Resolving a Few Discrepancies

Bearing in mind that the gospels record the events of Jesus' life through the lenses of four different people, we should not be surprised when the accounts vary somewhat. It is important, however, to realize that variances do not equate to discrepancies. For example, from yesterday's reading we learned of the healing of blind Bartimaeus. One gospel writer leaves the blind man anonymous and another gospel writer adds a second blind man. Are these contradictions? No. None of these accounts exclude any of the others. There had to have been two men, but only one was noteworthy to two of the gospel writers. So noteworthy that one of the writers mentioned his name. This is the same phenomenon as reporting that Princess Diana was killed in a car crash, though there were two others killed as well. Sometimes details are streamlined to focus on the most important aspect.

There are also differences regarding the reports of the anointing of Jesus with perfume. Mark, Matthew, and John record this incident, the difference being whether Jesus' head or feet were anointed with perfume. There are two possibilities. Either Mary anointed both His head and feet, and the gospel writers focused on one or the other. Or, she may have anointed His head and inadvertently anointed His feet by virtue of the perfume dripping down His body. There is a similar account in Luke involving a sinful woman who anointed Jesus' feet, much earlier in His ministry. This was certainly not the same incident, as Mary (Lazarus' sister) was not known to be a sinful woman.

And finally, skeptics point to differences in the gospel records regarding the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Mark and Luke mention only the donkey's colt, while Matthew notes that both the colt and it's mother were brought to Jesus. In line with the same logic used to reconcile the difference between one blind man or two, it can be assumed that both were brought to Jesus though Mark and Luke do not mention the donkey's mother. All three accounts have Jesus riding the colt, so the presence of the mother can be considered a superfluous detail. Given that the colt was so young (having never been ridden before), the mother may have been brought along to lead the untrained colt through the crowds of Jerusalem...a feat that may have otherwise overwhelmed the animal.

Tomorrow's reading: John 12:37-50; Mark 11:12-33; Matt. 21:12-27; Luke 19:45-20:8