Knowing About God isn’t Enough

Everyone knows we’re supposed to read our Bible. What everyone doesn’t know is that reading our Bible is just the beginning. Once we know about God through the Bible, then we can get to know Him personally. Then we can follow Him. Then we can call Him Lord and love Him.

We must remember that even the demons know about God. They know more about Him than we know. Then have no doubts that He is Lord. They never stop believing in Him. Just because they know about Him, doesn’t mean they love Him. In fact, they hate Him.

At that time, the Pharisees held counsel with the Herodians against Jesus, how to destroy him. Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed; also from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Sidon a great multitude, hearing all that he did, came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they should crush him; for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

Mark 3.6-12

Today’s Gospel lesson reminds us that knowledge isn’t everything when it comes to our relationship with God. The Pharisees had memorized the Scriptures and they plotted to kill Jesus. The demons proclaimed Him “Son of God” but still work to drag us away from Him.

This is all to say that our ‘western minds’ are so hyper focused on learning that we forget to live our faith in Jesus. Living our faith requires love. It requires patience. It requires “taking up our cross” and follow Him into heaven.

It requires putting the book down and going outside and interacting with the world as loving Christians. It requires not being indifferent to those we know are in need. It requires actually wanting others to be in heaven with us.

If Jesus wants them in heaven, we should want them in heaven. We learn that in the Bible, but do we put that lesson into action? Do we make room for others in the Church? Do we invite our friends to “come and see” like Philip invited Nathaniel? Knowing about God isn’t enough.

In the spirit of today’s Gospel lesson, I invite you to spend the day being a living example of the Gospel. Put the book down. Don’t worry about preaching. Love the people you encounter. Be patient with the strangers you meet.

IF, and that’s a big if, they ask where you go to Church, then invite to “come and see” for themselves. Let them know they are welcome in God’s kingdom. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect. We aren’t perfect yet either.

Crowds pressed around Jesus to be healed. It was the Pharisees and the demons who chased them away. Don’t be a pharisee. Don’t be a demon. Be like Philip. Be like the Apostles. Be like Christ because you know Him, not just about Him.