A few months ago a close friend and I were in the car on the way back from a Bible study. There is a spot where our off ramp becomes an on ramp for another highway and we are supposed to merge. At the same time, the exact same thing is happening with another off ramp and they are supposed to yield to my on ramp as we all try to merge onto the highway. This particular day, as our off ramp reached the spot the other off ramp connects to it, a semi truck decided it would in fact not yield and continued driving toward the highway. As it continued to drive towards my passenger door, I hit my breaks and pulled the car towards the guard rail on my left, while I waited for the semi truck to pass.
I was not supposed to have to yield for that semi, but I did. I could have continued driving and let the semi crash into the passenger side and risk my friend's life. I could have easily said it was the truck driver's fault because he sped up past that yield sign and into my lane. It would not have been my fault. But that would have been incredibly stupid! I was perfectly capable of stopping and keeping everyone safe even though I did not "have to".
Sometimes, as Christians, we find ourselves in scenarios where we have to yield for other people. In Romans, Paul talked about choosing not to do things because of how it would effect other people. Take a look at these three verses:
~Romans 14:15 "If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died."
~Romans 14:19 "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
~Romans 14:21 "It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall."
We can pretty easily get the point that we should not be doing something if it will hurt a brother or sister in Christ. It would have been very difficult for a Jewish convert to see Gentile, or even other Jewish believers eating certian types of meat. While it is not a sin, it would have been a stumbling block for someone else. That is reason enough, according to these verses, to yield to what that person needs.
In Matthew 18:6, Jesus says "But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me--it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea!" He takes this pretty seriously. If our actions could hurt one of His children it is never worth it to do it. No matter how okay we believe it is. Yielding to other believers like this may not always feel fair or make sense but it is something our Lord is serious about. Why not obey Him in this?
