Teaching to Observe

UV 716/10,000 Teaching to Practice Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. Mathew 28 v 20 These are the very last words of Jesus to his apostles before He ascended on high. It signifies the importance He attached to teaching the disciples. It is His teaching and their experience of being with Him that gradually but surely transformed their lives, leaving a permanent imprint on the rest of humanity. The word used is not “obey” but observe, implying that when we give complete attention and studying the Word, the impress and imprint will be deep and indelible. It will lead to practice. It is not just about teaching for a theoretical understanding or for “head knowledge” but teaching to observe or practice all things that Jesus has commanded us. Recently, some photographs were published showing how ‘stone age’ man made deep grooves in the bedrock to sharpen his stone implements and axes. Jesus expects every believer to be like the wise man who dug deep into the bedrock of the Word to lay the foundations of our lives. Then, we must imitate the wise man who built the walls of his home, segment by segment with the bricks of obedience. Every desire and goal, every thought and plan, every emotion and reaction, every word and action in alignment with the Word of God constitutes a brick of obedience. The roof is to be covered by the Holy Spirit and the strong presence of God. The windows are the opportunities to learn as much as we can about the world systems and people out there. The doors are the opportunities to grow and expand our influence and to reach out to others with the wise teachings of Jesus. The direction to “observe all things” seems to be an impossible or tall order. But, the emphasis on the word “ all” shows that no part of the teachings of Jesus is less important than the rest and that we should not omit to emphasize anything that He had given priority to. Jesus taught us the essence of all wisdom. Wisdom is the distillation of knowledge coupled with experience. So much so, when we practice even a small part of what Jesus taught, we end up fulfilling or obeying all that Moses and He taught. Even if a person just holds the name of Jesus closest to his heart, he or she ends up obeying all things that He has commanded. Jesus said that He came not to replace or overthrow the law but to fulfil it. What Jesus taught more than fulfilled the requirements of the commandments given through Moses. Jesus said that the entire law is covered in the two commandments to love God with all our heart, strength and minds, implying emotionally, physically and intellectually and to love our neighbour as ourselves. When we love God with this kind of passion, then we will not violate any of the commandments that forbid us from doing certain things. When we love our fellow human beings, we will not hurt them or cheat them or violate any of their rights. On the positive side, we will do all we can to discern God’s will and obey it. We will do all the good we can to our fellow beings while we can. . Just as He has taught us by example and precept, He expects us to teach others the same. Today, we are called to do the do’s that Jesus taught us and not to do the don’ts that Moses taught. This uni-verse was revealed to me recently to affirm that through the uni-verse series of meditations on the Word, people in many nations are being taught to observe all the things that Jesus has commanded us to do. Jesus promises to be with us to the end of our lives and to the very end of the age. He is one Teacher who never leaves the classroom or the student even when the bell rings, when we fail, when disaster strikes, when disease afflicts, when people desert, when death overtakes.. He is with us always in all our ways. Even when we are sleeping, He teaches us with dreams and visions. The sleeping Jesus taught the disciples to trust Him in life’s storms. The walking Jesus taught the disciples that they too can attempt and do the impossible. The weeping Jesus taught us to grieve with hope. The fasting Jesus taught us to endure great temptations and trials. The hungry Jesus taught us to trust God for our need. The judging Jesus taught us to forgive. The healing Jesus taught us to heal diseases. The praying Jesus taught us to pray. The accused Jesus taught us to be patient. The crucified Jesus taught us love. The resurrected Jesus taught us that we have victory over death and suffering in this life. Once, the Lord revealed that “ you have taught a lot of people to be at it. Teach them to be at my feet.” Indeed, many of us make a master plan but unless it is the Master’s plan, how can it be a master plan. We need to be at the feet of Jesus to learn the Master’s plan. When we are with Him and He is with us, He will cause it to be. So be it in your life. Prateep V Philip