Jesus Christ – Know-it-all

When someone is called a “know-it-all”, it is almost always a sarcastic comment used to make fun of the obnoxious way that a person uses their limited knowledge.

But Jesus Christ really does “know-it-all”; and anything He did not know that was critical to know, He learned.

There is no man who has ever lived who’s knowledge comes close to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, for Jesus had intimate knowledge of God and a superior human knowledge.

The knowledge of Jesus Christ’s knowledge is preserved in His powerful Gospel that recreated civilization.   In Christ’s Knowledge “is the new and definitive covenant…[and]…will never pass away…” (Catechesi Tradendae). The Truth and Knowledge of Jesus Christ is preserved by the Catholic Church through the oral Tradition and the written Gospels (CCC 126).  And the Church proclaims the Truth of Jesus Christ through preserving, interpreting and promulgating the Sacred Scripture without error (CCC 107).

In today’s Gospel (Matt 4:12-17, 23-25), we have an example from early in His public ministry that demonstrates Jesus’ knowledge.

[12] Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee;[13] and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Caper’na-um by the sea, in the territory of Zeb’ulun and Naph’tali, [14] that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: [15] “The land of Zeb’ulun and the land of Naph’tali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — [16] the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” [17] From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

[23]And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.  [24] So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.   [25] And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decap’olis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

From this short excerpt, the exceptional knowledge of Jesus Christ is demonstrated in a number of ways:

In verses 15-16 is just one small example of Jesus’ knowledge of the Old Testament;  In the Gospels, Jesus thoroughly demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture, referring to about 80 Old Testament passages from about 25 books.

Jesus goes on to teach in “their synagogues” – Jesus obviously was considered to have the knowledge of a Rabbi (teacher) to be able to teach in synagogues, despite being raised as a carpenter.

Jesus teaches about the “kingdom” – The fact that Jesus has intimate knowledge of God and God’s Kingdom is extraordinary.  “By its union to the divine wisdom in the person of the Word incarnate, Christ enjoyed in his human knowledge the fullness of understanding of the eternal plans he had come to reveal” (CCC 473-474).   Who can know of the Kingdom?  Only Jesus!

Jesus takes His superior scriptural knowledge and uses it in practical ways.  He actually relocates His ministry to fulfill prophecy.  He, through both Divine Knowledge and Power, is able heal the incurable infirmaries of many.  Jesus has an unprecedented knowledge of how to heal the mind, body and soul!

Even today, as the Risen Eternal King, Jesus has knowledge of all things, knowing even our own hearts.  Right now, Jesus knows our deepest thoughts.

Give thanks and be filled with joy, that our Lord loves us enough to know and care for us.  We should reach out to Christ in prayer so that we might come to know Him better.