This evening we will address the issue of discretion, as it pertains to the laws God has given us to live by, and how this issue is used in some instances to save lives or to illegally alter God’s laws as the case might be. Christians should be very careful not to change what God has clearly stated, in order to adapt to a particular circumstance, even when it may become necessary to violate that which is written. The issue of discretion therefore must be studied carefully so as to avoid a pharisaical indifference to the needs of humanity, on the one hand, while indulging a form of irreverent liberalism on the other.
There are instances where a person, or individuals did that which was wrong, but were designated as guiltless in the sight of God, because of a particular circumstance, or because God had commanded it. In other instances, some presumed to do the very same wrong, and were pronounced guilty, and that is why we must know the difference. Still, in other cases, God permitted wrongs to be done, because the human race was in its infancy, and needed time to adapt to the ongoing revelation of His will.
His permissive will should never be mistaken for His ideal especially after abundant knowledge has been given. For instance, in the days of the Hebrews wine or alcoholic beverages were permitted, not because God endorsed its use, but because of the clamors of the people, and because it was common practice in those days. Thus, God permitted its use until a fuller revelation of His will, and the adverse consequences of drinking were made known. So, those who thus drank, like Noah, David, and Lot, did that which was wrong, but were not guilty, because sufficient light and instruction had not yet been given on the issue.
But now, in the 21st century, with all of the relevant information pertaining to the adverse effects on our minds and bodies, as well as the laws against D.U.I, those who were guiltless in times past, would in our day be guilty for indulging in the very same practice. As light, and knowledge becomes more available to us, God expects a corresponding adherence to what He has clearly stated in His word. Let’s read:
Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Deuteronomy 14:22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.
24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee:
25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose:
26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household.
Some may question why God did not give them the information about alcoholic beverages back then, so that they could be correctly informed as to the dire consequences that accrue, and so that they might be able to make intelligent choices. The word of the Lord to us today is, don’t even go there, for He has caused abundant knowledge to be shed on our way regarding certain articles of food and yet most of us disregard His instructions, even with science to back up His word.
In other instances, God permitted the Hebrews to have slaves, not because He endorsed the practice, but because it was prevalent and socially acceptable in those days. So what God did was to introduce just laws and principles governing their management, so as to mitigate the unfair, and cruel treatment which had become so pervasive. In fact, the American civil war was a judgment from God upon the land, as a direct rebuke to the practice of slavery, but under no circumstances was slavery His ideal will, as is shown in Christ’s first declaration in the temple. Let’s read:
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Again, there are instances where God gave direct command to do that which is inherently unlawful, but because the human agents were enacting the decrees of the Most High, they were guiltless. But for someone in our day to use such instances as a precedent to carry out the very same acts, would be not only presumptuous on their part, but they will be guilty of sin in God’s sight. When God told Saul to smite Amalek, He was giving him the all-clear to kill, an act that is directly contrary to God’s moral law, but because the directive came from God, Saul was guiltless.
This past week, one death-row inmate was put to death in the state of Arkansas for crimes committed many years ago. The persons who thus carried out the execution were acting upon the directive of the judiciary, and therefore, are not guilty of murder, even though the act of killing itself is contrary to the letter of the moral law.
These issues, have become stumbling-blocks for some, and thus, must be clarified from the word of God, so that we may have a clear charter for action. Our study will therefore be focused on Matthew 12, in which an incident occurred which then prompted Christ to clarify the issue of discretion, and also His prerogative to make or break rules, whenever He sees fit.
The disciples were on a missionary journey with Christ, when they became hungry, so as they were passing through the fields of ripening grain, they plucked and freely ate of the produce, an action, which under different circumstances would be proscribed. But the Pharisees saw it as a flagrant violation of the letter of the law, and they raised a remonstrance about the incident to Christ. Let’s read:
Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.
Very serious and important issues pertaining to the implementation of the laws of God are raised here.
[1] Should God’s law be amended to cater for those instances when, like David, a person’s life may be in danger? For instance, in David’s case, he was very hungry, but could not be seen anywhere in public, because a nationwide warrant for his capture was in place. Thus, in the circumstances, he requested for personal use, that which was holy, since apparently, he had no other choice.
The tithe also is holy, and like the stipulations with the shewbread, is specifically reserved for certain purposes designated by God. Now, if for instance, a mother, and her three young children became very hungry, and all she had was her tithe set aside to be given into the treasury, does that experience with David, and the shew bread therefore give her a legal precedent to spend the tithe on groceries by Publix, for herself and her family, since life is more valuable than the tithe?
Would she be wrong, but not guilty? And is there an unwritten code of conduct, to be implemented only when cases of real emergency arise? If for instance, David’s case was to be used as a legal precedent for similar situations, then, would the floodgates of our individual discretion be opened? It is worthy of note that David did not presume to take the shewbread without asking the priest’s permission, therefore the onus was on the priest, not on David. Which leads us to our next point:
[2] When does discretion take precedence over the written law, and who determines what discretion is. Here in the sunshine state of Florida, the speed limit on most highways is 55 mph. But from time to time emergencies arise such as unexpected childbirth, or accidents, in which an individual may be grievously injured, with life threatening injuries. Should Florida law be amended to cater for these, and many other instances, and should the determination of a “Real emergency” be left up to discretion of each citizen?
