Someone Else's Servant
Word Unpacked: Devotionals in Romans
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"If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." — Romans 14:8 (NIV)
Who are we judging right now?
Nothing dramatic. Just the small moments. Someone's worship style seemed too loose — or too stiff. Someone's faith looked too relaxed — or too strict. A meal, an outfit, a way of raising kids — something small enough that we barely noticed ourselves forming an opinion. We've all been there.
The church in Rome had its own version of this. Some believers kept careful rules about food, down to nearly nothing but vegetables. Others ate anything without a second thought. The same split showed up around special days — some kept the old festivals carefully, others treated every day exactly the same. Paul doesn't call these two groups "liberals" and "conservatives." He calls them "weak" and "strong." And the labels land where we'd least expect them.
Paul's first move catches everyone off guard. He doesn't rule on who's right. He asks a completely different question — one that turns the whole argument on its head. Try imagining it this way: writing an evaluation for someone who has never worked under you. However much their work style bothers you, that evaluation was never yours to write.
But there's a second layer hiding underneath that question — one that turns back on whoever's asking it.
