One of the saddest responses to Jesus in all of Scripture is found in Matthew 2:4-6. When Herod asked the chief priests and scribes where the Christ was to be born, they nailed it. Without hesitation, they answered, “In Bethlehem of Judea. For so it is written through the prophet.” Then they quoted Micah 5:2 perfectly.

This is high-stakes Bible trivia, and they got it right. They knew exactly where the Messiah was supposed to be born. And here’s what gets me: they didn’t just know the verse, they understood it. They understood that this particular verse was pointing to the Messiah. Not just some ruler, not just some king, but the King of kings. They connected it to the promise of a shepherd king who would rule over Israel.

Theologically, they were on point.

But then what did they do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Perfect Knowledge, Zero Action

They answered the King’s question and went home. They didn’t join the wise men. They could have. They didn’t rush to Bethlehem to see if it was true. They had perfect knowledge and did nothing with it.

One commentator notes that the scribes and priests function as composite characters, like a chorus in a Greek drama. His point is that while these authorities knew where the Messiah would be born, they didn’t join the wise men in their quest. These were the religious leaders, and they failed to act on the most critical biblical knowledge.

This is the danger of head knowledge without a heart response. And guys, this is a real danger for religious people. We can know all the right answers, quote all the right verses, win every Bible trivia contest. But if our knowledge doesn’t move us to action, it is worthless.

We must be careful that we’re not educated beyond our obedience.

The Danger in Choosing Leaders

This is the danger sometimes in picking leaders in a church. It’s really easy to look at someone and go, “Oh, they know all this stuff.” But you need to ask the second, more important question. They know the stuff, yes, good prerequisite. But are they doing the stuff?

Are they living a life that honors Jesus, or do they come on Sunday, quote all the right answers, and then go home and worship themselves all week long, worship their vices all week long, and then come back on Sunday and quote all the right verses?

James says it best: “Be doers of the Word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” The scribes heard the Word, they knew the Word, they taught the Word, but they didn’t do the Word.

What You Really Believe

Jeremy Pierre writes about the difference between theoretical belief and functional belief. He says, “You can claim to believe something, but your life demonstrates what you truly believe.”

Let me say that again: You can claim to believe something, but your life demonstrates what you truly believe.

The scribes theoretically believed in the Messiah, but functionally, they couldn’t be bothered to walk five miles to Bethlehem to even check it out. One commentator puts it perfectly: “The priests and scribes should have joined the wise men and ran to Bethlehem, but they were satisfied to quote Scripture and go home.”

They should have joined the wise men.

A Question for You

So let me ask you something this morning: Is your knowledge of Jesus moving you anywhere? All that stuff you know about Jesus, is it moving you anywhere? Or are you just collecting more information, quoting more verses, but not living out the verses you’re quoting?

Are you running toward Jesus, or are you satisfied to know about him from a distance?

The scribes and Pharisees were satisfied to know Jesus from a distance, but they didn’t want to get up close. Don’t make the same mistake.

The King has arrived. Knowledge without action is worthless. What will you do with what you know?

Questions for Reflection

1. Is there biblical truth you know but aren’t living out? What’s one step you could take this week to move from knowing to doing?
2. What does your everyday life reveal about what you truly believe about Jesus? Does your schedule, your finances, and your relationships demonstrate that you believe he is the King of Kings?