Sometimes we do certain things because we’re pressured
by a sense of obligation or because we have made a prior decision for which we
feel the need to ‘validate’, even if it means doing something we don’t really
want to do. We must be careful to understand that at times we need
to ‘cut our losses’ and not continue to follow through on a foolish decision
simply out of a desire to finish an initial course of action or fulfill an
obligation.
Pilate, no doubt hoping to convince the people it was
better to release a just man rather than a murderer, asked the people who they
thought should be released. And the public pressure on him was
extraordinary; “Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And
they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to
content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus…” (Mk
15:14-15). Once it became the people’s decisions rather than a just decision,
Pilate followed through against his better judgment and gave Jesus to be
crucified.
Amaziah, King of Judah, spent a significant sum of
money to hire an army from Israel, “But there came a man of God to him,
saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not
with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. But if thou wilt go, do
it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God
hath power to help, and to cast down. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But
what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of
Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more
than this” (2Chr 25:6-9). Amaziah was caught in an
embarrassing and expensive situation. He was obviously not going
to have his money refunded by sending the army back. But he made
the right decision – “Then Amaziah separated them, to wit, the army that was
come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly
kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger” (vs 10).
Amazia was not only willing to take a financial loss, he was willing to upset
and snub an entire nation in order avoid continuing down a path he’d started,
which was against God’s will.
But unfortunately Herod was not willing to retract his
offer when Herodias’ daughter’s dancing pleased him, and he said, “…Ask of me
whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee…And she came in straightway with
haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a
charger the head of John the Baptist. And the king was
exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's
sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject
her” (Mark 6:22-26). What
a terrible choice Herod faced, and yet the one he chose caused him to behead the
forerunner of Christ.
Is it any wonder that Jesus spoke of ‘counting the cost’
in the context of discipleship? (Lk 14:26-33). We should consider
our actions so we don’t let an initial bad decision, our pride, a commitment to
someone, or a misplaced obligation lead us further away from God’s will simply
because the price to change is high. May we, like Paul, be willing to count all
things for loss in order to win Christ. (Phil 3:8-9) --Matthew Johnson
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