Jesus's Big Mistake

I haven’t written about my kids in a long time. But this one definitely deserves some attention. 

One day, out of the blue, my daughter asked me….

Daughter: Mom, do you think that Jesus is perfect?

Me: Yes, I think He’s perfect.

Daughter: Well, I don’t.

Me: (Ummmmm)....Okay sweetie, why not?

Daughter: He made 1 big mistake. If He was perfect, he wouldn't have made A...SINGLE...MISTAKE.

Me: (Curious….) What mistake did He make?

Daughter: Dying for people. ‘Cause I WOULD NEVER!!!

Me: (Inner dialogue….This is the child that I have raised.)

Me: (Deep Breathe) Well, okay. But He died for our sins. So we could all have a chance to go to heaven. (This is a very watered down response because she is only 8 years old.)

Daughter: Alllll, okay.


I thought this was the end of the conversation. I gave myself a pat on the back for an answer well given. I gave thanks to God for allowing His Son to die on the cross for us because My Daughter, and I quote, “WOULD NEVER!”

About a month later, she poses a similar question.

Daughter: Mom, do you REALLY believe that Jesus didn’t make a mistake?

Please note how she formed the question. It wasn’t a legitimate question. It was more of a confirmation of my beliefs. Here’s how I felt that she asked me…

Daughter: Mom, you really believe that shit? You seriously believe that Jesus didn’t make a single mistake?!?!?! Like dying for all these people was the right thing to do???

And if you know my Daughter, you would know that I’m not too far off in this translation. 

So I explained my reasoning again, but added a little more to it.

Me: Okay. Jesus is God who became Man. Men make mistakes and since I don’t know every detail of His life, I can’t say for certain that He was perfect. But I don’t believe that dying for our sins was a mistake. Actually, I’m rather glad He did. Or else, YOU would have to pay the price for YOUR own sins. 

Daughter: Well, okay. 
​
I’m still not convinced that I have persuaded her. But I’m extremely happy about 2 things:
#1: She is a free thinker. You can’t just tell her shit and expect her to believe it automatically.
#2: She feels comfortable talking to me about topics like this. Even if she disagrees and questions my intelligence.

---