John 14:6-7
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Mark 12:38-40
Jesus Warns Against the Teachers of the Law
38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
Luke 5:12-16
Jesus Heals a Man of Leprosy
12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”And immediately the leprosy left him.
14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Matthew 7:1-6
On Judging Others
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
I have read where there are people around the world who think that Christianity is an arrogant religion...They believe that since Jesus says He is the Only Way to God, there is some arrogance in that...But just because Jesus, the Father of Christianity, said He is the Only Way to God does that make Him arrogant?...As one reads the gospels, I see no arrogance about Him...I see someone who is a Servant of others, and even washed His Disciples feet...
Jesus once warned His followers about the teachers of the law and how they liked to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces...They also liked to have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at the different banquets...The teachers of the law devoured widows’ houses and made a show with their lengthy prayers...He was teaching His followers about arrogance...
When Jesus encountered a man covered with leprosy, the man begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”...Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I AM willing,” He said...“Be clean!”...And immediately the leprosy left him...Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”...Yet the news about Jesus spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses...But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed...Jesus told the one He healed of this amazing miracle, not to tell anyone...And Jesus teaches us not to judge others, because we will be measured by God on how we do judge others...
Of the many things I have read and heard about Jesus, I have only read once of a professor saying Jesus is arrogant...And their reasoning for saying He is arrogant, is because of the claims He made and He claims to be more than Buddha, Mohammed, and the Hindu gods...For me, nothing I have read about Jesus or in the New Testament point to arrogance or pride...In fact, He often taught against arrogance and pride, judging others improperly, and hypocrisy...To say that Jesus is arrogant really misses the mark...The way I read the gospels, is that Jesus is a subtle God and Man, if it fair to call Him a Man...Jesus does claim to be the Truth, and the Only Way to God, but He is Divine and He is telling the Truth...He is the True Path to God...And the Truth is exclusive, by its very nature...When did telling the truth make one arrogant...I guess, if one heard Him and saw His body language one might have heard or personally seen something, but the Disciples nor He give us nothing, not one single thing about this...
The question I must ask, can Truth or any truth in itself be arrogant?...If there is, in fact, only One Way to God -does that make that specific Truth arrogant...It would seem to me that truths are just facts, where people can be arrogant, not truths...People and truths are two very different things...The idea of truth and the reality of truth, seems very difficult for me to believe that truths, especially Universal Truths can be arrogant...I would agree that His teachings are tough and hard to follow day in and day out, but I see no arrogance in what He taught...I picture Jesus as the Most Tolerant Forgiving Man Alive, with no arrogance in what or how He taught...
I think even asking this question about Jesus, misses the mark of His teachings...Jesus was One who came to earth to serve others...