jesus teacher of wisdom Flashcards
the parable of the prodigal son
man asks his father for his inheritance early =insult
he is granted it and takes off
lives a life of luxury and indulgence eg prostitutes, feasts
there is a famine and he was left to be a feeder of pigs (lowest form of job in Jewish society)
he returned to his father’s estate and repented his father welcomed him back, forgave him and threw a celebration feast.
the older brother refused to attend the feast and argued that he’d never disobeyed his father
his father says he has to celebrate as the son was ‘dead and is alive again, lost and found’
symbolism of the parable of the prodigal son
elder son - pharisees who were only concerned with discipline to the laws, would forget the orthopraxical nature of Christianity and shun sinners
younger son - sinners and humanity, who may stray from the path God would like but are able to find God again and repent.
father -God, god’s forgiveness is total if you repent (eg sins should be forgiven ‘70 x7’ )
sermon on the mount
- Matthew 5:17 ‘i came not to abolish the law but to fulfill the law’ = Jesus is not here to rewrite and relax laws, but to fulfill them
- love not just your neighbours but your enemies Matthew 5:44. loving one’s family and friends is not enough (direct threat to pharisees)
- ‘anyone looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart’ Matthew 28
- Matthew 5:22 ‘anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgement’
- Matthew 5:38 ‘turn the other cheek’
jesus moral teaching on love
‘love thy neighbour as thyself’ Matthew 22:39
=love should extend past family or social groups
=people shoudl act out of pure love for one another ( agape ).
jesus moral teaching on inner thoughts
‘anyone looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart’ Matthew 28
=inner motivations drive us and God will judge them
jesus moral teachings on people before rituals
Rabbis had developed the melacot which restricted activities to keep the sabbath holy. the pharisees were hiding behind religious beliefs to not fulfill their social duties. the sabbath was made for humankind not humankind for the sabbath
an ox could be fed on the sabbath but not treatment of a sick person.
‘what goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them’ Matthew 15:11 = food laws are insignificant compared to what you say about God.
jesus teaching solidarity
he ate with tax collectors and sinners
the good samaritan
jesus teaching on money and possessions
‘it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God’
‘sell all your possessions and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven’
hick on jesus as a moral teacher
- jesus’ teachings are not unique, many other religions share the same sentiment. jesus does not have a unique role in salvation
-we should set aside jesus’ divine nature and focus on his moral teachings so that he is universally acceptable to everyone.
CS lewish critiwue on Hick Moral teacher jesus
‘a man who was merely a man and said the things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher’
the idea jesus was simply a moral teacher was ‘patronising nonsense’
Hitchens critique on jesus moral teacher
**‘how is it moral to teach people to abandon their families, give up on thrift and husbandry and take to stony roads.
how is it moral to claim a monopoly on access to heaven, to threaten waverers with everlasting fire’**
jesus’ aim for hte sermon on the mount
not to destroy the laws but to develop its inner spiritual meaning on moral issues and practical issues within the community.
jesus was only a moral teacher YES
- he came down to reform the jewish faith eg sabbath, practice, ostracising bleeding women or disabled
- bultmann thinks supernatural is a myth added later anyway
- sermon on the mount.emphasis on moral conduct and personal integrity aligns with the role of a moral teacher who seeks to guide others in leading a virtuous life. provides a moral framework to live by, emphasizing ethical behavior and spiritual growth.
- ‘give to caesar what is caesar and to god what is god’s ‘ Mark 12:17, he was not a zealot who wanted to liberate oppression and become a political leader for a revolution of sorts.
he was not just a teacher of wisdom
-loses sight of his primary goal - to save the world when he died on the cross, the most important event.
-he liberated many sinners from not just their sins but social alienation and through that his reforms were revolutionary within the community
-Hitchens argues he is not EVEN a moral teacher
-he has other abilities so it is wrong to box him into a category when he does multiple things eg save the world, reform judaism, expand teachings, push back against oppressors.
-he is god incarnate, this is his role.
