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Jesus as Teacher

One of the great distortions regarding the person of the Lord Jesus Christ is that He was nothing more than a great moral teacher. Sometimes, in their zeal to counteract this error, people downplay the fact that Jesus was a great moral teacher - unparalleled in history. Three passages in Matthew’s Gospel highlight this. In Matthew 8:19 we read that “a certain scribe came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.’” Here we have an example of someone who was sympathetic to Jesus recognizing him as a teacher.

In Matthew 9:11 we read about the Pharisees keeping an eye on Jesus mingling with social outcasts. “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, ‘Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’” These religious leaders had nothing but contempt for Jesus, but they identified him as a Teacher. It’s significant that even His enemies accepted that Jesus filled this role.

Finally, in Matthew 10:24-25 we read words of Jesus, Himself. He was talking to His followers about the things they would have to endure because they followed Him. Jesus told them, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.” Here Jesus identifies Himself as a teacher in relation to His disciples.

So, whatever else Jesus was, He was a teacher and as such He was unique. The bulk of His teaching was 180 degrees from the common sense of the day. He was a moral revolutionary in that He did not emphasize the outward aspects of behaviour as did the Pharisees. Jesus focussed on inward holiness, righteousness and purity; and He was hated for that. The Pharisees resented the fact that Jesus proclaimed that their outward religious observance was futile because their hearts were hard against God. Jesus knew and taught that when the heart is in the right condition, right thoughts, words and actions flow out as a natural consequence.

We could spend a very long time discussing the specifics of Jesus’ teachings and how to apply them in the 21st Century. However, what we’re looking at here is how the fact that Jesus was a great moral teacher affects the way we relate to Him. We probably all have favourite and not-so-favourite teachers. Our relationships with these men and women may colour our response to Jesus as Teacher.

First of all, we note that there is a hierarchical component in our relationship with teachers. Even in more progressive student-centred schools, this is true. While teachers’ control in the classroom may have eroded, they are still held responsible when things go wrong and occasionally receive credit when learning takes place. When we think of Jesus as teacher, we do well to remember this hierarchical aspect. As Jesus reminded His disciples, students are not above their teacher.

Though these words undoubtedly reflect my own personal inclinations and social influences. When we see Jesus as Teacher we recognize that

Lastly, I would point out that as in any educational pursuit, there comes a time when the student must demonstrate that the lessons have been learned. In academic institutions this usually takes the form of the dreaded “final examination.” However, Jesus subject is life itself. The final examination is not a written one. To get a passing grade, we must learn and apply the lessons He teaches. As Jesus, Himself said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” [John 5:24]

Ron Hughes
© July 2006