Dealing With Contradictions

In the Gospels, Jesus uses a method of teaching known as parables to communicate principles about the kingdom of God. A parable compares two things by placing them side by side. By using parables, Jesus compares the unfamiliar, the kingdom of God, to the familiar, nature and life experiences. Matthew 13, for example, contains the parable of the sower and several parables about the kingdom of heaven.

For me, what we are about to read is like a parable. It’s a natural fictional example that teaches several spiritual principles. I call it “A Parable of Contradictions.”

In the last season of the original Star Trek series, the episode “The Spectre of the Gun” aired. It was a recreation of the shootout at the O. K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881 between lawmen Wyatt Earp and his brothers, Morgan and Virgil, and Doc Holiday, and Ike and Billy Clanton and outlaws known as the Cowboys.

Captain Kirk and members of his crew – Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty and Chekov – are involuntarily transported to Tombstone because the Enterprise had violated Melkotian air space. Kirk is Ike Clanton, Chekov is Billy, and Spock, McCoy and Scotty are the Cowboys.

Morgan Earp kills Chekov before the shootout and Kirk is furious. But Spock reminds him that Billy Clanton did not die at the O. K. Corral. Spock reasons that there must be a way to change the outcome of their situation. For the next few hours they try to figure out a way to avoid the confrontation. Finally, McCoy develops a rudimentary tranquilizer and tests it on Scotty (“Beam me up Scotty!” Who hasn’t heard that? 😊). It doesn’t work. But it should have. Spock understands the situation immediately.

What I’m about to read is the dialogue that Spock has with McCoy and Kirk after the tranquilizer fails.

Spock: Physical laws simply cannot be ignored. Existence cannot be without them. We are faced with a staggering contradiction. The tranquilizer you created should have been effective. Doctor, in your opinion, what killed Chekov?

After Chekov is killed and the tranquilizer doesn’t work, Spock evaluates the situation and says “We are faced with a staggering contradiction.” What was the contradiction? Chekov is dead, but in real history he did not die. And, in any other situation, the tranquilizer would have subdued Scotty. What Spock saw disagreed with what he knew to be true. It was a contradiction.

Now let’s look at an example from scripture. Turn with me to Matthew 17.

After His transfiguration, Jesus comes down from the mountain with Peter and James. When they reach the multitude, a man runs to Him and kneels at His feet. Let’s pick up the record in verse 15.

(15) Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for oftentimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

(16) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

I have a question for you: “Why would the father bring his son to the disciples?” I believe the answer is in Matthew 10.

(1) And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power (authority) against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. …

(5) These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not.

(6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,

(7) And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

(8) Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye received, freely give.

Jesus had sent the disciples only to those who were considered part of “the house of Israel.” The father had heard about the miracles at the hands of the disciples. He didn’t believe he had to wait for his son to see Jesus to be cured.

Now grab a hold of this: the father didn’t think he needed to wait to see Jesus because he had seen the power of Jesus operating through the disciples! Folks, the same should be true today for every one of us here and in the body of Christ as a whole. We need the power of Jesus operating and flowing through us! Back to Matthew 17.

(17) Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me.

Jesus is not only talking to the father; He’s also talking to the disciples. We know this because the father brought his son to the disciples, but the disciples couldn’t cast out the devil. So Jesus addresses the issue.