Everything Jesus said was perfect. Right?

Yes… you can nod your head in agreement – it’s not a trick question. In John 12:49 we read “I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.” So yes, clearly everything Jesus said was perfect. But here’s an interesting thought… Jesus also knew PERFECTLY what NOT to say and when not to say it. Hmmm. If you know me at all you probably know I want to tell everyone – everything – all of the time. And when they don’t understand what I’m trying to say, I go to exhaustive lengths to try to explain it… and then follow up… and then explain it another way… and then try again… till at some point they get it, act like they get it… or just tell me to shut up. I’m so determined the most loving thing I can do is tell them what I am absolutely convinced they need to hear. And yes, if someone is heading towards destruction, it IS loving to warn them. That is what we are doing when we share the gospel. But it is at least as important to know when not to speak – probably more important. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is just listen. If we don’t listen, we won’t only not know what to say, we won’t know how to say it. Jesus not only spoke the words the Father gave him to speak – he spoke them the way the Father told him to. The inflection, the tone, the mannerism… all totally submitted to the will of the Father. And so, we must assume that everyone who heard his voice must have believed and clearly understood – right? I mean his words were directly from the Father, spoken exactly the way the Father wanted them spoken. And yet - nearly every time he spoke, he was misunderstood. A great example is the interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus. Jesus tells Nicodemus, the pharisee, “unless you are born-again you cannot see the kingdom of God.” And Nicodemus scratches his head and asks “how can a person be born again when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time?” Then there’s the woman at the well. Jesus tells her that he can give her “living water” and she asks how he’s going to do that without a bucket. Jesus talks about the “leaven” of the pharisees and the disciples think he’s talking about bread. Over and over again Jesus is misunderstood. But you know what? He never misunderstands. He always listens and when he speaks, he speaks to the heart of the matter. His words penetrate and convict and inspire. And he so often ends his stories (which almost never come with an explanation) with the words “let him who has an ear to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying.” May we be slow to speak, quick to listen, and able to hear what the Spirit is saying. May we, as follower and imitators of Christ, speak only the words which He gives us – in the way that he tells us – to whom he tells us – when he tells us.