Guess how many times Jesus said sorry. How many times did he apologize for something he said or did? Let me help you out there. The answer is somewhere between zero and zero.
Now you might be thinking that we can't possibly know because we don't have every single word that Jesus said because Jesus has always existed and the Gospels are not an exhaustive documentation of everything Jesus said and did. This is true. Given what we know as revealed by God in the Bible, we can safely say that Jesus never said sorry or apologized.
What does this have to do with anything? The answer is found in your daily news. It appears every day someone does something or says something and then there is an outcry, usually on social media and then the person comes out to apologize, to say, "I'm sorry" and sometimes to clarify what they meant. We saw this recently play out when comedian Kathy Griffin posed for a picture with prop made to look like the severed head of President Donald Trump. The outrage came from everywhere, and Ms. Griffin subsequently apologized even with tears in her eyes.
On a side note, it seems to me that many people apologize not because they sincerely regret or are repenting of their words or actions, but because they don't want to lose a contract, sponsors, or money. My hope would be that when someone does something wrong, they are moved to apologize simply because it is the right thing to do.
This brings us back to Jesus. There is no one more famous than Jesus of Nazareth. No one has had as big of an impact on culture, society, religion, etc. Jesus continues to influence all aspects of life through true believers in Him and most importantly through his Word as found in the Bible. A person so famous was bound to have some moments of weakness and make a mistake and have to say sorry, right? Not for Jesus. This was not because Jesus was "one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) It was because in all things Jesus submitted to the will of God the father. His aim was to glorify the Father. In doing such, there was no need ever to apologize or say sorry.
When Jesus was 12, he stayed in Jerusalem unbeknownst to his parents. Like any parents, Joseph and Mary were upset since three days had passed and they had not found him. When they finally did Mary says "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." (Luke 12:48). Did Jesus say sorry? No, he responded, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 12:49).
How about the time when Jesus put the religious leaders in their place? "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him." (John 8:44) Let's just say the leaders here did not take this new designation of "Devil's Child" very well. Scripture says they "picked up stones to throw at him" (John 8:59) No apologies here either from Jesus.
Let's try one more. Jesus goes into the temple "and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, "It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." (Matthew 21:12-13). Jesus was not happy with the abuse of the temple and made it known by taking forceful action. Once again, we see no apology, no "I am sorry I lost my cool" statement from Jesus. The truth is there was no need in any of these three instances or ever for Jesus to be sorry and apologize because as we noted at the beginning of this article, Jesus always did the will of the Father and sought to glorify Him.
God tells us through His word that "whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17) Similarly in 1 Corinthians 10:31 we read, "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." If you want to live a life never having to say sorry or apologize simply be like Jesus, seek to do God's will and do all for His glory.
* The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of Chadds Ford Live. We welcome opposing viewpoints. Readers may comment in the comments section, or they may submit a Letter to the Editor to editor@chaddsfordlive.com
About Rev. Marcos O. Almonte
Rev. Marcos O. Almonte is senior pastor at Brandywine Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist Church west of Philadelphia. Pastor Marcos is a graduate of Palmer Theological Seminary with more than 10 years working with families with an expertise in theology, trauma and addictions. Pastor Marcos and his wife Mary have three children, Carmen, Joseph, and Lincoln.
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