JESUS CHRIST THE ONLY TEACHER

Tuesday, Second week of Lent
Reflection from Friar Nicholas, OP


Theme: Jesus Christ the only Teacher

The Father consecrated his only Begotten Son to be our salvation in a covenant relationship. We have amply explained why all our dealings with God is within a covenant framework. God is holy and dedicated to his will expressed in his word communicated to man. The incarnation of the Son of God is the culmination of God's communication of his will to man. Thus, the Father demanded we listen to his beloved Son. The humanity of our Lord is dedicated to the will of the Father as constituting the salvation of man. By that fact, he is our teacher on both aspects. He is our teacher as to what pertain the mystery of the Father from whom we receive our new birth as adopted sons of God. In relation to our salvation, he is also our teacher, teaching us to know and do the will of the Father. In the latter, he is the way leading to our salvation in God; in the former, he is the Truth revealing the mystery of God constituted for our adopted sonship. “You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.”


Therefore, the summary of our revealed religion is obedience to the Father who bids us listen to his Beloved Son, constituted our Teacher. Listening to the Son is the only sacrifice acceptable to the Father. To do otherwise is to disobey the Father’s will. Every sin emanates from this disobedience to the divine will. Thus, the prophet Isaiah referred to the religious leaders in Jerusalem as rulers of Sodom because they were leading the people into sin by their disobedient way of life. Their followers he called the people of Gomorrah. “Hear the word of God, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the command of God, you people of Gomorrah.” The people of Sodom and Gomorrah had no word of God to guide them, yet God punished them for their wicked lifestyle. The religious leaders in Jerusalem had the word of God, but yet were bent on doing their own will. The same religious leaders in Jerusalem formed the topic of Jesus’ instruction in the gospel. He admonished the people to follow the word of God spoken by the leaders, but not their lifestyle inconsistent with the word of God. “The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach.” Their preaching, coming from the word of God, is of God. But their doing, coming from their own will and desire, is not of God. To be truly consecrated to God, we must preach Jesus Christ and live what we preach. Then, it would be Jesus Christ, the true Teacher, teaching all through us. Then, Father, or Teacher, would truly be  a reference to God, and to Jesus Christ in us.

Let us pray: Grant us, Lord, to be consecrated to Jesus Christ your Son, in our words and life, so that your kingdom may come among us.      

 

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