Heart knowledge of Christ
Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus said and did many things that were unforgettable. His deeds pointed to his words, and both pointed to himself. One of the unforgettable things Jesus did was the feeding of the multitude (feeding of the 5,000 found in Matt.14:13-31, Mark 6:32-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-13; and the feeding of the 4,000 found in Matt.15:32-39 and Mark 8:1-10). Following the feeding of the four thousand in Mark 8:14-21 we read a somewhat confusing yet convicting passage. Jesus warns his disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod” (Mk.6:15). If you go to the Gospel of Luke, you will find that the leaven Jesus is talking about here is hypocrisy (Luke 12:1). But the disciples were confused about this and thought Jesus was referring to their lack of bread. Seeing their confusion, Jesus asked them about the feeding of the multitude they had just witnessed, and they were able to recount the events with amazing accuracy. What we have here is a heart condition that is often found in many Christians. We can know a lot of facts about Jesus and the Bible in our head, but our hearts can remain unchanged and the real meaning of the works of Jesus can still be missed. In other words, it is possible to have a head knowledge of the facts about Jesus yet still miss Jesus himself, who is the gospel and the true bread from heaven. If we profess to know Jesus and salvation in his name, yet our hearts remain unchanged by his grace, then our life will actually reflect the leaven of the Pharisees Jesus warns us about in this passage.
So how do we get the true and beautiful knowledge of Christ into our hearts, and in turn, live it out on a daily basis through our actions? Theologians throughout history have pointed out several spiritual practices that can help us in practical ways. One such practice is sustained prayer and meditation, both in private and with others. Through immersion in the Scriptures and honest dialogue with God, we can appropriate the facts about God into our heart language. Another important spiritual practice in this regard is worship and fellowship. When you are justified in Christ and adopted as a daughter or son of God, you are at the same time incorporated into the family of God with Christ as your older brother and true bridegroom. Through worship and fellowship you are living out your new identity as the beloved daughter or son of God and strengthening your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Lastly, in order for us to truly live out a life in accordance with the truth of Christ, we are to build and live in a Christian worldview in all areas of our lives. A Christian worldview is not something static that you can put on once and for all, but a living map that is built through these above mentioned spiritual practices and your own lived experience. It is the framework through which you can discern how the gospel can come to bear in practical ways in all areas of your life.
Looking forward to Sunday, Dan Churchwell will be preaching from John 4, where we find a concrete example of how the gospel changes our hearts, not just our minds. Let’s prepare our hearts to receive the Word preached and sung, and to live out the gospel of grace in every area of our lives.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash