Does Jesus Make Mistakes?
Canaanite woman: “Yes, Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their
masters’ table.” Jesus: ”Woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for as you wish.”...Mt 15:27
Jesus: “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” ... Mt 16:28
A conundrum: since Jesus is God, and God doesn’t make mistakes or change his mind, how do you explain these two passages? There are fancy oblique theological explanations which attempt to sanitize them, but come come, now—could the words be any clearer? In the first, He changes his mind after the mother begs for her daughter’s spiritual health [“and the demon left her”].
In the second, almost two millennia have transpired without his prediction’s fruition. And how about John’s startling tale where at the wedding in Cana his mother encourages him to perform the water-into-wine miracle against his will—and He does!?
These passages are, for me, faith-builders. Seriously. No doubt that He is divine, God-in-the-flesh. But in his humanity my Lord can reverse his decision, can even be wrong. There’s a Man to whom I can relate, the flexibility of whose cerebration resembles mine, demonstrating that He is willing to change and grow. He encourages me to do likewise—and that He shows me his humanity is soooo comforting!
Does this help you to relate to him?
masters’ table.” Jesus: ”Woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for as you wish.”...Mt 15:27
Jesus: “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” ... Mt 16:28
A conundrum: since Jesus is God, and God doesn’t make mistakes or change his mind, how do you explain these two passages? There are fancy oblique theological explanations which attempt to sanitize them, but come come, now—could the words be any clearer? In the first, He changes his mind after the mother begs for her daughter’s spiritual health [“and the demon left her”].
In the second, almost two millennia have transpired without his prediction’s fruition. And how about John’s startling tale where at the wedding in Cana his mother encourages him to perform the water-into-wine miracle against his will—and He does!?
These passages are, for me, faith-builders. Seriously. No doubt that He is divine, God-in-the-flesh. But in his humanity my Lord can reverse his decision, can even be wrong. There’s a Man to whom I can relate, the flexibility of whose cerebration resembles mine, demonstrating that He is willing to change and grow. He encourages me to do likewise—and that He shows me his humanity is soooo comforting!
Does this help you to relate to him?
posted by Bill Stecher at 1:38 PM
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