To answer these pressing questions, the response of Christ should be studied closely, for if it is left open- ended, there is a possibility, and the likelihood that grave changes to God’s moral law would be made, all in the name of discretion. Thus, we should begin to understand the import of Christ’s candid answer, by the designation of each example, for it will shed great light on the immutability of His law. In the two cases, He specifically states that what was done was wrong, but the persons in question were guiltless.
If one was to be caught speeding at 100mph, in a 55mph zone, because a relative, or a child of theirs was experiencing a heart attack, the trooper may or may not let the person off the hook, because of the obvious emergency. However, he is duty bound to correctly designate the act of speeding for what it is. But because of his compassion, or his discretion, he dare not say to the speeding driver that what he was doing is right. Absolutely not, for then he would be presuming to interfere with the very foundation of the Florida statue. Let’s read:
Matthew 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Now, having dealt with the issue of designation, we must move on to the issue of discretion, for here is where it can get quite tricky. Discretion, in specific instances is never to be left up to the individual, but should come as a directive from the God of heaven. This principle applies even in cases where our own judgment may seem to suggest that a violation of the letter is warranted. Let’s take for instance, one valid question that was posed to us by a listener, a couple weeks ago.
A man entered the home of a woman, obviously bent on stealing, or doing her harm. The lady then pointed a gun at the intruder, upon which he then hurriedly made his escape, and the rest is history, for to all appearances, the woman in question did the right thing. Now it’s a good thing that she did not actually kill the intruder, however, the question arises as to whether or not it would have been okay to take the bandit’s life, acting upon her discretion. For answers, we must turn to the word of God to see what Christ do in a similar situation.
On several occasions, Jesus’ life was threatened, but in each instance, His response was in the currency of heaven. At one time, after a soul stirring sermon that stepped on the toes of His hearers, He was then taken to the brow of a precipice, to be thrown over, but he refused to respond in kind, and instead was hustled out by holy angels, because as far as He was concerned, His life was always in His Father’s hands, and thus, whatever befell Him, would be in accordance with God’s will. This is what living by faith really means. Let’s read:
Luke 4:24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way.
Sounds as if Christ used His supernatural power to disappear from the maddened throng, and if so, He employed some level of self-defense, or self-preservation in the process. Really? Let’s read:
[The truth About angels. Pp183>184] Angels of light were in that assembly, watching with intense interest the decision of the hour. Angels of Satan also were on the ground to suggest doubts and arouse prejudice. From unbelief sprung malice. That a man who had sprung from poverty and a lowly birth should dare to reprove them, filled the hearts of the Nazarenes with hatred amounting to madness. The assembly broke up in confusion. The people laid hands on Jesus, thrusting Him from the synagogue and out of their city.
All seemed eager for His destruction. They hurried Him to the brow of a steep precipice, intending to cast Him headlong from it. Shouts and maledictions filled the air. Some were casting stones, and dirt at Him; but suddenly He disappeared out of their midst, they knew not how, or when. Angels of God attended Jesus in the midst of that infuriated mob, and preserved His life. The heavenly messengers were by His side in the synagogue, while He was speaking; and they accompanied Him when pressed and urged on by the unbelieving, infuriated Jews. These angels blinded the eyes of that maddened throng, and conducted Jesus to a place of safety.
But the next example puts the icing on the cake, for it is quite difficult to avoid seeing the implementation of the issue of discretion, as it is demonstrated to be His singular prerogative. The law of God says explicitly, “Thou shalt not kill”. But there are those who believe that individual discretion, especially in cases of self-defense, might be warranted. Thus, to clear up the issue once and for all, Christ gives us a living example in real time. Let’s read:
John 18:3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
[The Desire Of Ages. pp 694] Standing in advance of His disciples He said, “Whom seek ye?” They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am He.” As these words were spoken, the angel who had lately ministered to Jesus moved between Him and the mob. A divine light illuminated the Savior's face, and a dovelike form overshadowed Him. In the presence of this divine glory, the murderous throng could not stand for a moment. They staggered back. Priests, elders, soldiers, and even Judas, fell as dead men to the ground.
The angel withdrew, and the light faded away. Jesus had opportunity to escape, but He remained, calm and self-possessed.
John 18:7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear.
11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
Matthew 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
The real issue for us as Christians, now living in a troubled and dangerous world, is whether we are willing to live in harmony with God’s law, no matter what the cost. And if so, whether we are willing to trust our lives, and property, entirely into the hands of the Almighty God. Therefore, in lieu of these and other introspect questions, it is in order for us to end with two passages of scripture which speak volumes to the fact that we too, can live and walk by faith, even as Christ did, and by doing so, we may safely navigate the snares of personal discretion in each emergency or trial. Let’s read:
Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have
done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
May God add his blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!