There is a plea from the agents of change to “keep an open mind” about new ideas. Any decenter of change is heralded as narrow-minded and limited in their ability to grasp what they would espouse as truth. Would it surprise you that Jesus would be listed among those to be narrow-minded? Jesus is narrow-minded about the following topics.
He was narrow-minded in His view of Himself. He said that Moses, the prophets and the psalms spoke concerning Him (Luke 24:44). He said that He was the Messiah (John 4:25-26). He said that God was His Father (John 5:17-18). He said that He was “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He said that He was “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). It is evident that our Lord had a narrow-minded view of Himself. He was the only one of whom these amazing things were true.
Jesus was narrow-minded about His authority. During the Sermon on the Mount, He taught, “You have heard it said, but I say unto you” (Matt. 5:21). In doing so, He is elevating His own authority. Even those that were there to hear this message were surprised as “He taught as one having authority” in contrast to the scribes (Matt. 7:28-29). When Jesus healed the paralytic man He said, “so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home” (Matt. 9:6). He emphasized the fact that “all authority had been given to Him in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18).
Jesus was also narrow-minded about worship. When Satan tempted Jesus, he said that if Jesus worshipped him, he would give Jesus the dominion and glory of mankind (Luke 4:6-7). Jesus responded with Scripture, “You shall worship the Lord God and Him only shall you serve” (Luke 4:8). When speaking to the woman at the well, “You worship what you do not know… but an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth… God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:22-24). Jesus did not emphasize that one could worship in any way that pleased the worshipper. He directed us to worship God, in the right spirit and according to truth. He declared that true worship requires the right object, the right attitude, and the right authority.
There are many other subjects in which Jesus would be considered narrow-minded. The question would be, are we as narrow-minded as Jesus? If we are to be like-minded with Him, we should consider our thoughts (Phil. 2:5). We need to make sure that in all areas we are speaking as the oracles of God and not the current social climate (1 Pet. 4:11).