VII.
Today listen as Paul tells us –

“For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” (vv 17-19)

The phrase “mutual upbuilding” captures my attention.

Read this passage again with the above verses and our goal of “mutual upbuilding” in mind.

VIII.
Romans 14:10-23 (NRSVue)

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

So then, each one of us will be held accountable.

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who considers it unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be slandered. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong to make someone stumble by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. Hold the conviction that you have as your own before God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat because they do not act from faith, for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

IX.
My reading of this passage suggests that Paul wants us to focus on “righteousness, peace … joy … mutual upbuilding.”

Well, maybe more than focus. Maybe our life as it is lived in Christian community should be founded on such.

Let’s go a step beyond that. Our life as disciples of Jesus should always seek to express “righteousness, peace … joy … mutual upbuilding” in all our relationships.

Take a moment to consider what might hinder us in this.

And then consider what might help us to relate to others this way.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}