Putting The Concerns Of Others Ahead Of Your Own
by Dan Jones, M.D.
1 Corinthians 8:9-13
Be careful however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that 1 will not cause him to fall.
The request in the letter was a surprise. Some of my friends were organizing a medical team to go to a needy country for a two-week mission. The letter that had come from a Christian physician in that country mentioned a special request. It requested that we not bring anyone on the trip who was a smoker. The letter was from a physician in that country who had trained in the United States. He noted that he knew there were some Christian physicians in the US who smoked. Indeed, at the time this trip was being organized, smoking was still relatively common among health professionals in the US. While that was somewhat acceptable in the US, the physician went on to say that this was not considered acceptable behavior for Christians in the host country. The presence of a person on the Christian medical team who smoked would risk the witness and ministry of the entire team.
The team included several surgeons who were going to perform much needed surgery on children in that country. One of the key surgeons who had volunteered was a smoker. The leaders of the team prayed over this one long and hard before approaching the surgeon. Concerned about hurting their relationship with him, concerned about the relationships in the host country, and concerned about the impact on the medical care the team could provide if he was not present, they went to him and laid it out.
The surgeon responded with an understanding heart. Noting Paul's advice to the Corinthians not to do anything to cause another believer to stumble, he saw this as the opportunity he had been seeking for a reason to quit smoking.
In the situation in Corinth, Paul was clear to distinguish for the reader that eating meat offered to idols as a sacrifice was not sinful in itself. But anything that was discouraging to a fellow believer was not a good thing. Paul encouraged the believers in Corinth to put the feelings and concerns of others ahead of their own concerns. It’s good guidance for us today as we seek to understand how to deal with the gray issues of life.
Lord, give me the right attitude toward my brothers in Christ. Help me to be mindful of others feelings as I make decisions.
Dan Jones, M.D., MACP, FAHA, a board-certified Internist, a former medical missionary to Korea, professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dean of the School of Medicine, and Chancellor of the University of Mississippi until 2015. Dr. Dan Jones is a member of CMDA.
Dr. Jones welcomes any comments or questions about what he has written and can be reached at - djones@umc.edu
Rounds with the Master, Spiritual Pearls from the Great Physician Devotionals are released every Monday and Thursday.
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