22nd Sunday 2015
Fr. Robert VerEecke, S.J.
Is it easier for you to say “I’m sorry” than it is to say “I’m wrong”? The two
do not always go hand in hand. Think of the times you may have said “I’m
sorry” and meant it, but deep down there may be some obstinacy, some
conviction that you really are right and not wrong. You say I’m sorry to keep
the peace, to move on.
We human beings don’t like to admit we’re wrong. There’s something in
human nature that wants to be right. (It so often leads to selfrighteousness.) And yet a great part of our human condition is being wrong.
Like it or not, we are limited. We don’t have all the answers. We don’t know
everything there is to know. We are wrong more often than not. (I guess I
should speak for myself.)
So what do you think? Was Jesus ever wrong? Were there times when he
missed the mark? I’m not talking about hamartia, the Greek word for sin
which translates as “missing the mark”. If we do get a glimpse of Jesus’
“missing the mark” it may be in Mark’s gospel. We don’t want to “miss”
that! (Groan.) Mark gives us the most human portrait of Jesus. We see him
at times despondent, even depressed, changing his mind, responding to
human situations the way we do. Mark’s Jesus is not John’s Jesus. In John’s
gospel, Jesus is the Logos who knows all things. How often in John’s Gospel
do we hear the editorial comment: “Jesus asked this, although he knew the
answer?” Except for a few places in John’s gospel where the depth of Jesus’
human nature is seen, Jesus is a true “know-it-all”. Think back to last week
and the editorial comment, “He knew who would leave him and betray him.”
That’s Jesus who knows everything and yet his question to the twelve
betrays an insecurity, a not being so certain: “Will you too leave me?”
But today isn’t about the Johannine Jesus. We had five weeks of him. Now
it’s back to Mark and let’s not miss the way Mark speaks of Jesus. Here of
course he’s embroiled in one of those gospel controversies that pit Jesus
against the Pharisees. Poor Pharisees. We know they were good guys who
were very observant of the law. They are almost always described as the bad
guys, the ones who are opposed to the freedom Jesus preaches. Beware the
tendency to paint in broad strokes. Is it possible that Mark is missing the
mark in his description of the controversies with the Pharisees? Is it possible
that Mark’s Jesus may have been wrong in his taking them to task?
Be honest. When the Pharisees ask Jesus the question, “Why do your
disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with
unclean hands?”, don’t you nod your head in agreement and say, “Yes, they
should wash their hands before eating?” Aren’t we instructed that it’s
essential for health reasons to do that? What child is not asked before they
come to the table, “Have you washed your hands?” If Jesus “knew it all”,
shouldn’t he have said, “Oh, yes, you’re correct. They really need to wash
their hands. Scientific study says that it is essential for good health. Too
many health risks!” I could be wrong but I can imagine Jesus saying to
those same Pharisees: “I was wrong to criticize you. I didn’t understand
fully the implications of what I was saying.”
Yes, I know that the point of the pericope is not to challenge the
human/divine consciousness of Jesus but to point out a hardness of heart, a
righteousness that comes from absolute certainty that their way of being in
relationship with God is the only way. There is a hypocrisy here that Mark’s
Jesus points out. The law was never meant to be a burden on people but
rather a help to live in right relationship with God rather than selfrighteously.
I may be missing the mark here but I think the question, “Was Jesus ever
wrong?” is a worthy one to ask. Why? Because being wrong is so much a
part of our human nature and we believe that Jesus was fully human, even if
fully divine. We know what it means to be human. We don’t know what it
means to be divine. In fact, one of the things that makes us truly human is
not just that we can be wrong but that our human knowledge is limited. We
do not know what the future will bring. Yes, we can hazard some guesses.
We can make plans for tomorrow but we don’t know with absolute certainty.
Neither did Jesus. I may be wrong but I believe that his solidarity with our
human condition allowed him to be wrong, to make mistakes like we do. I
for one take great comfort from that. There is a joy that comes from having
the freedom to say “I’m wrong”. Did Jesus ever say that? I may be wrong
but I think he did.