I was reading in the Gospel of John today, and started pondering verses 10 & 11: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”

This is, of course, nothing really new to us as Christians. But I was pondering if, hypothetically, Christ were with us today, if we would recognize him? As I read the gospels, I am terrified that my answer would probably have to be “no.” If Christ crossed paths with me today, I don’t think I’d even realize it was Him.

I mean, sure, I’d like to think that I’d at least have some idea that it was him. But would I really have a clue? After all, didn’t the pharisees of Jesus’s time know the scriptures? And yet, in the final analysis they completely missed the messiah. I think this should be a sobering thought. We can know the scriptures incredibly well, and yet completely miss the man, the God, that they are about. I don’t know about you, but that genuinely terrifies me. In a good way, but it is certainly troubling to think about.

This shouldn’t scare us away, but I think should challenge us as Christians to a deeper understanding of who Christ is. I am always impressed when I read the gospels at how his disciples literally dropped their fishing nets to follow him (“immediately”, as Mark records). The pharisees missed the messiah, yet these humble fishermen immediately recognized him as someone worth following. What’s going on here? I can only speculate, but I suspect their understanding of the messiah went deeper than the “head knowledge” of the pharisees. I can only hope and pray my knowledge is more like the disciples than the pharisees. And I hope to that I am humble enough to recognize that no matter what I may “know” about scripture, I can still completely miss it.

This should, of course, be a reminder to keep relationship with Christ at the center of our lives. Knowledge of the scriptures is at the center of this, certainly. But to depend on our own knowledge of scripture, our “head knowledge” is dangerous. We can quote passages after passages of scripture, and yet perhaps miss the very God they are talking about. The pharisees did. And I think if we were honest, we’d admit that we may be not to far away from the errors of the pharisees. I know when I read Jesus lambasting the pharisees for “missing the point” I always picture myself on the same side as Jesus, simply because I am a Christian and read the Bible. But the truth is I’d probably be more on the pharisees side if all I have going for me is some claim to a religious name and mere knowledge of scriptures. Christ himself must be my focus. I cannot lean on my own understandings. And this is challenging, because I as a human do it so easily.

May God be the all consuming passion of our lives, and may we grow in relationship with him each and every day. May we recognize and receive our Creator and our Saviour.