Jesus Christ: God's Revelation to the World

The Synoptic Gospels 141

Jesus’ presentation in the Temple (see Luke 2:22– beginning, yet these stories also show how God pro-
38) shows how the firstborn son belongs to God. In tected his Son who came to save all persons.
the Lord’s case, this is literally the truth: Jesus is
God’s only Son. The old prophets Simeon and Anna Hidden Years
recognized him as the long-awaited Messiah, thus
fulfilling the Old Testament promises. They blessed Luke’s Gospel tells how the boy Jesus lived a life
God for the privilege of seeing him and predicted of humble obedience in the Galilean town of Naza-
the perfect sacrifice that the Lord would endure for reth. Jesus’ submission to his Mother and foster fa-
our Salvation (the sword of sorrow that will pierce ther contrasts sharply with Adam’s disobedience to
Mary’s heart). God in the Garden. It points to Jesus’ obedience in
all things to his heavenly Father.
The Magi, Flight into
Egypt, and Herod’s Slaugh- As a child growing up, Jesus learned the trade of
ter of the Innocents carpenter from Joseph. He also grew in knowledge
of his Jewish faith from both of his parents, learning
The Christian feast of the Epiphany celebrates the from their example. As a young man, he regularly
mystery of Christ’s manifestation as the Savior of participated in the religious festivals in Jerusalem.
the world. This feast commemorates the visit of the At one of them, he astounded his teachers with his
magi from the East, revealing from the very begin- superior knowledge. The mystery of the finding in
ning that the Christ came for all people, not just the Temple represents Jesus’ total consecration to
Jews. In Matthew’s Gospel, the treachery of King his mission as the Father’s Son. Luke concludes his
Herod is brought to light. When he learned of the second chapter by simply saying, “Jesus advanced
birth of the new King, he felt threatened. The Holy [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man”
Family’s flight into Egypt and the killing of the in- (Lk 2:52). His humility in living as an obedient and
nocent children in Bethlehem reveal how the forces observant son during his “hidden” years teaches us,
of evil were gathered against Jesus from the very his followers, how to pray, live, and witness to our
faith.

EXPLAINING THE FAITH

Why are the Gospels the most important books of the Bible?

The Second Vatican Council taught that “the Gospels have a
special place, and rightly so, because they are our princi-
pal source for the life and teaching of the incarnate Word,

our Savior.” The four Gospels faithfully hand on what Je-
sus “really did and taught for their eternal Salvation.”
The Gospels have the purpose of confirming the truth
about Jesus Christ. St. Luke, writing in the prologue of
his Gospel, explains that “I too have decided, after inves-
tigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in
an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus,
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you
have received” (Lk 1:3–4).

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142 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

For Review Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the
midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents
1. In what way is the word mystery linked to and simple as doves. (Mt 10:16)
God and to his plan of Salvation?
You are the light of the world. A city set on
2. Discuss four facts the infancy narratives in a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they
Matthew and Luke have in common. light a lamp and then put it under a bushel
basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it
3. What is the meaning of the name Jesus? gives light to all in the house. Just so, your
Why is it an appropriate name for our light must shine before others, that they may
Lord? see your good deeds and glorify your heav-
enly Father. (Mt 5:14–16)
For Reflection
If anyone wishes to come after me, he must
Read the infancy narratives in Matthew 1:1– deny himself and take up his cross daily and
2:23 and Luke 1:1–2:52. Focus on either Mary follow me. (Lk 9:23)
or Joseph. Then, based on what you discover,
write a three-paragraph profile on either one Call of the Twelve
of them.
From among his disciples, Jesus selected the
Followers of Jesus Twelve Apostles to assist him in his work. The num-
ber twelve brings to mind the twelve tribes of Is-
Jesus’ ministry took him throughout Galilee and, at rael. Thus, the Apostles represent a renewed Israel.
times, into Judea. His life-giving words and mar- The term apostle comes from the Greek word for
velous deeds inevitably drew disciples to him. Je- “send.” Jesus commissioned the Twelve to preach to
sus had many disciples, including a special group of the Chosen People the coming of God’s Kingdom.
seventy described in Luke 10:1–17. There were also Their main job was to become fishers of people (see
women disciples, very unusual for its time. Some of Mark 1:17), that is, to evangelize by preaching the
these women helped Jesus with financial support, Gospel.
traveled with him and his other followers, supplied
meals and lodging, witnessed the Crucifixion, and Jesus selected the Twelve after a night of silent
visited his tomb on Easter Sunday. To be a disciple prayer on the mountain. Most of the Apostles were
of Jesus required sacrifice, such as leaving one’s from humble backgrounds, though they were skilled
home or occupation to be with Jesus. In the end,
true disciples of Jesus even suffered martyrdom for
believing in him and proclaiming the Gospel.

