“Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk!”
If you’ve been tracking with Rosedale Bible College’s Beacon articles in 2022, you’ve heard writers speak soberly of cringe-worthy mistakes we’ve made as a church. There’s been erroneous biblical interpretation, pharisaical nonconformity, botched race relationships, and sincere mission efforts that led to unintended consequences.
So, what is a Jesus response to mistakes we now see and own, blind eyes opened to see new truths?
Perhaps like the blind man in Mark 8, we first begin to see “men like trees walking.” But as Jesus continued to touch and heal, the truth unfolded, and the blind man came to see things as they truly were.
The blind man wasn’t the only one confused about what he was seeing and who was healing him. There were plenty of “conspiracy theories” swirling around about the identity of Jesus. In Matthew 16:13, he asks his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (paraphrased).
They replied, “Some say Elijah, John the Baptist raised from the dead, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets…”
“But what about you? Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked.
Then Peter saw clearly. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”
This was a divine insight. Peter saw clearly and supernaturally through all the “conspiracy theories” of his day. Even though his sight was still partial, he was on the right track and revelation continued to unfold.
Then there was Saul on the road to Damascus, going full tilt in the wrong direction, making deadly mistakes before he was struck down, blinded for three days, and irrevocably changed.
Can we—like the blind man, the first disciples, and Saul on the Damascus Road—hold our strong beliefs and practices up against the “plumb line” of Jesus, the Word of God—experiencing his touch and truth? Can we grow to have “the mind of Christ”—opening ourselves to be led by his Spirit into “all truth?”
Of course that’s what we want. We want to see clearly. But like the blind man and the early disciples—we don’t always get it—especially at first glance. We have our histories, experiences, short-sightedness, desires, prejudices, blind spots.
I enjoy the everyday truth of proverbs like – “Don’t cry over spilled milk; He just swept the crumbs under the rug; That ship has sailed; You made your bed, now lie in it.”
These pithy sayings share conventional wisdom about how to deal with mistakes. But how would Jesus have us respond to “spilled milk”?
When God opens our eyes to the fact that “mistakes were made”—we can humbly repent and make amends as much as possible. Let’s try a few Jesus-edits to our culture’s conventional wisdom:
“Don’t cry over spilled milk—but mop up the floor and buy a new jug!” This speaks of damage control, restitution, and generosity in spite of our “spills.”
“He just swept the crumbs under the rug—but let’s clean the floor, shake the rug, and bake a fresh loaf of bread.” Dirt—physically and spiritually—piles up. There will be a stench if we don’t take out the garbage. But nothing smells better than fresh bread!
“That ship has sailed—but we’re building a new and better ship.” Yes, sometimes we “miss the boat” because of fear, procrastination, or wrong information, but God is a God of redemption, new beginnings.
“You made your bed, now lie in it—but I’ll be glad to help wash your sheets.” While it’s true that our choices often lock us into certain consequences, Jesus offers cleansing and fresh starts.
In 1978 when we were planting the Mechanicsburg (OH) Christian Fellowship, I posted a large saying on our refrigerator door: “The truth will set you free—but first it will make you miserable!” That youthful season of ministry was filled with uncomfortable stretching, trial and error, embarrassing self-awareness.
Seeing and owning our failures and mistakes is humbling and painful. But thank God when we see, for the truth frees! It’s much more dangerous to blindly persist in the wrong direction.
Of course our sight is limited. We’re glancing in a cloudy mirror (I Cor. 13:12). We see “men as trees walking.” We don’t at first recognize the words and works of Jesus on the Emmaus Roads of our lives.
Mistakes will be made—until we see Jesus face to face and “know even as we are known.” And even as we pursue the truth, we must hold it graciously, humbly—and not alone.
“Ignorance is not bliss!”
“A stitch in time saves nine!”
2 Responses
A good word. Thank you Jewel!
Everyone seems to have 1 Corinthians 13 memorized up until right around “keeps no record of wrongs.” Still, most of us seem to get a little fuzzy by the time we get to “love rejoices in the truth” (v. 6). Thank you, Jewel, for this call to be a people that loves by rejoicing in the truth — even if it makes us miserable before it sets us free.
And what a relief to know that you and Richard also once experienced “youthful… embarrassing self-awareness” in ministry. I continue tripping over myself, even as grey hairs multiply…