The psalmist says, “He has put a new song in my mouth.” And so I took that very literally and composed a new song for church today. Do you want to hear me sing it? It’s called, “Blessed ignorance, Jesus is mine”
You say you don’t think you know that one? You say you think I got that wrong? Shouldn’t that be, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine”? There is a song by that name, but that’s not the one I have in mind today. My theme song is “Blessed Ignorance, Jesus Is Mine”! I do realize that this song will not be published in the next edition of the Baptist Hymnal. I am pretty confident it will not be sung around campfires at youth retreats. What is worse, Mr. Hart and Dr. Winfield have absolutely refused to introduce it at choir rehearsals – what insubordination, not to try the pastor’s new song! “Blessed Ignorance, Jesus Is Mine” How come nobody likes my song? Maybe because nobody thinks that ignorance is blessed? Maybe because nobody believes that Jesus is on the side of ignorance?
But there is an issue about ignorance and knowledge. There is an issue about people who know. You see, people who know and who know they know become oppressive. And, equally dangerous, people who don’t know and who don’t know they don’t know become anxious. If we are led by people who know the wrong things and who are ignorant of the right things, we are in trouble. I don’t know about you, but I get suspicious when I am around people who never have questions, but always have answers. I get uncomfortable with people who always have it together, always are correct, always are on the money. I get uncomfortable with folks who never, never say, “I don’t know.” Because there is an issue about people who know and who know they know. There is an anxiety from people who don’t know, but who don’t know that they don’t know.
Blessed ignorance. Blessed ignorance, Jesus is mine.
We’re in our third Sunday now in this 7th chapter of John. As we saw two weeks ago, when Jesus taught about who He was, that was too much for many of them. Some of them wanted their religion remote and cold, academic and distant. The last thing they wanted was a personal relationship with God. They wanted a dry, dusty, intellectual theology, not an intimate love affair with the Lord. Jesus made them uncomfortable when He taught them about Himself. But they did have to agree with one thing, "Never has anyone spoken like this!"
Then last week we saw that when Jesus spoke, He gave the powers that be a bad case of anxiety. They were interested in the law, but He was interested in healing hurting people. They were interested in restricting God for themselves, but He was interested in including all who were thirsty for living water. He scared them, this Jesus; He gave them a serious case of anxiety. But again they had to agree, though they didn’t like it, "Never has anyone spoken like this!"
Today the story reaches its climax, as the religious authorities in and around Jerusalem become thoroughly frustrated. They wanted nothing more than to be rid of this pesky Jesus. He was too much trouble, and they devoutly wished He would just drop into a hole someplace and go away. Have you ever felt that about somebody? They just drive you bananas, and you just wish they would somehow go away! That’s the way they felt about Jesus.
But it was frustrating. The more they challenged Him, the more He seemed to thrive. The more they discouraged the people from listening to Jesus, the more the people turned to Jesus in droves. And so, in profound frustration, the Temple leadership decided to have Jesus arrested. On what charge it is not clear, but frustrated people sometimes act first and think of reasons later. Arrest this Jesus! We’ve had enough of Him!
But, wouldn’t you know it, the Temple police came back in a little while, empty-handed. No Jesus in the paddy wagon. No prisoner in handcuffs. Why not? Why didn’t you arrest Him? They said it, loud and clear, "Never has anyone spoken like this!" We didn’t arrest Him because we didn’t know what to do with Him. He’s different, He’s fresh, He’s exciting, He’s challenging, He’s Jesus. "Never has anyone spoken like this!"
John 7:47-52
There are at least two issues here. Two issues that lead me to sing, “Blessed ignorance, Jesus is mine.”
I
The first issue is that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day wanted to establish an elite. They did not want ordinary folks to have spiritual power. They wanted to keep that for themselves. Based on their being in the know, based on their being in the inner circle, they liked being high muckety-mucks and they intended to keep it that way, thank you very much. The religious leadership of Jesus’ day wanted to establish an elite.
But Jesus opened the door to those who wanted to know God. Not just to know about God with an academic knowledge, but to those who wanted to know God personally. In the next chapter here in John’s Gospel He will tell us that we will know the truth, and the truth will make us free. But the critical thing is knowing God personally, not just knowing facts about God.
The issue is that the Pharisees and other leaders wanted to establish an elite, and they put down everybody else who wasn’t in that elite. What caustic language they used!
Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law--they are accursed.
Christian, church member, Christian leader, deacon: when you think you know so much that others have to be put down, then you know too much of the wrong thing. When you think you know so much that others are discredited and despised, then you know too much stuff and you know too little of Christ! When you use your knowledge to establish yourself as an elite, then I say, “blessed ignorance, Jesus is mine”! Blessed ignorance, for I would far rather have around me young Christians and novice leaders and fresh deacons who want nothing more than to know Christ and the power of His resurrection than to have deacons who are the sons and daughters of deacons who are the sons of deacons who are the sons of deacons, all the way back to the banks of the River Jordan!
