Unharmonizing the Gospels

Have you seen those books "harmonizing" Matthew, Mark & Luke?  Beware the trap.


Think of all the Gospels as movements of a symphony.  God laid them out so that we would hear each section individually and serially (though maybe not sequentially, since we don't know of a given order).  Layering them on top of each other would add noise.  You'd miss much detail -- for example, the powerful drumbeat coming from the repetition of themes.

I'm not saying we can't benefit by occasionally checking out a side-by-side reading.  Maybe we could fill in some historically curious gaps -- especially helpful for budding historians.  But this probably isn't the main way to extract more of the intended Truth.  He is a capable enough write to have given more detail, if He'd been intending a history lesson.


Here's an example which our family came across as we read Luke 7 -- that place just after Jesus had raised from death the only son of the forlorn widow.

14And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.  18And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. 19And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 20When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? 21And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.

Preachers often tell us about the drama going on here in John's psyche:  "Is He really the one? -- Maybe I've had it all wrong!"  So when when we read these verses, we asked each other:  "Wait, why didn't John go check this out himself?  Why send two followers to investigate the most important person in your life?  Maybe John is stuck in jail?"
 
But if you don't "import" these concerns from the harmonizing mistake, then you're not distracted with the idea that John is wondering what kind of revolution Jesus was bringing afterall, or when Jesus was going to get off the pot and start getting real change done.  Some other quiet little theme can now tap on you.


It may feel like God is portraying John as a kind of Holy Spirit himself in type and antitype.  So about this "looking for another" -- this is exactly what the Spirit does NOT have us do or need.  And the need of confirm and reaffirm Him in our minds (who IS this Jesus, really) is exactly what the Spirit satisfies.  We're supposed to recognize that John (and we) really need to feel the peace that Jesus is the answer to all our pressing needs.  And the Holy Spirit is the mechanism of comfort Jesus gives us to see Himself.  So John is like a foretaste of what we get from the Spirit.


We risk deafness to snippet of these sweet sounds if we stack all the scores on top of each other.