By Pastor Greg
A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. He was aghast to discover that it was a rat trap. Retreating to the farmyard the rat proclaimed the warning; "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!" The chicken said, "Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me." The pig told him, "I am so very sorry Mr. Rat; there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers." The cow said, "Like wow, Mr. Rat. A rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?" So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's rat trap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rat trap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail was in the trap. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. However, his wife's sickness continued to get worse, and many friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get well. She died, and so many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.
The moral of the story is: when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk. LORD, teach us to live as a community.
There are many attributes that should be found within the Christian who has fully realized what God the Father has done for them. The believer who understands the depth of Christ’s work upon the cross should respond to that sacrifice by being transformed into a person unlike the rest of the world. They should become genuine, respectful, and loving toward all people. But also a Christian should begin to realize that they no longer live for themselves. In response to all that God has done for them, a Christian needs to develop a sense of community; to be considerate of other people. Paul speaks of this in Romans 14:1-13.
A Christian has a responsibility to consider the affairs of others. A Christian needs to consider how their actions might affect the faith of another believer. A Christian should live as part of a community; as a member of one body, fully aware that their actions do have an effect on those around them. And this considerate attitude is so important that Paul says “each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). Paul is not talking about our salvation here. That’s already been settled. But here he says that even our considerate attitude will be evaluated by the Lord when He judges the faithful service of all believers.
An inconsiderate Christian does not care how their words and actions affect another person. But an inconsiderate Christian also passes judgment against others; even other Christians. Paul gives two examples that had become major issues in the Roman church. One was dietary restrictions and the other focused on which day was the right day for worship. And it seems these two issues had become more important than the Great Commission; more important than sharing the Good News of Christ with the people of this world. So rather than laboring for the Lord, these Christians were building a kingdom of straw and dry grass; things that will burn up in the end.
The lesson for today’s church is obvious. The Kingdom of God is to be built upon things that last and endure; in other words, built upon the promises of Christ, not the latest trends or fads or issues circulating through the church. The Kingdom of God is not built upon whether you speak in tongues or not, or whether you are a pacifist or not. It is built upon the Word of the Lord and Christ alone. But sadly, the inconsiderate attitude found within the Roman Church is still found today. Even today, personal beliefs about issues have become more important than faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul’s point in this section can best be summarized in verse 13. “Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall”. As Christians we no longer have the freedom to think only of ourselves. As Christians we represent the Lord. And as the Lord's ambassador, we must consider those around us. But my, oh my, is this a difficult task. It is so easy to flippantly disregard those around us, saying they are the one with the problem. Like Cain we mutter "Am I my brother's keeper"?
By becoming a believer, we become the Lord’s servant. And interestingly enough, the person in the pew next to you is a servant as well. We all have the same Master. As servants, we should be busy working for the Lord. And I have found that busy hands have little time for criticism. People who are busy winning souls to Christ have more important things to do than to investigate the lives of the saints![1] We’ve forgotten that we are all co-laborers for Christ.
Somehow the church has lost the concept of community. Even within the Church you will find little regard for how the actions or attitudes of one may impact the many. But this attitude should not be found among Christians, says Paul. A Christian has lost the right to act any way they choose or say anything they wish. Yes, you have even lost the right to speak your mind without regard to how your words might affect those around you. We belong to the Lord, says Paul, whether we live or whether we die. And as the Lord’s, our right must be replaced with responsibility.
[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Ro 14:4). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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