In discerning which son of Jesse God had chosen, Samuel quickly learned a lesson. Impressed by Jesse's first son, Samuel was immediately certain that Eliab was the chosen one. God, however, instructed him: "Not as a man sees does God see." Samuel, like all of us, had to learn the lesson taught by Isaiah; "My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways" (Isaiah 55:8).

Jesus taught this same doctrine in a great variety of ways, especially in answering those who criticized or challenged him. Concerning the resurrection, he warned the Sadducees: "you are very much mistaken" (Mark 12:27). Those who criticized Jesus were inevitably looking at things from a merely human perspective. In answer, sometimes through his actions, sometimes in his parables, Jesus tried to get these people to change their minds and see things in a new way, a way more consistent with God's goodness and love for us.

Most especially, in reference to his suffering and death, Jesus had to instruct his disciples and Peter: "you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do" (Matthew 16:23).