Here’s a practical follow-up to the “Living Word” series we started last Saturday. A key quote by Eugene Peterson was:

The intent of revelation is not to inform us about God but to involve us with God. – Eugene Peterson in Reversed Thunder as quoted by Jack R. Taylor

The Jews of Jesus’ day were certainly informed about God, but sometimes those who understood him best were “outsiders.”

As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, “Master, my servant is sick. He can’t walk. He’s in terrible pain.” Jesus said, “I’ll come and heal him.” “Oh, no,” said the captain. “I don’t want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. I’m a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes; to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Taken aback, Jesus said, “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions…Then those who grew up ‘in the faith’ but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace and wondering what happened.” Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, “Go. What you believed could happen has happened.” At that moment his servant became well. (Matthew 8.5 – 13, MSG, emphasis mine)

Some who think they know all about God from their study of the written word will find themselves “outsiders to grace and wondering what happened.”

And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he answered, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25.10 – 12, ESV)