The law of God is stated in absolute terms. The phrases thou shalt and thou shalt not are not ambiguous. They clearly define what one should do and what he should not do. But such absolutes are not popular with many who desire to do what they should not and have little inclination to do what they should. To them, what is right for one person may be wrong for another or vice versa; moral issues are not really black and white; they are varying shades of gray. Consequently, one should never be so naïve as to take anything absolutely but rather consider all the nuances others might see in the issue before passing judgment on it.

The scribes and the Pharisees were relativists who found varying shades of meaning in God’s law. The fifth commandment required children to honor their father and mother (Ex. 20:12), but the scribes and Pharisees had somehow discovered this commandment really did not mean children had to honor their parents in all cases. Our Lord addressed this whole issue when He said, “For Moses said, Honour thy father and they mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death; But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free (Mark 7:10, 11). This nuance in the interpretation of the law permitted them to avoid all responsibility to their parents and made the Word of God null and void in this matter (Mark 7:12, 13).

Men will go to any length to nullify absolutes in moral issues. Their relative approach permits them to justify any evil in their own minds, but one wonders how well such nuances will work when they stand before God to give account of both their words and their deeds. In that day God’s judgments will be rendered according to absolute standards, not the nuances of relativism (Rev. 20:11-15).