this means we shouldn’t offend anyone with our Christian values and
the Good News of Christ’s forgiveness and gift of salvation, that is not what we’re talking
about. We most certainly should be bold in standing up for Christ. If we see nothing else,
this is what Luke chapter 6 shows us. Jesus unabashedly stands up for what is right.
Romans 14:12-14 is referring to acting in a way that would cause someone to sin. We can
be a stumbling block “when we exercise [our] freedom at the expense of those who are
weak”.2
Read the passage of Luke chapter 6:1-11. It may see Jesus is just breaking the rules, but we see that isn’t the case. The Sabbath wasn’t created to be a burden or for lots of rules and regulations to be followed. God created the Sabbath so our human bodies could rest and be restored. It is to be a blessing. And, in this passage Jesus calls himself “Lord of the Sabbath,” exercising authority over the Old Testament law, and that he can interpret this law rightly.
How do you observe a Sabbath in your week? God wants our bodies, minds and spirit to have a time of restoration. Take time this week to allow God to bring restoration. In your daily prayer times, reflect on the people in your life and intentions behind your choices when you are with them. Ask God to help you see what causes you and them to stumble and give you the strength to walk away from those things, thoughts, words, etc.
New memory verse for the next few devotionals, Luke 6:37, “Judge not, and God won’t judge you; don’t be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you; forgive others, and God will forgive you;”.
1<https://www.theologyofwork.org/new-testament/luke/sabbath-and-work-luke/> Assessed Jun 3, 2025.
2Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, p. 1014. Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1986
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