Knowledge Does Not Equal Intimacy
Joel Salatin is one of our favorite farmers, which is saying a lot because we know a lot of farmers. I know a lot about Mr. Salatin. I’ve met him on a few occasions, shared meals together, and heard him speak many times. I have also read all of his books and quote him often to my family and friends and complete strangers. If I walked onto his farm, into his home, and sat down at his dinner table — well, that would be trespassing and quite creepy. Knowledge does not equal intimacy.
My husband has many quirks. I won’t list them all here for you, but trust me when I say “He’s quirky.” I have a lot of knowledge about my husband; we have been married for fifteen years. Living and working together breeds intimacy. I know him better than anyone else on this earth, but I still don’t know all of him. He can still surprise me, and I love that I don’t know everything about him. Our intimacy is built on daily life, closeness, and communication.
Life with Jesus is the same way. We can know a lot of facts about Jesus. We can memorize pages and pages of Scripture. We can quote great theologians and postulate difficult theories and debate translations. We can do all of this and still not know Jesus. Knowledge does not equal intimacy.
Bob Goff says, “I used to think I could learn about Jesus by studying him, but now I know Jesus doesn’t want stalkers.” Knowledge without intimacy is creepy and unsatisfying.
In Luke 5, Jesus meets the men who will become his disciples on the shore of their lake and asks them to take him fishing:
“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.’
‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again’” (Luke 5:4-5 NLT)
Simon (who became Peter) knew a lot about fishing; it was his family business. He didn’t know a lot about this Jesus who was sitting in his boat, and he decided to trust him and do what he said.
“And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, ‘Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.’ For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.
Jesus replied to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!’ And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. (Luke 5:6-11 NLT)
The disciples followed Jesus, they knew him by living, walking, learning, and eating with him. The Pharisees knew a lot of religious knowledge, they could quote the scriptures and cite all of the religious laws. They could quote all the information about the promised Messiah. But they did not know Jesus.
Even when Jesus introduced himself to them, they turned away and were content in their religious knowledge. In Mark, chapter 3, we read of Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were in attendance, watching with eagerness as to what Jesus would do. If he healed the man, then he was breaking the Sabbath. If he didn’t heal him, then he had no power.
“Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, ‘Come and stand in front of everyone.’ Then he turned to his critics and asked, ‘Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?’ But they wouldn’t answer him. He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus. (Mark 3:3-6 NLT)
The Pharisees had much more religious knowledge than did the disciples, what they lacked was intimacy. They knew a lot about God, but didn’t know God well enough to recognize his earthly form. Instead, they lived and acted out of fear that Jesus would supersede their authority without knowing that he was their authority.
Do I know God or do I just know about God? Am I a disciple or a Pharisee?
Do I know the man who died on the cross well enough to know he died for me? That he rose from the dead for me? That he loves me now and forever?
That is intimacy with God—to not just know about him, but to know him.
is rooted like a turnip to the plains of North Dakota where she raises great food, large numbers of farm animals, and three free-range kids with her husband. You can find her with either a book or knitting needles in her hands as she dreams up her next adventure.
Photograph © Zachary Olson, used with permission
