Back in university, a friend of mine invited about a dozen people to her family’s house in Vermont for a weekend of skiing. I jumped at the chance, it was goign to be some of the best skiing I’d ever done, and a free place to stay was amazing.

There was one rule.  Don’t bring food!

What?

No meals.  We’d eat out as a group.  No snacks.  She’d provide them all.

Why?  The family keeps a kosher house, and so it was just easier if none of us brought any food, than for us all to figure out the rules.

This was a family trying to live by the laws laid out in the Jewish Torah, what Christians would call the first five books of the Old Testament. The aim was to keep their home “clean”.  If any pork, shellfish,cheese mixed with meat, or other “unclean” foods contaminated their home, it would contaminate them before God, rendering them unclean.

For a Christian like me to enter their home, or any non-Jew for that matter, I had certain rules to follow.

These were their rules, not mine.  I don’t practice that at my home, or anywhere, but if I wanted to enjoy their hospitality I needed to comply.

Why?

This week we’re going to explore why Christians without a Jewish background don’t follow these dietary laws from the Old Testament today.

But first, a question for you to consider.

Question: Have you ever visited a home, a place of worship, or a country where you were asked to comply with certain religious practices?  Share that story with your group.

Meeting with a Group?  Your discussion questions are in this week’s Group Study Guide

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