teach - (def) show or explain to someone how to do something. A teacher is one who teaches. I was a fairly good student in school. I had pretty good grades for a person who did not like going to school. I was at times not very teachable. Sorry to say that, but it was true. I'm the guy who opens up the Christmas present, sees the gas propelled plane on a string and proceeds to try to figure it out myself without looking at the directions. The end result: I never even got to enjoy the plane because I ruined the engine trying to start it the wrong way. If I had read the instructions or had somebody who had flown one of those little planes show me, I would have had a great time flying a very expensive Christmas toy that I had hoped to get for about a year. You see, I didn't have the whole thing figured out like I thought. I needed instruction because I didn't have all the information just appear in my head. So I ruined my Christmas gift. So sad. So immature. So prideful and so wrong.
All along the journey of Jesus he had people calling him teacher and asking him stupid questions about life and traditions and trying to catch him in a wrong answer. Jesus didn't need someone to teach Him anything because He is the teacher. He is the one who has the knowhow to live life because He is the life-giver. My teachers in school taught things they learned from other teachers they got instruction from. They went to school to learn things so they could know more than their students and bring their students up to the next level of learning. Jesus is truth, and knowledge, and understanding, and all those things that we fallen people have to learn. So when they called Him teacher, they were responding to the pure source of learning for all mankind. It was a huge thing to call Jesus teacher in light of the understanding that he was God and created all understanding. He didn't just know where stuff came from He created it. He is the author, not the book. If I was back in the 60's I might say something like, "Wow. That is deep." That IS deep. But, it is one thing to know just who He is as our teacher and another thing to learn from Him. Jesus is THE TEACHER.
The leaders of the day did not know who they were messing with and tried to trap Jesus with His owns words. They were speaking out of human assumptions from their pious stand on scripture, reasoned with human reasoning. Jesus is the Word and is the essence of spiritual truth for all wisdom. Let's just say they didn't have a good time trapping him.
In Matthew 22:15-17 (The Message) 15-17 That’s when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in, to ask, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don’t pander to your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
It would have been such a plus to their argument against Jesus if they could have caught Him not paying His taxes. So their weak attempt to call him Teacher at that time was at best, an insult. Of course, Jesus taught them a life lesson about the subject and THE TEACHER schooled the students with pure truth and reasoning. His reply is as follows 18-19 Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it.” They handed him a silver piece.20 “This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?”21 They said, “Caesar.” “Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.”22 The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads. You may have heard, "Don't bring a knife to a gun fight?" Well, they did and THE TEACHER gave them some solid instruction to answer their question. Simple, yet pure. That is why they left shaking their heads.
I bring all of this up to help us see how Jesus helps us today in reasoning and learning and growing in our Christian walk. We NEED His instruction and we get that instruction from The Bible. Sometimes we don't want to be taught, like how I was in school. But this instruction doesn't come from someone who learned this stuff from another teacher. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that is it! He is the ultimate teacher, because He is the source of all understanding. That is why it is critical for us to learn from Him through His Word and let Him speak truth into our lives in every situation. Like the Pharisees, our pride can get in the way of accepting that truth and we may try to edit the information to please our own wants and desires. To accept the truth at it's core value will give us the very best learning we can get. Remember, God is God and He knows all. In Psalm 94:8-11 it says, "Well, think again, you idiots, fools—how long before you get smart? Do you think Ear-Maker doesn’t hear, Eye-Shaper doesn’t see? Do you think the trainer of nations doesn’t correct, the teacher of Adam doesn’t know? God knows, all right— knows your stupidity, sees your shallowness." God knows our tendency to doubt Him and God knows our tendency to not learn, and still He loves us!! Wow! If we will absorb the lessons from THE TEACHER then we will become teachers ourselves and share that wisdom with others, but only the wisdom of God, THE TEACHER. See what it says in Psalm 119:97 Oh, how I love all you’ve revealed; I reverently ponder it all the day long. Your commands give me an edge on my enemies; they never become obsolete. I’ve even become smarter than my teachers since I’ve pondered and absorbed your counsel. I’ve become wiser than the wise old sages simply by doing what you tell me. I watch my step, avoiding the ditches and ruts of evil so I can spend all my time keeping your Word. I never make detours from the route you laid out; you gave me such good directions. Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking. With your instruction, I understand life; that’s why I hate false propaganda.
We live in a day when the world seems to be coming apart at the seams, but our God gives us insight into how to handle these days properly. Please get into His Word and see all of the wisdom He will pour into your life. This wisdom will show you how to make it through your day and be the one who knows the answers because you are learning from THE TEACHER!!
The Pilgrimage continues....
David Warren
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