Human thumbprints - discrepancies in Jesus' sayings

Let's return back to the case of Jesus mistaking Abiathar for Ahimelek, at least as recorded in Mark. The issue raises another widespread problem in the Gospels for inerrancy. There is no problem if we acknowledge the humanity of these books.

The issue is that Jesus is recorded saying three different things in three different Gospels. If they were all similarly and inerrantly inspired, then the sayings should match word for word.

This isn't about whether they contradict on a substantive level, although that certainly arises elsewhere. But rather, this is about the process by which the Gospels were formed. They included human thumbprints.

Here is what Jesus says, as recorded in Mark 2:26-28. "He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

In contrast, this is what Jesus says as recorded in Matthew 12:3-8. "He answered, 'Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread-which which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law the priest of Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would have not condemned the innocent. For the Son the Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

Luke 6:3-4 records it as: "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

Here are the main differences. The Mark version not only mentions Abiathar, but also contains the phrase, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." These are not found in the others.

The Luke version is the shortest and generally is identical to Mark's version except for those differences.

Matthew's is longest. It includes a description that the priests are in fact desecrating the Sabbath by their word, but God considers them innocent. It also includes the portion that mercy is more important sacrifice.

So, what can be said about this?

First, let's assume that all three record the same event. If they record different events, then Jesus had different teachings at different times. But all three have the same context of Jesus picking grain on the Sabbath and being challenged by the Pharisees. Jesus annoys the Pharisees at other times, but this is the only time of record about collecting grain on the Sabbath.

That aside, the Gospel writers all record the same event differently. Why does Matthew includes far more detail than the other two? Why does Mark mention Abiathar and the phrase "the Sabbath was made for man", when these details are excluded from others.

if this passage were similarly inspired by the same spirit in a dictation form, then we should see the exact same words. We do not.

Instead, the Gospel writers focus on different details of the story. This reveals the humanity of the writers themselves. Perhaps the discrepancies were intentional, which reveals the details that the individual Gospel writers believed to be more important.

if the discrepancies were un-intentional, then it goes to the reliability of the sources. In other words, the memory of the eye-witness who recounts the discussion at whatever point the Gospel writer records them.

Either way, it points to the humanity of the writers and what divine inspired means. It cannot be word for word dictation. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are using their human filters which accounts for why some parts are included and others excluded.