I was in kindergarten. In between finger-painting and four-square games, my teacher tried to slip a few higher thinking concepts into my learning. I remember one day, my teacher seemed to make a mistake; I thought it was my duty to correct her. I can still vividly remember her words, “TImmy, no one likes a “know-it-all.” She was right; she is right. There is little room in the kingdom of God for “know-it-alls.”
Yet, look around the church.
This week two good minds in the area of “creation” studies were debating. Ken Ham came with secure beliefs in Genesis, and Billy Nye came with his beliefs in science. The debate was harmonious. Neither side was open to understanding the other.
As Jesus was teaching in the last week of His earthly life, He would face some know-it-alls: people from the religious establishment who tried to openly challenge Him. There was the Pharisee, the Sadducee, and the Scribe (Mark 12:13-34). They each came unwilling to listen, and unwilling to learn. They were “know-it-alls.”
Jesus heard them, and responded with kindness and grace, and along the way, further defined His new plans for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus made it clear: it was not about knowledge. What God wanted was hearts that would fully love Him (12:30), and then fully love people (12:31). Jesus was radically re-writing rabbinic traditions, and the Torah. Let’s put down our need to be “know-it-alls” and replace this with a desire to know and love God more! And, then let that permeate to how we love one another!
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