Romans 14

When God acts, He has a purpose.  We do not always understand his purpose, and in our lack of understanding, we incorrectly assign a wrong purpose.  In the early years of Israel as a nation, God gave them dietary laws.  Today, some people want to say those laws were given for the purpose of physical health.  Others believe God gave them as a means to help Israel in achieving a sense of social and communal identity.  Some people believe God intended them to be a source of religious identity.  I find myself agreeing most strongly with those who believe God intended for the dietary rules of Israel to create a cultural separation from the societies around them.  It is more difficult to interact with others when we cannot share a common meal.  We use food to bring people together in fellowship.  In the early years of Judaism God needed Israel to be separate from the influences of the pagan religions that surrounded them.  His plan was for them to come to know Him as their God, and that would not happen if He were constantly competing with pagan gods for their attention.  God did not intend that they would live in isolation forever.  He intended for them to become strong in their faith as He blessed them.  Then as God blessed them, they would become a blessing to the whole world.

Through the coming of Christ, Israel’s opportunity to bless the whole world found its fullest expression.  The Jewish nation rejected Christ and the opportunity for God to use them.  God formed the church and commissioned it to take the gospel into the entire world.  Many of the early churches, including the church a Rome, had a large percentage of Jewish believers.  Their dietary rules, having served a purpose, were now a hindrance.  Cultural separation will still hinder sharing the gospel.  For the sake of the gospel, we do not focus on our cultural differences.  We focus on our spiritual unity in Christ.