Know it All

Know It All

Gospel for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 20.27-38

  

Nobody likes a know-it-all. In Jesus' time the worst of the Know-it-alls were the Sadducees. We often lump the Scribes, The Pharisees and the Sadducees together, and true, they were all very similar in that they were the keepers of the LAW. The Sadducees were slightly different- they believed that only the first five books of Hebrew Scripture- ones attributed to Moses- were the only authentic scripture.

As such, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. It's important to know that all understanding of a "resurrection" was shrouded in mystery, but the Sadducees rejected the idea completely.

So when Jesus proclaims a resurrection of the dead, they scoff at the notion, attempting to trick Jesus with a crazy scenario about seven husbands of one widow- who is she married to in heaven???

Jesus' patience is amazing. He simply tells them that their vision of heaven is not God's vision. Marriage, the covenant of love that expresses on earth the love God has for us, will not matter. The union that we seek is with God, and with all of creation.

Then, Jesus uses the Book of Exodus and the story of the burning bush, that God "is not of the dead, but of the living, for to him all of them are alive." (Luke 20.38)

That's the danger of being a know-it-all. Eventually they learn that they know nothing.

Thank goodness, we're not know-it-alls, right?

I mean, we are NEVER: 

Scripture know-it-alls who quote Jesus to make our point.

Church know-it-alls who quote the Catechism the same way Scripture know-it-alls do 

Liturgy know-it-alls who remind others how to "do the liturgy correctly"

Prayer know-it-alls who tell people that my way of praying is the best way to pray

Social Justice know-it-alls who lack forgiveness for those who are responsible for injustice

Relationship know-it-alls who can't understand how people can be divorced, separated or in trouble with their marriage- clearly they've done something wrong...

And if we are teachers and/or parents, we are more susceptible to know-it-all thinking than anyone else!

Clearly, Jesus is speaking directly to us when he says "remove the log out of your own eye before removing the speck from your neighbor's eye" Luke 6.42

The advice is clear- whenever you correct, inform or advise, do so with humility. That is one thing that know-it-alls lack. Without humility there is no wisdom.

Because we can't know it all. True wisdom lies in the realization that we live and love in mystery. 

In this world, anyway, it is the only way to enter into the heart of God.

For this week: Pray for the humility to say, "I don't know all the answers, Lord. Grant that your Holy Spirit give me the wisdom to know that."