Not a Fan
Kyle Idleman
Knowledge about Him or Intimacy with Him?
Notes & Quotes from Chapter 3
Chapter 3 is taken from the Luke 7:36-39, which tells the story of Jesus at the home of a local Pharisee, and His encounter with a woman who pressed through to wipe his feet with her tears. This passage serves as the backdrop of the chapter, as it show to distinct encounter with Christ, one from the Pharisees and the other from the Woman.
“Like the Pharisees, many fans have given their minds to the study of God, but they never surrendered their hearts. These were men who had plenty of knowledge about God, but they didn’t really know God. “ Page 42 Idleman
“They honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me,
and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
Matthew 15:8-9
“But when Jesus comes to the house of Simon, there is no kiss of greeting. There is no washing of feet. There is no oil for his head. And these were not accidental oversights. This was quite deliberate. Jesus was ignored and insulted.” Page 43 Idleman
“As she stood behind him at his feet,
weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.
She wiped them with her hair, kissed them,
and anointed them with the perfumed oil.”
Luke 7:38
Do you just know about Jesus, or do you really know Him?
“The problem isn’t knowledge. The problem is that you can have knowledge without having intimacy. In fact, knowledge can be a false indicator of intimacy.”
Page 44 Idleman
“Instead of describing a relationship where I truly knew Jesus, I would have told you what I knew about Jesus. But when there is knowledge without intimacy, you’re really no more than a fan.” Page 46 Idleman
“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain,
and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.”
Genesis 4:1
“He didn’t know that the visiting rabbi sitting at his table was the promised Messiah that he had spent countless hours studying about. “ Page 48 Idleman
“It’s hard to imagine what it would take for her to walk into that courtyard. But she is so focused on Jesus that she forgets about herself. She is desperate to express the love and affection she feels for him. What she does next is reckless, it’s impulsive, it’s inappropriate, and it’s exactly the kind of follower Jesus wants.” Page 49 Idleman
“In the end the religious leader with all the knowledge is the fan, and the prostitute who intimately expressed her love for Jesus is shown to be the follower.” Page 49-50 Idleman
Who am I most like in the story?
PastorJDO3 