During his time of ministry, Jesus taught many teachings through parables, proverbs, and wise sayings to his 12 disciples and the crowds that followed him wherever he went. Unlike the prophets who came before him, Jesus taught with authority (Mathew 7:29). He forgave sinners, cleansed the unclean, and performed many miracles that baffled the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Like the prophets before him, he came with God’s divine message and purpose, to fulfill the word.
Many people including Jesus’ disciples returned to him secretly to learn the deeper meaning of his parables. Even though he eluded the Kingdom of God to things familiar to them, they could not still understand him. The core of Jesus’ teachings was on the fact that God love us and that we should love each other just as he has demonstrated his love to us.Many of other Jesus’teachings gave strength to this core teaching of love.
When Jesus’ disciples asked himof the greatest commandment, he answered them by saying, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength,” (Mathew 22:37 KJV). There are many instances where Jesus talked about love. First was at the mountainside. He said,
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for hemaketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? (Mathew 5:43-48).
In this teaching on the mountain, Jesus strengthened the word of God,as was his purpose for teaching. By telling the people to love their enemies, Jesus was showing them the example of God’s love to us, which we should extend to our enemies.
When the time of Jesus’ death came, as was prophesied, he still spoke to his disciples about loving each as he had loved them, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34). During the time of Moses, offering of burnt sacrifices was done to appease God. The priests at the temple performed this noble task every time the wrath of God befell the nation. It was awayof cleansing the people.
According to Jesus, love was greater that burnt sacrifices. “And to love…is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:33.He condemned the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who lead sinful lives and continued proclaiming the word of God and offering sacrifices in the temple. He eluded them to blind leaders of the blind. “Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” MATTHEW 15:14
Work Cited
New King James Version Bible. n.d.