The words for various types of prejudice abound-- racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, etc. However, in the church (and I don't speak of my church specifically but in the very general sense, "the church") there is a trend not only to undervalue education, but almost to fight against education, as if it would lead to vanity or snobbery. I will not deny that in some, education could potentially lead to such elevated egos, but I would argue such people are prone to self-elevation with or without the education and it becomes simply a tool in an armory of pride and not the cause.
Today in church we read Luke 15.
"Now all the tax collectors and the [a]sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”3 So He told them this parable, saying, 4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the [b]open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
Initially, this story would not initiate this particular thought process, but as the pastor was preaching, I began to see, as should be true whenever the Bible is read, my sense of responsibility in response to the passage. And I began to see the pride that comes with complacency. I began to see how the roles are often reversed and how my feeling towards education (which most know are very strongly in support of education) are not only justified but part of my responsibility!
Why? You ask. Because of one thing-- the one responsibility of the true believer-- the responsibility to seek the lost sheep. I'm talking about UNDERSTANDING. But the word "understanding" isn't even in the passage, you say? True. But how does one go about seeking a lost sheep? As we look for the lost, do we check the barn? Inside the house watching TV, maybe? Where would a sheep wander off to? The movie theater? Of course not, if you're literally looking for an actual sheep that was lost, you need to understand the mind of that sheep, the sound of its voice, where it might go and what in might be searching for. It probably won't be looking for the same thing you are in life. It's a sheep.
I came home and as I was reviewing materials for a class I'm going to tonight, I began to read about the beginnings of my church, The Church of the Nazarene, and why the church decided on that name. I read the following paragraph:
"It is supposed from the words of Nathanael in John 1:46 that the city of Nazareth was held in great disrepute, either because, it is said, the people of Galilee were a rude and less cultivated class and were largely influenced by the Gentiles who mingled with them, or because of their lower type of moral and religious character. Nathanael held the same opinion as his countrymen, and believed that the great "good" which they were all expecting could not come from Nazareth. (http://www.sacred-texts.com)"
And it got me to thinking. Jesus was not a "preacher". His disciples didn't call him "preacher" persay. They called him "teacher". And his followers were called "disciples" which comes from the Latin "discipulus" meaning "learner". And the Great Commision calls believers to "Go forth and make disciples!" In other words, "Go forth and make learners!" (I checked and the same is true of the Greek word, which goes a bit further and adds "to make a specifically strong mental effort".)
Taking the ideas and putting them together, it appears that the call of a responsible disciple of Christ is not to see the poor and uneducated as poor and uneducated. The call is not to remain as we are, but to be transformed by continued knowledge and growth in the knowledge of who God is. Our call is to not only teach but also to continue an attitude of humility and growth. It is pride that leads one to say I know enough. It is arrogance that leads one to say "what I know is the extent of what I need to know" or that "my interpretation is all that is necessary."
A true teacher is not arrogant
A true disciple is not arrogant
The constant learner is humble enough to admit there is always more to learn and passionate enough the want to get to know Jesus more