So What of Knowledge?

Isaiah 50:4-9a
Mark 8:27-38

What do we mean when we say we are possessed of knowledge? When we tell someone that we “know” of something to be true, what are we really saying? To paraphrase James, “You believe there is a God; so what? So do demons.”

So we can honestly – or can we? – say that there is a God; so what? What do we mean? We can see a rickety old rope bridge with some pretty questionable planks crossing over a deep canyon gorge and we can honestly say with absolute certainty that there is a bridge that crosses over the gorge, but are we prepared to bet with our lives that the bridge will do what it is supposed to do? That the bridge has a purpose and is currently serving that purpose?

We have knowledge of the bridge, and others who see it can attest to the fact that there is indeed a bridge. This knowledge cannot be disputed. What IS in dispute is whether or not that bridge is going to support our weight. That knowledge is lacking. So what will it take to make a determination about whether there is a usable, serviceable bridge that crosses over that gorge? The answer is obvious: someone is going to have to step out onto that bridge to find out. The only way the true value of that bridge will be determined is by interacting with the bridge, engaging the bridge, studying the bridge, and then actually stepping onto the bridge.

So to have knowledge of this bridge's existence serves no useful purpose because if the bridge is never going to be tried and tested, what good is it? It’s just there. It may have a rustic charm as a testimony to a pioneer spirit of days long gone but if no one is willing to actually use it, it may as well be cut down and put away forever. Right?

It is not enough for us to simply acknowledge the Lord as an “existent” God. In fact, while I know many make general reference to the term “God” as meaning the Holy Father, I sometimes wonder if the word “God”, like the words “love”, “truth”, and “justice” have any real value, any real meaning toward who we are and to Whom we belong. If we cannot comfortably refer to Him as our Lord in the presence of others who may be non-believers, what sort of a statement are we making about our Creator? About our faith? About our willingness to give that old bridge a try?

In Mark there is more to this story about Jesus and the people’s perception of Him than meets the eye and I think there is far more to what is being offered than a simple “pop quiz” about what the disciples may think they know about Jesus.


Actually, in order to be able to get more out of this passage, it is necessary to back up to verse 14 where it is written that “the disciples had forgotten to bring bread except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. Jesus said, ‘Be careful. Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

Jesus is obviously not talking about the kind of yeast that makes bread rise. Instead when He makes reference to the Pharisees and to Herod in relation to yeast, He is warning His disciples about taking too much worldly - if useless - knowledge for granted. We can see for ourselves that there is constant conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees about matters pertaining to the Mosaic Law; spiritual vs. man-made interpretation. Now Jesus is warning His followers to be aware of the “yeast” of the Pharisees, the teachers of that Law.

But just when the disciples think they have figured out that Jesus is talking about the left over physical bread they left behind, they get a pretty sharp rebuke from Him. “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?”

Clearly Jesus’ followers have no clue what Jesus is talking about. Do you ever get the feeling that this is as true today as it was then? Do you ever get the feeling that maybe it is that the more we think we know about theology and doctrine that we know even less now than the disciples did then because of our dependence on man-made doctrine that has gone through centuries of metamorphoses? Somehow, though, the excess bread that was left over from the feeding of the thousands has everything to do with what Jesus is talking about, and He is getting pretty exasperated with His followers maybe just as much today as then.

Then we come to the “pop quiz”.

“Who do people say that I am?”

“What about you? Who do YOU say that I am?”

Peter’s answer is one we are very familiar with. He gives the correct answer for the moment but when Jesus begins to teach His followers about His impending Passion, Peter gets it wrong all over again and Jesus even calls Peter “Satan”! “Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. Then Jesus said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

So where did Peter go wrong? What is it that Peter has missed? He has confessed Jesus as the Christ. And in Matthew’s account in chapter 16, Jesus replies to this confession: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man but by my Father.” Matthew 16:17

Then recall that Jesus goes further in the much disputed statement about changing Simon’s name to “Peter” and referring to the “rock of faith” upon which the Church is to be built. This part is lacking in Mark’s account, but the rebuke that comes is present in both texts. Peter does not care for this knowledge that Jesus is predicting His own death - it does not give Peter his own sense of comfort - but it would be unfair to fault Peter for his remarks to Jesus about “allowing” Himself to be persecuted in such a way. I think we would each be guilty of asking Jesus to take whatever precautions necessary to avoid this impending confrontation.

Even today there are questions asked about why it had become necessary for such a cruel death. When we enter into a relationship with the Lord through the life of Jesus, we grow fond of this Man who did nothing but call the faithful to repentance and remind mankind that there is indeed a God and that He loves us. So to turn this very gentle Man over to hateful, vindictive men whose way of life and teachings that do nothing but repress a people makes no sense. “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to You!”

Peter is obviously lacking knowledge about the intent of the Lord God through the ministry of Christ, but I think we still do today. When the law clearly demands animals without blemish – perfect in every way – for the atonement of sin, suddenly a Man is about to be offered as the “perfect” and “FINAL” sacrifice for our sins. Even now some 2000 years later, it still does not make sense to us.

I think, then, that it will never make sense to us as long as “God” is nothing more than a general reference to a generic “higher power”, that until “God” becomes “Lord” to us we will never get it. And I am deliberately and exclusively speaking to the faithful because we are here and we claim to “believe”, but do we possess genuine KNOWLEDGE that He is Lord and God of all creation including our lives? And do we have KNOWLEDGE that He has established a Law by and through which His faithful must distinguish themselves from the rest of the world?

The distinction is made much like with the old rickety bridge. We KNOW there is a bridge; we BELIEVE there is a bridge. But do we TRUST the bridge?