I often write about knowing and doing the will of God as an essential part of both the worship of God and the pathway to an abundant life. The issue of knowing and doing God’s will is as old as the oldest writings in the Bible, but questions about the right way to do it are as current as today’s news articles.
Long before I entered the ministry in 1968, the Protestant church was divided into liberal, conservative, fundamentalist, and Pentecostal/charismatic expressions of the faith. Each of these groups has a distinctive and sometimes competing understanding of what it means to know and do God’s will.
When I was in seminary, one of our required books was Christ and Culture by H. Richard Niebuhr. One thing I remember from the book is that culture has an enormous impact on what Christians believe about knowing and doing the will of God.
Some of the conflicting issues of the past, like speaking in tongues or which translation of the Bible is read, have been eclipsed by conflicting cultural issues. If social media and news reports are any indicators, concerns over abortion and immigration are significant touchpoints of conflict in the “knowing and doing God’s will” category.
Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees in Capernaum provide us with two key guides when it comes to discerning God’s will and doing it.
Thirty-Nine Rules for the Sabbath
The Pharisees were responsible for interpreting what God’s will was and how it should be practiced. Sabbath observance was one of four ways the people of God were identified. To ensure the proper observance of the Sabbath, they established 39 regulations for it. What Jesus’ disciples did on the Sabbath violated two of these requirements.
At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:1-2)
I have no desire to eat raw wheat, but hunger might change that opinion. As the leader of His disciples, Jesus was responsible for their behavior. The Pharisees wanted to know why He allowed His followers to work on the Sabbath by harvesting and milling the grain for consumption.
Jesus told the story of David, who ate the Bread of the Presence, even though it was reserved exclusively for the priests. Because David was God’s anointed, he was permitted to eat without guilt.
He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? How he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests?” (Matthew 12:3-4)
Rudy Ross has a good explanation of how the Bread of the Presence was observed in today’s video, but Jesus’ main point emphasized His authority to determine what was right on the Sabbath. He went further in the discussion and contended that His authority was greater than the temple and that He was the Lord of the Sabbath.
Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:5-6, 8)
Jesus’ Authority: A Guide
Returning to the theme of knowing and doing the will of God, how can we separate the different opinions and determine God’s clear direction? I believe the vast majority of these issues will be resolved if we decide upfront to surrender our opinion to the authoritative words of Jesus in the Gospels.
Jesus answered His critics by pointing to a willingness to accept God’s authoritative will as a way to discern what is true.
“If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.” (John 7:17)
If we are willing to submit our opinions and actions to the authority of Jesus, we will be better able to discern God’s will. Even more, this willingness will lead to doing God’s will.
Mercy Rules
Rufus Moseley had access to President Teddy Roosevelt, was a university professor, and was a weekly contributor to a major newspaper. He is best known for being a loving and powerful advocate for people whom Jesus called “the little ones.”
Moseley relied on one question to determine God’s will: “What is the most loving thing I can do?” Once he learned the answer, he responded with obedience.
No doubt, Moseley learned from Jesus, who said:
“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.” (Matthew 12:7)
I submit that we will find great freedom to know and do God’s will if we submit our will to Jesus’ authority and show love and mercy in every situation.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 