Our Great Example Series

Paul has been talking about caring for the weaker brother in the faith, urging the strong to act responsibly and flaunt their freedom and become a stumbling block to the weak.

• The strong ought to walk in love and that means laying down their rights for the good of the weak.

• The benefit of certain actions like “eating meat” is so insignificant compared to the value of limiting my freedom to bless a weaker brother.

Paul concludes this subject beautifully in the next section (Rom 15:1-13), by drawing our attention to Jesus Christ, our great example.

• This conclusion is necessary and right because Jesus is and must be our common focus and rallying point, as believers of Christ.

• He brought us together and He alone unites us in the midst of all the diversity of views and practices. Listen to what Paul says in summary:

Romans 15:1-7

1We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, to build him up. 3For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

THE EXAMPLE CHRIST SET FOR US

Christ set us the example. Like Him, we are to bear with the failings of the weak and not please ourselves.

• The strong have “ an obligation” Paul says, the responsibility to care for the weak. It’s like we owe it to them because we are the stronger ones.

This is the mind of God revealed to us in the OT. God has been instructing His people Israel to care for the poor, widows, orphans, and the aliens among them.

• Those who are powerful in our world tend to take advantage of the weak, but as people of God, we are to lift the weak and help them stand with us.

• Jesus tells His disciples not to be like the rulers of the Gentiles who lord it over their subjects (Matt 20:25-28).

• He says “whoever would be great among you must be your servant,27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Paul says it twice in different ways: “Bear with his failings” (v.1) and “please him for his good, to build him up” (v.2). Two ways of describing the same thing.

• We are to support him in the areas of his weakness and we are to build him up so that he can gain the strength to stand up.

• We don’t leave him to struggle on his own, and we don’t leave him where he is.

• The welfare of the weak is our concern because it is the Lord’s concern.

• It is our obligation and responsibility to aid them in their spiritual growth.

This is a noble thing to do, but Paul directs our attention to Christ. This is the Christlike thing to do. It is what Jesus Himself would do.

• Christ did not please Himself but chose to “suffer the reproach of men” for our good. He quoted David’s experience in Psalm 69:9 to highlight his point.

• Paul uses his words: “the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me” to describe the insults Jesus received from men who are against God.

Jesus did not seek to please Himself. He was thinking of our good when He came, suffered and died for our sin.

• It reminds me of Phil 2 that Paul wrote later on to the Philippians about the attitude of Christ.

• Phil 2:3-5 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus…

Does the strong Christian think he is making a great sacrifice by giving up some food and drink? Then look at Christ! Try measuring your sacrifice with that of Christ’s.

• Nothing matches the sacrifice at Calvary, carried out solely with our welfare in mind.