I have been embarking on a new research project – this time more deeply into the life of Jesus Gospel Of Love, and more specifically into his life experiences, education, culture, and message. Piecing together the truth is difficult because little authoritative or first-hand information has survived the elements and decay of time, or the political manipulations of the last two thousand years. From the remaining source material, Jesus was clearly a remarkable man – truly one of a kind – and his message had authority and relevance that has transcended eons. Imagine that.
Can we say the same of virtually any other learned person who has added to our body of knowledge since the beginning of time? Consider: Would you like to be treated by a medical doctor who was teaching at a medical university in 1776 – well before the advent of antibiotics or even the concept of washing one’s hands to prevent the spread of disease? Physics lessons from Newton himself might be an interesting experience, but it’s not likely to teach you anything that we actually know now about the way the universe truly functions. And of course the list goes on.
Jesus had many powerful messages – not just a singular message and far more than is published in the ‘approved’ doctrine of the Western world’s bible – and he was widely recognized as one of the most authoritative teachers, even in his own time when news traveled painfully slow; often via merchants on the backs of camels. For both political safety reasons and for effect on his audience, Jesus often taught by making comment on his observed surroundings; to show people that they could be better or their government or religious leaders should hold themselves to a higher standard and faithfully perform the sacred mission in which the people had entrusted them. While reading one of these “lost” accounts of Jesus, I was especially touched by one such impromptu sermon he gave after observing a man push aside an elderly woman so that he could be closer to hear this miraculous teacher speak. And Jesus said,
“Whosoever does not respect his mother – the most sacred being after his God – is unworthy of the name of son.
“Hearken to what I say to you: Respect women; for in her we see the mother of the universe, and all the truth of divine creation is to come through her.
“She is the fount of everything good and beautiful, and she is also the germ of life and death. Upon her men depends in all his existence, for she is his moral and natural support in his labors.
“In pain and suffering she brings you forth; in the sweat of her brow she watches over your growth, and until her death you cause her greatest anxieties. Bless her and adore her, for she is your only friend and support on earth.
