Marks’s Gospel is an interesting account of the life of Jesus. It doesn’t have the sweet recording of Jesus birth – shepherds, manger, wise men coming to visit. No, here we are in chapter one of Mark and he’s in a synagogue confronted by an evil spirit. And what’s interesting is that this unclean spirit is the first to acknowledge who Jesus is. Others took a while and still others could not get their head or heart to acknowledge Jesus is. Remember Jesus’ question to his disciples well into his ministry? He asked his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” But there was no confusion at all for this unclean spirit: I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”
So what we are seeing in this passage is the difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone. Hang on – didn’t I just say the same thing? No. There is a difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone and this is what we are seeing. James, in his letter, also says the same thing:
(James 2:19) – You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. The difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus is relational. I can read the bible from cover to cover and recite facts and figures and quote this passage and that passage – but that is not relational; That is head knowledge rather than heart knowledge. Heart knowledge is when we don’t just know about Jesus but are able to confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour and that I trust him with my life and soul. This is when Jesus doesn’t just become a compartment of my life along with many other things but he is my very being and existence. Remember a couple weeks ago when Paul said – do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
God is not meant to be another thing that we fit into our lives but our very life. Because the problem when God is something we fit into our lives – when our lives get squeezed – we can often squeeze God out of our lives. And that’s when we might know ABOUT God but no know God in our hearts. Peter is again a good example to show both at work. When Peter is asked who do “people” say I am he gives a list: “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
But look how quick Peter’s “heart” knowledge resorts to his head knowledge when Jesus says: that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” But Jesus then turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Notice the difference – with his heart knowledge he knows Jesus as his Lord and Saviour – you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. But sadly when he faces danger he reverts to his head knowledge that only knows “about” Jesus – fuelled by his “merely human concerns”. And that’s where the rubber hits the road when it comes to our faith – when we face difficulties and uncertainty and our natural instinct is to protect ourselves. As Luther said in his Large Catechism – whatever you run to in time of danger – that is your God.
St Paul made the same distinction in our 2nd reading where he says: Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
Head knowledge compared to heart knowledge.
Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him. And there’s an important distinction; Head knowledge knows about God.
But heart knowledge is where we are known by God.
So faith is more than just knowing about God – knowing about Jesus. Faith is being in a relationship with God through his Son Jesus Christ. It is confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and not just a head knowledge of Jesus. Because head knowledge won’t sustain you when your back is against the wall and you face uncertainty. When you cannot see a way through your situation and you don’t turn to your own strength but to God as the Book of Hebrews says: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. And it talks about several Old Testament people distinguishing between head knowledge and heart knowledge:
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
You see there – faith is not about knowing God but trusting God and that’s the difference between the confession of knowledge of the unclean spirit in today’s Gospel and the confession of Peter of Jesus as the Messiah. God wants to be in a relationship with you. He doesn’t care if you can’t recite chapter and verse from the Bible. He just wants to be in a relationship with you and for you to call on him in time of trouble and as we read in several places in the New Testament; Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
May God grant this to us all and the peace of God that surpasses all our understanding watch over your hearts now and always. Amen.
