Throughout the ages there has been a case of ‘Mistaken Identity.’ It’s fooled Christ followers into wrong responses time and time again. It’s done other harmful things as well…
- It’s caused a disease to continue on ‘unchecked.’
- It’s caused the wrong individuals to take the fall.
- It’s sapped enthusiasm and passion from entire churches.
- It’s ‘puffed up’ the already arrogant.
- It’s driven the righteous underground.
- It’s moved motivations to caring about what man thinks over what God thinks…
And it’s done a lot worse.
Who am I talking about? Who is the misidentified individual? Scripture calls him, ‘The Weaker Brother.’
But just who is this ‘weaker brother?’ Most, in recent times have come to see him as the one who feels free in Christ to go places and try things—ok, I’ll get specific.
- This believer might still go to a bar—however, they aren’t going to get drunk, they’re going to reach out to the friends they still very much care about and, well, that’s where those friends still hang.
- This believer doesn’t break out in hives when they see another believer with a glass of wine (for more on that, check out last week’s podcast here).
- This Christ follower might visit another culture and participate in some of the things within that culture that make him uncomfortable at home (i.e. dance, foods, drinks, etc…) but are not really talked about at all in scripture.
- This Christ follower doesn’t have only one type of music they listen to and refer to all others as ‘Satan’s Music.’
- This Christ follower doesn’t spend all his time boycotting Santa and the Easter bunny.
- This Christ follower doesn’t usually talk about what he’s against nearly as much as what he’s for!
Doesn’t sound like a lot of church going folks you know does it? But the individual I just described is actually the ‘stronger brother’ talked about in scripture—not the weaker one.
Most have it backwards but if their analysis is right…Jesus was a weaker bother!
Uh Oh.