It’s not so much about what we know; it’s about whether we know Christ. I was reminded recently of the story of the evangelist Dwight L. Moody, who heard somebody say that the world had yet to see what God could do with one man fully committed. And Moody, though he had only a third grade education, determined to become that man, and so influenced thousands of people toward Christ. It was not so much about what he knew; it was about knowing Christ. “Blessed ignorance, Jesus is mine.”
I’m so glad that here at Takoma we bring new deacons on board nearly every year! I’m glad that we do not put somebody on the Diaconate and keep them there for a hundred and two years! I’m so glad that we do not have an established elite that puts down everybody else, because that’s what racism is founded on – putting down those who are different. That’s what sexism looks like – putting down women as unworthy of leadership or putting down men as unspiritual. That’s what ageism looks like – putting down young people because they haven’t been tested yet. If our church is true to its Christ, then I pray that those who accept places of leadership here will be ignorant of all the pride, ignorant of all the pomposity, ignorant of all the prejudice that too often accompanies spiritual leadership! I pray that you will know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I pray and I sing, “Blessed ignorance, Jesus is mine”!
The first issue is that religious leaders want to establish an elite and do not want ordinary folks to have spiritual power.
II
The second issue is that the leaders of Jesus’ day wanted to close off new ideas. They wanted to maintain the status quo. They wanted to keep things as they had always been. They had their answers, they had their way of doing things, they had their patterns, thank you, and they wanted no change. They remind me of that old ditty, “Our fathers have been churchmen for a hundred years or so, and to every new proposal they have always answered, ‘No’” It’s so easy to freeze up, so easy to get stuck in a rut.
But, thank God, there was somebody in that leadership group who saw beyond yesterday. There was somebody who could speak with integrity for the future. There was Nicodemus, a strong man and principled man. And Nicodemus raised a key question with his colleagues:
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?"
Nicodemus asked them to be open to listen to Jesus’ ideas. Nicodemus urged them to find out whether God was at work in Jesus. At least hear Jesus out! Nicodemus saw that if you do nothing more than parrot the tired answers of the past, you will not be sufficient for the stormy present. At least give Jesus a hearing to find out what He is doing. But the leaders of Jesus’ day were closed to new ideas.
I hope and pray that Deacon Nicodemus is right here and is coming on board this year. I know that God is going to do a new thing with these new deacons. One of our new deacons is deeply devoted to the children of this church and this community. He gives leadership to the youngest we have, and cares deeply for them. God is going to do a new thing with Cohen Cosby. He might become Deacon Nicodemus.
Another of our new deacons is deeply devoted to the youth, the teenagers of the church and the community. I have often seen that it doesn’t matter whether we elect Corette Jones to the Youth Committee, she is going to be there for our youth. That’s where her heart and her energies are. God is going to do a new thing in this church with Corette Jones. She may be the one who is Deacon Nicodemus.
The third of our new deacons is a woman with an unshakable devotion to prayer. She has been through much. She has suffered much. Her very life has hung in the balance. But Rohena Nelson can bring to this church a dimension of spiritual seriousness like nothing we have ever seen before. God is going to do a new thing with Rohena Nelson. She will surely be a Deacon Nicodemus.
I pray we will be open to these deacons. I pray that we will not be so invested in the patterns of the past that we cannot be open to what God is doing around us. I pray that we will be blissfully ignorant of all the “we’ve never done it that way before” stuff, so that we can move forward in the spirit of God. I pray for new things, great things, just because in their freshness, they will be ignorant of all the reasons why this and that won’t work! I hope these deacons learn to sing, “Blessed ignorance, Jesus is mine.”
Christians, church members, Christian leaders, deacons, be ignorant. Be ignorant!
Know nothing about pride, but become like a little child, eager to learn and to grow. Be ignorant of foolish pride.
Know nothing of skepticism, but be full of faith, seeing God at work all around you. Be ignorant of all the reasons why not.
Know nothing of arrogance, but be humble, like the one who was among us as a servant. Be ignorant of status, be ignorant of position, be ignorant of power.
Know nothing of putdowns, know nothing of prejudice, but do honor to all, especially to those who are of this household of faith. Be ignorant of any reason to look down on any of God’s children.
Blessed ignorance, Jesus is yours! Jesus belongs to the meek and the lowly. Jesus belongs to the servant heart. Jesus belongs to those who are eager to know Him and to do what He does. Jesus is yours, for Jesus belongs to the quiet and simple hearts who do not hold anything back, but who love Him and know Him. Blessed ignorance, when you know what you don’t know, but you do know that Jesus is yours!
