Proverbs 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Have you ever watched the game show Jeopardy? Like every other trivia quiz show, knowledge is divided up into categories like EZ Geography (each answer will include the letters E and Z), Books in German, Foods that start with the letter Q. I’m pretty much terrible at Jeopardy unless the category is Late 19th Century American History, or something to do with the Bible.
Of course, quiz shows and trivia can be a lot of fun, but you have to wonder if we have done ourselves a disservice by sectioning off knowledge into categories the way we have. The specialization of knowledge that begins even in high school, through college and throughout a long career has not necessarily made us wiser has it? Just mini-experts in our own little corner of the universe. Being an expert in something is awesome and needed, but without the context of knowing God’s world in its entirety, even experts become fools.
God wants us to be wise. He wants us to have knowledge. Not just specialized knowledge about one thing, but knowledge in the biblical sense. Relational knowledge. Our right relationship with God is God’s highest goal. The question is, do we limit our relationship with God when we limit our knowledge to one particular course of study? Can the scientist be wise without theology and philosophy? Can the theologian be wise without history and sociology? And can any person really know anything without also knowing God?
That is the cultural crisis that Paul speaks into in Romans 1.
Romans 1:21-23. 21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Man becomes so focused on one thing that they begin to worship that one thing. This darkening then takes over the heart of the idolater. They’ve lost all perspective. Only their own specific knowledge matters. There is no humility. No learning from others. No vision for making things better for others. Just futile thinking that leads to nowhere.
Christ came to rescue us from such futile thinking. He came to burst open the door to the knowledge of God and creation, ourselves and others, life and death, love and grace. Christ IS the wisdom of God. Christ IS knowledge of God. In his incarnation Christ is knowledge of all creation. In knowing him we can know the mysteries of the entire universe. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? What is good? Our union with Christ answers all of these questions and more. No PhD required. No further revelation needed. In knowing Christ and our life in Christ we are on our way to knowing all things.
You: When trying to answer the biggest questions of life where do you begin? Do you begin with Christ?
You in Christ: How does our union with Christ answer life’s biggest questions? Meaning? Purpose? Love? Life after death?
Christ in you: How can your relationship with Christ motivate you to know the entire world around you, rather than just being focused on one or two things?
Pray: Father, to know you and all your mysteries I must know Jesus. Thank you for making yourself knowable through him. Keep my heart from the idolatry that comes from knowledge and open me up to a deeper relationship with you. Amen.
To Live is Christ 