Favorite Teacher

For our U.S. readers, happy Independence Day.

Feeling a bit frustrated because of the stay-at-home order, I began to wonder how wonderful it must have been to huddle around Jesus as he taught without any concerns about social distancing.

I would certainly pay for a front-row ticket to witness him teach the principles of Christian living again as he did in the Sermon on the Mount. Ever since Jesus first taught in the Temple at the age of 12 until now, no one has spoken like him with such power and divine authority.

Even so, we often neglect to give his teachings the attention it deserves. As disciples, we can never write off the words of Christ as something trivial, nor see it as just another worldview that will change in a few months. Jesus Christ offers us something everlasting in his teachings, and in himself as well.

Matthew tells us that when Jesus had finished giving the Sermon on the Mount, the crowds were so amazed. The authority of Jesus’ teachings should amaze us, too. He does not only teach us how to get to heaven, but how to find lasting joy here on earth. He knows the secret to joy and happiness, secrets he freely shares with us. What a teacher we have in Jesus then and even now.

Christ’s teachings are not of human origin but divinely ordained for our good and his glory. And our attitude toward his teachings reveals our attitude toward him. Imagine how much better our world would be if we lived out what he taught more passionately.

Lord, thank you for teaching me through your gift of Sacred Scripture. Give me the courage to follow your teachings more passionately, even if it means having to experience ridicule at times. Amen.

Go Deeper — Scan through the topics covered in the Sermon on the Mount. Choose one that catches your attention. What does it teach you? How can you apply it to your life?