It Doesn’t Matter What You Know If You Do Nothing

Knowledge is power, or so we have been told. Is that true? Is knowledge alone power? If I were to ask you, “What kind of diet leads to health?” you probably know. Last night I came home from church about 8 o’clock and I ate a bowl of cereal, which was really a bowl of candy and milk. I knew it was wrong when I did it. I enjoyed it while I did it and felt guilty about it after. So, do I know about diet? Yes, to some extent.

If I were to ask you, “Do you know what kind of exercise prolongs life and leads to vitality now?” We know more now than people have ever known about what leads to health and vigor. The question is, “Are you doing that?” If I were to say, “Do you know the kind of sleep necessary for a productive life?” We probably know, but do you get that kind of sleep?

Do you know the importance of God’s Word in your life? Do you know the importance of prayer? Do you know the importance of doing right by other people? The answer is probably yes, yes, and yes. You do know how. So, is knowledge power? Or is knowledge a mockery? The truth is knowledge is merely a mockery and not a help to you if you are doing nothing about it. It doesn’t matter what you know if you do nothing about it.

Matthew 2 is an example of people who knew a great deal but were not wise. In fact, they were foolish because they did not act on what they knew. Matthew 2 says, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.”

When the wise men came seeking the Christ child, Herod immediately went to the most religious people in a very religious area, the chief priests and scribes. The word “scribes” reminds us of scribble, scrabble, script, Scripture. These are guys who knew the words of God and studiously copied them. They were copyists and knew what God had said, but they were in stark contrast to the men we call the wise men.

I know “wise men” is not merely a designation of how wise they were. However, I think they were wise in what they did. They didn’t just have knowledge; they had knowledge with action. That is wisdom. It is knowledge that is skillfully used. The scribes knew everything and did nothing. They knew where Christ would be born. It wasn’t far away. I believe they knew roughly when Christ would be born, but it doesn’t matter what you know if you do nothing.

What does wisdom require? What separated the wise men from the smart scribes? I would say there were four things. First, there was curiosity. What is the first thing out of the mouths of these wise men? It was a question. Where? They asked, “Where is he that is born king of the Jews?” They had curiosity and the scribes had indifference; they didn’t really care. We think wise people have with all the answers. No, wise people are the ones that have a lot of questions. That is where the answers come from. Sometimes we get asked questions and feel flattered that someone thinks we know the answer or we feel obligated to have an answer even if we don’t. We launch confidently into some answer when we are making it up; we don’t know.

These wise men were wise precisely because they were curious. Where is he that was born king of the Jews? They had some knowledge; I believe it was miraculously given. The Bible talks about a star, dreams, angels, but the thing that is emphasized over and again is what the Bible says. Matthew 2:17 says, “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet.” So, these wise men were wise because they were curious.

Second, wisdom required effort. The wise men had come from a great distance to find the Christ child. In contrast, the scribes were, relatively speaking, only a short distance from where He was, yet they made no effort. The wise men’s wisdom was in their effort; the scribes’ foolishness was in their sloth. Here were men mere miles from the Christ child, but they could not find Him for the same reason a thief cannot find a police officer; there is no desire or effort.

Third, wisdom requires openness. The wise men knew what it was they didn’t know. Wise people know they are not wise enough, so they have an openness. In contrast, the scribes apparently had a bias. There is a difference between having a broad mind and an empty head. Sometimes we want to be broad-minded, but we are really empty-headed. The difference is our relationship to the truth. Broad-minded doesn’t mean we are undiscerning and accept everything. We want to be open-minded to the truth and hard-headed against falsehood. The only way to know that is to consult the one who knows everything, God.

Finally, wisdom requires submission. It requires a submissive heart. In contrast, you have King Herod. The Bible shows us that this was set up for conflict. Jesus is called “He that is born king of the Jews.” No one is born king. King Charles, for example, was a prince for many years, then became king, but Jesus is king. He was king before He came to this earth.

In contrast, the Bible speaks of Herod who was told by the scribes that God had said about the Messiah to come that “a Governor… shall rule my people Israel.” Their problem was they were submissive to the wrong authority. Everybody obeys somebody. The scribes rebelled against God. Herod rebelled against Christ because he was a rebel at heart. I scarcely have a right to demand obedience from my family if I am not obeying the authorities God has put in my life. It is impossible to understand what we don’t want to understand. Have you ever wanted to explain something to someone who simply didn’t want to understand. The problem was not mental sufficiency; it was an insufficiency of heart, rebellion. People who want an argument and not an answer will not be satisfied with all the arguments and answers in the world.

What an encouragement that we can know more than we know if we are curious, make an effort, have an openness to God’s truth, and are submissive. There were some smart men that Herod consulted, but the wise men consulted God.