I thought I would continue with another blog based on my book, See This Christ, this time focused on Christ as teacher. So, here is part of that chapter.

Jesus used parables that the people of his time understood—farming, fishing, and so on, so his stories would be relatable to his audience. But they are just as relevant to us today when we understand the deeper meaning of the story. It is interesting that most of the time when he taught using parables, later as he was alone with his disciples, he elaborated more on the story and revealed the meaning. Was it because his disciples were dense and didn’t understand his message? Or because he wanted them to develop their own stories that could then relate to the truths he preached in a way that would be understandable to their various audiences? St Paul certainly told stories in his letters that related to his different audiences. 

 Jesus taught more directly and not in parables. The most evident of these instances was the Beatitudes. He was pretty direct in the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) or the sermon on the plain (Luke 6:20-49). 

Blessed are those who are spiritually needy. The reign of God belongs to them.

Blessed are those who are sad. They will be comforted.

Blessed are those who are free of pride. They will be given the earth.

Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for what is right. They will be filled.

Blessed are those who show mercy. They will be shown mercy.

Blessed are those who are pure of heart. They will see God.

Blessed are those who make peace. They will be called sons and daughters of God.

Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right. The reign of God belongs to them.

He is pretty clear about what God asks  of us—to feel the stirrings of the Holy Spirit and respond to them, to weep for injustice, to walk humbly with God, to seek the right path, to show mercy, to not harbor hatred in our hearts, to turn our swords into plowshares, and to be bold enough to stand up for what is right even if it is unpopular. This is what God asks of us.

The other time Jesus was very direct about what God expects of us is when he was asked, which of the commandments was the greatest. (Mark 12:28-31) He answered with two admonitions. Love God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, all our strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. I truly believe that when we meet God face to face, we will be asked three questions (not that God needs the answers—because our hearts are known to God, but rather, because we need to answer these questions for ourselves). Those questions will be: 

• Did you love me with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?

• Did you love your neighbor as yourself?

• If the answer to those two questions is, “yes,” how did you put that love into action?

Loving God typically comes easy for many of us, although sometimes we question God—why does a little child get cancer and die? Why do we have war? Why does God let us, or our loved ones, suffer? But loving God with all your heart means trusting! And that isn’t always so easy! Loving our neighbor is even harder. Who is or neighbor? Everyone. The Muslim, the Jew, the Atheist, the Satanist, as well as the Christian. The gay, lesbian, transgender, bi-sexual, as well as the straight person. The African American, the Latino, the Native American, as well as the Anglo Saxon. The progressive as well as the conservative. The criminal as well as the victim. And don’t forget, it starts with loving ourselves. That doesn’t mean narcissism or thinking we are always right; it means we strive to be a person who deserves to be loved. A dear friend once told me that humility is really another word for Truth. We don’t have to be self-deprecating to be humble. We need to accept the truth about ourselves—the good and the bad—in order to love ourselves.

There are so many scripture passages relating the wisdom of Christ the teacher, that I could fill an entire book on this aspect of Christ. Even religions that do not recognize Jesus as the son of God, see him as a great prophet. His teachings, while sometimes in the form of admonitions, were predominately those of a loving, forgiving God who calls us to be the same. He told his followers that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. If we follow his teachings to love God, and to love our neighbor, we are set free from the pain and suffering of the world, while still living and acting the world as Christ the teacher calls us to do.

To read more about the many sides of Jesus, pick up my book, See This Christ