Authoritative Teacher

THE AUTHORITATIVE TEACHER

There can be no doubt that Jesus was a marvelous teacher.

Although shorthand had not been invented and dictaphones and video recorders were still recording instruments of the future, nevertheless his teaching had such a tremendous impact upon his hearers that his words were retained in their memories for something like 30-40 years, before they were committed to writing in what we call the Gospels.

One has only to cut out from those Gospels the teaching material of Jesus to realise what a large proportion of his time must have been devoted to teaching. For instance, St Mark records 14 parables, St Matthew 36 parables and St Luke 39 parables. Take the parables away and you are left with a very thin book.

Take away also the sermon on the Mount as recorded in both the Gospels of St Matthew and St Luke, and the other various sayings of Jesus, and you are left with very little, except some miracles and a few biographical details, particularly those concerning his final week upon earth.

In short, the teaching material of Jesus forms by far the majority of our Gospel records. No wonder he is recalled, both by Christians and non-Christians alike, as a very remarkable teacher.

Yet it is even more remarkable, when you go on to consider that he himself had very limited formal education. He never went to night school or a university. He never obtained a doctorate degree in some obscure subject. In fact, his formal education was probably limited to the local rabbinical school in the village of Nazareth.

Little wonder “the people were astounded at his teaching” in the synagogue. Little wonder the congregation of another synagogue is recorded as being “amazed”, and remarked “Where does he get it from? What wisdom is this that has been given him?” Little wonder the disciples were filled with “awe” whilst the chief priests and doctors of the Law were “afraid” of him.

Yes, his teaching evoked astonishment, amazement, awe and fear from those who heard him, and I suspect not a little jealousy from the official teachers of the church at the time who tried to dismiss him by reminding people of his humble background.

What then was the secret of Jesus the teacher?

It can be summed up in one word: “authority”. As one of the Gospel writers observed, “He taught with authority”.

Jesus spoke with “authority” in three ways.

Firstly, he always fearlessly spoke his own mind and not the mind of others. This was in sharp contrast with the religious teachers of his day. They merely passed on the accumulated wisdom of the past. They passed on the opinions of others and never their own opinions.

Now this is not to say Jesus was unmindful of the religious traditions of the past and did not respect them. He merely went further by interpreting them to the changing circumstances of his day.

As he says in St Matthew’s Gospel: “Don’t think I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true”. And he goes on, in the fifth chapter of that Gospel, to say: “You have heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not commit murder: anyone who does wrong will be brought to trial’. But now I tell you: whoever is angry with his brother will be brought to trial”. Jesus then goes on to look also at the subjects of adultery, divorce, the breaking of vows, the taking of revenge, and one’s attitude towards one’s enemies.

Each time, Jesus acknowledges the accumulated wisdom of the past but is not afraid to apply it with freshness to the present situation.

I sometimes think that today we appear to go to the other extreme and speak our own mind without reference to the past traditions. The result is often a confused message which appears to be unrelated to the tradition of the church and lacking in authority.

On the other hand, it is not enough just to repeat the teaching of the past without seeking to apply it to the needs of today.

Secondly, Jesus spoke with authority because he also spoke from his own personal experiences.

Many years ago, I taught ancient history. I had never studied the subject before and, therefore, I was only able to save my skin by keeping two or three pages ahead of my pupils. When I talked about the Forum and Colosseum in Rome, or the rediscovered city of Pompeii in Southern Italy, my words had a hollow ring about them and, therefore, it was difficult to enthuse my pupils.

In subsequent years, I have visited many of the ancient monuments in Rome. I have walked the old streets of Pompeii. Now, Roman history is very much alive. I not only have knowledge about the ancient Roman civilization which I have gained from text books, but I also now have some personal experience. The result is that I can now speak with some authority.

Jesus did not just teach about a God whom he knew from his studies of the scriptures, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but he also spoke with intimate knowledge of the God whom he had experienced through his life of prayer. He knew God personally through a living relationship.

You see, my friends, people do not just want to hear the ‘old, old story’ as recorded in the pages of the Bible. They want to hear about your personal experience of God. People are not just thirsty for knowledge about God, they are also thirsty for that personal intimate knowledge of God. The tradition and experience go hand in hand; the one authenticates the other.

Alas, we are not always good at talking about our experience of God. We often find it hard to find the right words; we feel embarrassed; we sometimes feel, because our experience does not appear to come up to our expectations, that we are a failure. And yet, the minute we are prepared to be honest with ourselves, and with other people, we hear the words “It’s funny, but I have also had the same experience”. Suddenly our words cease to have a hollow ring about them. They indeed begin to be words of authority forged in the fire of personal experience.

Jesus spoke with authority because he spoke fearlessly his own mind, mindful of the traditions of the past, and he spoke from his personal experience.

Finally, Jesus spoke with authority because he practised what he preached.

The one thing that Jesus could not tolerate was hypocrisy. That is why he so frequently fell out with the recognised religious teachers of his day. He often accused them of being two faced. Teaching one thing and doing another.

By contrast, men and women found in Jesus a person whose actions confirmed his teaching. There was a sense of wholeness about him. He was a person of absolute integrity.

When he talked about a God who welcomes all people, he demonstrated it in his life by welcoming those who were considered social outcasts. When he talked about loving one’s enemies, he demonstrated it by telling Peter to put away his sword when the Roman soldiers came to arrest him in the garden. And when he talked about forgiveness he demonstrated it upon the cross by forgiving those who had put him there.

And it is when the church, when you and I are seen to practise what we preach, we are judged by others to be speaking with authority.

My friends, the secret behind the teaching of Jesus was not so much its content, nor its presentation, but its authority.

Authority because he always spoke his own mind out of the tradition of the past. Authority because he spoke from his own personal experience, and authority because he always practised what he preached.

May we also seek to teach with that same authority.