PrintBelieve What You Know
Jesus asked a lot of questions. In some cases it was obvious why He asked them. In other cases his questions seemed almost insensitive. On the occasion of the death of Lazarus and in the midst of Martha's grief, Jesus made the phenomenal claim that He was the resurrection and the life and followed it immediately with this very direct question, "Do you believe this?"
It strikes me that Jesus didn't ask her if she knew this as a theological fact or proposition. He asked her did she believe it. In fact, immediately before that interchange Jesus said, "Your brother will rise again". Theological truth. Martha responded, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day". Theological truth. It seems to me that Jesus is not so much interested in what she knows but in what she believes.
What I know has to do (primarily but not exclusively) with the head. What I believe has to do (primarily but not exclusively) with the heart. What I know is essentially passive. What I believe requires action.
In the Christian context, belief and faith are the same word. In that same context, faith always results in action of some kind. The "Faith Hall of Fame" (as someone has called Hebrews chapter 11) lists many of the exploits accomplished by those who exercised faith. Without exception, they all acted upon their faith; they did something.
It is important to know what I believe. Knowledge must inform belief. But I must also believe what I know. Faith must empower knowledge. Martha knew what she believed but Jesus wanted to know if she believed what she knew. At the risk of reducing this dynamic to some kind of mantra, it might be simply expressed as
Know what you believe and believe what you know.
