What Jesus or Paul did in specific circumstances is not necessarily what I should do. Biblical examples are written as possibilities, as learning tools, and as a means for us to know God. But if we do not depend on the Holy Spirit to show us how to handle each circumstance individually, we might as well go back under the law! If we are going to take the examples in the Bible and set them as a rule, a law for every circumstance we come across, then we have taken God out of our lives and replaced Him with legalities! Only God knows the details of every situation and the condition of each heart involved, so while I have a set of possible solutions written down for me, the Holy Spirit must lead to the correct handling of each situation.
Consider the time when
Jesus was teaching at the temple and the Pharisees brought to Him a
woman caught in adultery. According to the law, which Jesus was living
under at the time, the woman should have been stoned to death (Lev.
20:10). But Jesus knew her heart AND the hearts of those who brought
her before Him: they were testing Him and using her to do it. They
weren’t concerned about her actions or even her affect on society, and
they may have set her up so they could catch her in adultery and use her
in their plan. In fact, the law called for both the man and the woman
to be stoned, but the Pharisees brought only the woman to Jesus as a
means of suiting their wicked plans. They were scheming to find a way
to condemn Jesus as a lawbreaker and false teacher: they wanted to
discredit Him and regain the allegiance of the people.
Jesus response to their accusations and testing was mercy: “If any of you is without sin, throw the first stone” (John 8:7). This was the perfect solution to the problem, the perfect answer to the woman’s sin AND the sin of the Pharisees. Mercy is an open door for examination of one’s heart; a road which leads to repentance! But if Jesus had promoted the stoning of this woman, the opportunity for repentance would have been missed and the Pharisees would have gathered steam in their war on Jesus. As it was, each of those Pharisees, and the others gathered around Jesus who were ready to throw a stone, became convicted and quietly left the scene!
What if Jesus had promoted a lynching of sorts? What if He had taken the legalities of the Word and thrust them as a weapon into the situation, stirring the crowd around Him? Where would the conviction of the accusers have come in? The best solution was that which was guided by the heart of God, and also supported by the Word: “Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matt 9:13, Hos 6:6).
God knows the hearts of all involved in every situation, and it is only He that can direct us into a perfect solution. He knows the motives of our own hearts, and if we are willing, He will take us outside of those motives and use us to bring about His perfect response and solution. Let the Word wash and cleanse and change our hearts, but let it not be a set of legalities and rules which we slap down on every circumstance: in doing this, we dismiss the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about God’s perfect will and resolution in the events of our lives!
Jesus response to their accusations and testing was mercy: “If any of you is without sin, throw the first stone” (John 8:7). This was the perfect solution to the problem, the perfect answer to the woman’s sin AND the sin of the Pharisees. Mercy is an open door for examination of one’s heart; a road which leads to repentance! But if Jesus had promoted the stoning of this woman, the opportunity for repentance would have been missed and the Pharisees would have gathered steam in their war on Jesus. As it was, each of those Pharisees, and the others gathered around Jesus who were ready to throw a stone, became convicted and quietly left the scene!
What if Jesus had promoted a lynching of sorts? What if He had taken the legalities of the Word and thrust them as a weapon into the situation, stirring the crowd around Him? Where would the conviction of the accusers have come in? The best solution was that which was guided by the heart of God, and also supported by the Word: “Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matt 9:13, Hos 6:6).
God knows the hearts of all involved in every situation, and it is only He that can direct us into a perfect solution. He knows the motives of our own hearts, and if we are willing, He will take us outside of those motives and use us to bring about His perfect response and solution. Let the Word wash and cleanse and change our hearts, but let it not be a set of legalities and rules which we slap down on every circumstance: in doing this, we dismiss the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about God’s perfect will and resolution in the events of our lives!
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