It is difficult to impossible to teach someone who think they already know it all.  Know-it-alls do not contain all the knowledge of the world but have a human pride and arrogance that makes people, including themselves, think they do know everything.  They are the great imposters who “fake it ‘til they make it” in the world of business and human relationships.  Their arrogance belittles others into thinking maybe they do know it all.  People with these attitudes are probably the most frustrating people to build a relationship with in business or among friends and relatives.

I remember a little boy around 8 years old who’s mom wanted me to teach him how to play the piano.  I wondered, knowing his know-it-all personality, if he really wanted to learn but I consented to the task.  I prepared for the first lesson with the books I normally used with other students.  We sat at the piano together.  The first words from his mouth were, “I already know how to play the piano my way so I don’t need those books.”

My observation of his previous efforts of playing my piano verified he did not.  As we preceded with the first lesson, I became frustrated by his arrogance, pride, and know-it-all attitude.  I turned to my grandson, my beloved, and told him, “Until you are ready to listen with a heart to learn from me, our lessons will cease.  You come back to me when you are hungry to learn.”  I didn’t want to hurt our grandma/grandson relationship with attempting to force teaching on an unwilling student.  I told him I loved him.  Then I prayed for him.

Dear Jesus, I get it!  I understand your frustration in teaching people about the Kingdom of God to know-it-alls who think they have it all together and need nothing from you!  Piano lessons are a very small thing compared to your teaching that explains who God is, what He expects, with how to please God by loving Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls with the reward of eternal life by repenting of our sins!  The message is clear but know-it-alls cannot see it.  Thank you for teaching ordinary people the Way to Truth which leads to eternal Life!  Thank you for not giving up on us!

Matthew 11:20-30, The Message

The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

²⁰ Next Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.

^21-24 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”

^25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”

²⁷ Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

^28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

PRAYER TEACHES US THE UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GOD’S GRACE

Jesus teaches us three very important principles of being and doing when we minister:

WHEN FRUSTRATED—ABRUTLY STOP AND PRAY.  Stop everything, drop to our knees, and pray to God the Father who does indeed know it all!  He knows our hearts and He knows the hearts of the people we teaching.  He knows the outcomes of our efforts.  He knows exactly what we need as well as what the listeners need.  God knows and works in ways we might not understand in the moment. So, we pray for the people in front of us as we pray for ourselves.  Our temper cannot and will not make people suddenly realize that they need Jesus. 

PRAYER CALMS OUR FRUSTRATIONS.  Jesus, our perfect example, abruptly stopped in his frustration to pray.  This act of prayer brought calm to his warranted frustration.  Look at how He prayed.  He did not ask for God to smite the know-it-alls but rather He first thanked God.  It is in thanking God that Jesus (Son of Man and Son of God) realized again how His compassionate and loving Father works among His people.  He also realized that He would not be able to convince all the people of their need to turn back to God.  Yes, even Jesus could not save those who refused His teaching.  Man has free will—created in Him by God.

PRAYER CHANGES OUR ATTITUDE.  “Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.”  Jesus returns to ministering with the unforced rhythm of grace and speaks with the compassion of the Father.  To those who are ready to listen, the ordinary people, Jesus encourages, “I’ll go over this line by line….”  This portrays the longsuffering patience God has for each one of us.  Oh, how we must frustrate our Father God from time to time when we think we know it all!

What is our first thought in frustration?  This is growing process as we learn the unforced rhythms of His grace at work in our lives and in the lives around us.  Go with the Rhythm!  Going against the Rhythm makes us tired and weary.  But guess what, God has a plan for that as well:

“Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walkwith me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” –Jesus

Lord,

Wow, what an encouraging passage!  When we come to the height of human frustration, you teach us how to handle it!  Help us to not sin in our anger.  That leads to nowhere but pain.  Help us to avoid letting our tempers take the lead from frustration.  Instead, may we learn the unforced, freely pronounced rhythm of your grace so well that we do it without thinking about it. My desire is to live to the beat of your heart!  Transform me so I can be more like you!

In Jesus Name, Amen