All Your Mind: An Extension

Material not included in the sermon due to time constraints.

Jesus' Follow-up Question

Mark 12:35-40
So after all this crazy questioning, Jesus continues the debate with a follow-up question about David calling his own kid "Lord." At first blush, this question apears to be another example of reductio ad absurdum—a bit of crazy talk meant for either an exaggerated point or for empty discussion.

Jesus wants to re-orient the discussion to his Messiahship. That is precicely what David was referring to in the Psalm Jesus referenced.

The Scribe was not far from the kingdom of God. But he needed to take the next step and love Jesus with the same love he offers God. Nobody becomes a Christian by virtue of their knowledge. It is by grace through the virtue of faith. Yet, one's knowledge is a doorway to faith. Some things must be realized first, for instance:

• Man's Depravity: Man has fallen into sin, which displeases God.
• The Wages of Sin: Since Man has displeased God, he has no hope to be in God's presence. Without God—the source of life—he is doomed to the only alternative: death.
• God's Grace: God, in His grace, has provided a solution for this predicament in the death, burial and resurrection of His Son.

If you do not know these things, how could you ever believe them? There are levels of understanding. Admittedly, I understand them better than some. Most understand them better than me. The level of understanding does not matter much. Regardless of the level of understanding, one is judged by their response to the information they have.

Beware of the Scribes

The scribes abused their knowledge. They used it unwisely, in the pursuit of selfish gain. They had good information, but their application was wrong.

Library Science espouses a theory of knowledge that works as a hierarchy. In it, the slight differences are highlighted between data, information, knowledge and wisdom as follows:

• DATA basic facts, building blocks (look in the kitchen: eggs, flour, milk, sugar)
• INFORMATION data within a framework ("Hey! I can make a cake with these ingredients!")
• KNOWLEDGE information that can be applied ("Here's my mom's favorite cake recipes. Which one...")
• WISDOM reflective, decides what to do with the knowledge (Should I have cake for breakfast? Should I eat the entire cake myself in one sitting? Is there a healthier option for breakfast?)

It would be a shame for someone to get to the point where their knowledge is applied unwisely. It would have been a shame for that scribe who agreed with Jesus in Mark 12 to have rejected Jesus as his Messiah. It is a shame that the religious leaders seem to have fallen short at this point.

Conclusion

We can pursue knowledge wisely and honor the Lord with it. It starts when your knowledge draws you towards your knees in repentance and continues by informing your daily routines.

1. Apply your knowledge to God's word.
2. Apply God's word to your life.