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We often hear people say,

“My grandmother, uncle, or auntie is not educated; he is a farmer, carpenter or trader.”

Yet when we need information, like the family history or how they built their house, we go to them!

The word education has been so misused and so misapplied that it has become misleading. So we often meet someone who is branded “uneducated”, yet when we engage the person, we get amazed at the sheer knowledge and wisdom they have. One such was Tettehbio, a man I knew when I was growing up in a small town called Agomanya, in Ghana.

Tettehbio was a carpenter. He did not go to school, but built a school and a church. He owned large tracts of land; and when some people tried to cheat him out of his lands, he took them to court! Often, he would call a friend of mine to read documents for him. Though dead now, some of his innovations, like the cheapest coffin I have ever seen; nicknamed “Bluebird” because he painted them bright blue in watercolor; still live on!

Often, we write people off as “uneducated” to our own detriment; and often, it is because we went to school and could not differentiate “schooling” from “education”. Education is a wider concept that includes both formal and informal means of gaining knowledge whereas schooling is the first stage of formal education.

The confusion between “schooling” and “education” is not new; and Jesus would have a lot of confrontations with the scholars of His time because they were schooled in the law, but not educated about the ways of God.

READ Matthew 23:1-7

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,  saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.  For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,  greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’” (Matthew 23:1-7)

Jesus came down very hard on the scribes and Pharisees because recite the laws eloquently but do not abide by them. They insisted others obeyed the laws, but they would not. They preferred the recognition that came with their titles and wore their titles proudly. They preferred to be acclaimed and applauded; but before God, they were empty tombs!

Later, Jesus would say to them,

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” ( Matthew 23:27)

Jesus was very frustrated with the scribes and Pharisee because they were “schooled in the law”, but not educated about the Lawgiver, the Almighty. Their schooling made them think they did not need to learn from anyone, not even Jesus! They were misled by their schooling, and were misleading others.

Jesus invites us to learn from Him. He said,

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

When you come to Jesus, He doesn’t just school you. He educates you with values that make you live peacefully here, and hereafter.

Come to him today.

MEMORY VERSE

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

QUESTIONS

1. Are you schooled, or educated?

2. Why not try Jesus? There is nothing compared to His education.

PRAYER TIP

God Almighty, please help us not to let our schooling be a stumbling block to our education; especially the one that leads to peace here, and eternal life hereafter.

Written by:

BENNY MALM

For:

TESTIMONY DEVOTIONAL