Matthew 22:29 “Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.’”
Jesus was replying to a question from the Sadducees (who did not believe in the resurrection –which is why they were sad-you-see!). He accused them of not knowing the Scriptures. What could he mean? They had studied the Scriptures since childhood and could recite whole chunks off by heart. Many had their equivalent of Masters degrees in Biblical Studies – apparently though, even if they were masters of the word, they weren’t mastered by the word. They were over the word, not under it. It’s all too easy to be eighteen inches from salvation: to have the word in the head, but not in the heart.
What about power? After all, we often hear that knowledge is power. But that type of power exploits ignorance and takes advantage of others; it’s a power that is lost once others get the same knowledge; it’s not a knowledge that is content to serve; it’s a knowledge to score points and cause sparks in debates without bringing light.
What was the knowledge of which Jesus spoke? Jesus meant knowledge that is rooted in and springs from a personal relationship with God; knowledge that becomes part of our practical life and experience. Paul wrote: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Internalised truth then leads to externalized action – or at least it should do. As James warns: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (1:22).
Do I hear but not do? It’s not enough to be biblically literate – we must be biblically obedient too. Telling my wife I love her is no substitute for living out that love with acts of kindness and service. She knows my love by experiencing the outworking of it. It’s personal, not abstract. So get personal with Jesus today, which will mean getting practical too.
Lord, I choose to be both biblically literate and biblically obedient today. May my personal knowledge lead to practical action. Amen!
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