We're used to the idea that nothing can be differently made for each person. In fact, it's probably impossible to make anything that's customized for everyone. For instance, there could never be shoes to fit each person perfectly -- only the specific person could make sure they fit flawlessly, and not every person is good enough at making shoes to create the shoes he wants. This principle applies to everything; there's no item that could fit everyone just right for the same reason.
As a result, we're used to compromise. We have approximate clothing and shoe sizes because they get us "close enough" to what we need. It would be far too difficult, time-consuming and expensive to ever make anything specific for every single person.
We've become accustomed to imperfect solutions. None of my shirts fit me perfectly, nor do my shoes. There are plenty of things about my house and my car that I'd change if I could. They're all pretty good, but they don't fit me quite right.
It's in light of this, I believe, that we find it hard to understand how God works in the lives of different people. For example, Jesus heals in many different ways throughout the Gospels. Here's a brief and incomplete list:
- From far away, commanded a centurion's servant to be healed
- Touched Peter's mother-in-law's hand and healed her
- A woman touched his cloak and was healed
- Touched the eyes of a pair of blind men
- Healed a woman's daughter from far away
- To heal a deaf man, Jesus put his fingers in the man's ears, then spit and touched the man's tongue, then said "Be opened!" out loud to God
- Spit on a blind man's eyes and put his hands on him (which partially healed him), then put his hands on the man again and he was fully healed
- Said "Go, your faith has healed you" to a blind man who was immediately healed
I've always found this odd. There are instances where Jesus does the same sorts of things differently at different times throughout the Gospels, and of course God behaves in a way which might seem inconsistent throughout the Old Testament (allowing the Israelites to be enslaved, then ensuring their victory over their enemies, etc.).
Jesus calls the disciples differently too. To some, he says "I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19) Certainly this approach wouldn't work or even make sense to everyone. And that's where we can come to an explanation.
Think about the man, and also the woman you know best. Let's say you know that they each had a really bad day. Would you talk to them the same way about it? Would you approach your best friend in the same way you'd approach an acquaintance, in that situation?
God doesn't work with imperfect solutions. The people who know us best can talk to us differently than others -- God knows us completely and communicates with us more differently still. When I stop to think about it, I wouldn't expect God to work in an approximate, imperfect way. Jesus is far closer to each of us than our best earthly friend. Each person is different, so God treats them each differently.
Parents often note this phenomenon. Siblings expect to be treated equally, and often the parents try that for a while. However they typically seem to find that total equality doesn't work. Equality demands that the punishments and rewards for the same behaviors be the same -- but each child is different, and often reacts very differently to those things. Thus many parents find quickly that it's necessary to handle each child in a way that's appropriate for that child's unique personality.
I believe the confusion we experience at God's differing behavior is due to us being in the role of the children above. Many questions arise about how God treats us -- Why are there fewer overt miracles now than in ages past? Why did God speak directly to people in earlier times but not now? Why did God allow such a long time before He sent Jesus? -- but I think we're playing the role of the children.
God knows every man, and He knows the age that man lives in. He has to treat us differently because we're different. And much like the children, I suspect we would very much dislike equality if He gave it to us.
God can truly treat every single human soul in the way that is best for it. What an amazing thought! Being treated just right for us is something we all want, but have given up on receiving because the world can't give it to us. But we worship the same God as the Psalmist, who says "you knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13)
God knows us more intimately than anyone in the world ever could. With that, He knows exactly the right way to communicate with each of us. And what's most astounding -- He cares! He cares enough to find the right way to talk to us. He will never settle for "one size fits all."
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