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- - -------:---'-----=-bY-Jon
Hill
WHYNOT
READ
BETWEEN THE LINES?
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f by sorne supernatural power everyone on earth were
forced to tell the truth, we would undoubtedly have
worldwide chaos, the end of civilization as we know
it- within an hour!
What are poor Christian sheep to do in the midst of
all these wolves? Sadly, too many, with wholesome
sincerity, try to "believe all things" as the "!ove chap–
ter" (1 Corinthians 13) seems to admonish. But the
application of biblical truths takes balance, wisdom and
sometimes painful experience. What with statements
like "turn the other cheek," "render unto Caesar that
which is Caesar's" and "Jet every soul be subject unto
the higher powers," the Christian dove finds himself all
too often at a distinct disadvantage-unnecessarily so.
The Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God, the Son of
Man and the Son of God only "believed," "turned,"
"rendcred," or "was subject unto" when His judgment
of truth (and prophetic necessity) in a situation required
it. The world is full of liars, con-men (and women),
thieves, hucksters, perverts, rebels, sadists, baiters and
"sons of Belial"! Of this Jesus was not unaware.
You don't think He was fooled when people
called
Him "Master" and then proceeded to ask Him a trick
question, do you? Do you think He paid tax on the
bread and fish He multiplied for the five thousand?
How about the time He fled through the midst of a
crowd that was about to throw Him off a cliff
befor~
His
time to die had come- did He "turn the other cheek"
that
time? Or how about even the piercing wisdom of
noncritical times such as His experience with tbe
"woman at the well"?
In that episode He met a Samaritan woman and
asked her for a drink of water. She thought it odd that
He would even speak to her since He was a Jew, and so
The
PLAIN TRUTH August 1979
she remarked. He took advantage of the situation to
pass on to her a few jewels of truth properly wrapped in
the symbolic words of "bread" and "water" which He
said were guaranteed to keep her from thirst and hunger
forever! He then urged her to call her husband to join
them. She responded by saying, " l have no husband."
To which Jesus agreed, in a way, adding that the whole
truth of the matter was that she had
hadfive
husbands
and that the man with whom she was presently living
was indeed
not
her husband!
So Jesus chose what to believe and what not to-He
weighed, judged, perceived, untangled her statements
and arrived harmlessly at the truth without swallowing
whole any story-in short He read between the lines, as
He did with
everyone
with whom He carne in contact
throughout His entire life: Read the Book!
So, for balance, let's believe this command of Jesus:
" Behold, 1 send you forth as sheep in tbe midst of
wolves:
be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless
as doves. But beware of men ... "
(Matt. 10:16-17).
Just as good a translation could be "subtle as a snake
and simple as a dove." Serpent, snake, Satan, the devil:
lt's difficult for sorne Christians to believe Jesus when
He commands subtlety-but, as with most things or
attributes, it is not the thing or the attribute which is
evil of itself, but its
use.
So Jesus' command also
requires the simple-as-a-dove
motivation
for the
use
of
subtlety! Very wise!
Now life can be much more fulfilling, enjoyable,
rewarding. The frustrating burden of belief in every
conflicting statement or situation is removed. T he effort
in thoughtfulness, restraint and caut ion is more than
reward enough. Let's try out our newfound, yet respon–
sibility-laden, freedom. o
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