Jesus spoke of the meaning of discipleship sev-
eral times in the synoptic Gospels. For example, he
said of his disciples:

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The Synoptic Gospels 143

at some craft or trade. Several were 2. Andrew. A fisherman and bro- disciple
fishermen; one was a tax collector. ther of Peter. Both came from
Their relationship to Jesus was similar the town of Bethsaida. John’s A follower of Jesus. The
to students of the day to their teacher Gospel tells us that Andrew was word means “learner.”
or rabbi. He expected them to learn Jesus’ first disciple and that he
carefully from his words and actions encouraged his brother to come
so that they could pass his message to Jesus. Early Church tradi-
on to others. tion holds that Andrew was put
to death on an X-shaped (Saint
However, the Lord’s relationship Andrew’s) cross.
to his Apostles differed in two ways
from that of the rabbis of his day. 3. James, Zebedee’s Son. He and
First, Jesus chose the Apostles; rab- his brother, John, were both
binical students, on the other hand, fishermen. They must have had
chose which teacher they wanted to a fiery temperament because Je-
study under. Second, Jesus taught un- sus nicknamed them “sons of
like any other rabbi. He taught on his thunder.” They wanted Jesus
own authority, directly interpreting to destroy a Samaritan village
the will of his Father. Rabbis of his because it refused to show Je-
day were rigorously trained by other sus hospitality (see Luke 9:54).
rabbis to interpret the Law. They James became the leader of the
based their opinions on the teachings local church in Jerusalem after
of others. Jesus was unique. the Resurrection. Herod Agrip-
pa beheaded him in AD 44.
The Twelve Apostles as listed in
Luke 6:13–16 are: 4. John, Zebedee’s Son. Many
scholars believe John was the
1. Peter. Originally he was named so-called “beloved disciple” of
Simon bar Jonah, a fisherman, John’s Gospel. He had a privi-
but Jesus renamed him Peter, a leged place at the Last Supper.
name that means “rock.” He was Jesus entrusted his Mother to
the leader and spokesman of the him while he hung on the cross.
Apostles and the first to declare He was the source of the Fourth
Jesus’ identity. Jesus confided in Gospel, Revelation, and the
a special way with Peter (along Epistles named after him. Tra-
with James and John). Take, for dition tells us that he lived to
example, the Transfiguration. an old age and preached Jesus’
Peter was impulsive and head- message of love to the very end
strong. He betrayed Jesus by of his life.
three times denying that he knew
him. However, Peter repented 5. Philip. He was also from Beth-
and became a great saint. Tradi- saida. Jesus asked Philip where
tion tells us that Nero crucified they could purchase bread be-
him upside down in Rome. fore he performed the miracle of
the loaves. At the Last Supper,

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144 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

Philip asked Jesus to show the apostles the revolutionaries who worked to overthrow Ro-
Father, to which Jesus replied, “Whoever has man rule in Palestine through violent means.
seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). By following Jesus, Simon had to give up
6. Bartholomew. This Apostle was probably the these notions since Jesus was opposed to vio-
same as the Nathanael in John’s Gospel. Bar- lent solutions and is the “Prince of Peace.”
tholomew means “son of Thalmai” and may 11. Judas son of James. This Judas is also known
have been Nathanael’s surname. When hearing as Jude. Matthew and Mark call him Thadde-
from his friend Philip that Jesus was the Mes- us, a probable surname so as not to confuse
siah, Nathanael asked, “Can anything good him with Judas Iscariot, the traitor. At the Last
come from Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46). Imagine his Supper, he asked Jesus why he revealed him-
surprise when Jesus met him for the first time self to them and not to the rest of the world.
and told him where he was sitting when he said Tradition states that he and Simon the Zealot
his unkind words! Tradition holds that Bartho- preached together in Persia, where they were
lomew preached in India and was flayed alive martyred.
and then beheaded for his faith. 12. Judas Iscariot. Each of the Gospels calls Judas
7. Matthew. Levi and Matthew were probably the a traitor. His surname may mean “from Keri-
same person. He was a tax collector by pro- oth,” which was a small town in Judea. This
fession, a job that pious Jews loathed because would have set him apart from all the other
it meant cooperation with the Romans. Tradi- Apostles, who were from Galilee. It might
tion holds that in the 40s he wrote a Gospel also be derived from the Greek word sikarios,
in Aramaic, Jesus’ own language. Some schol- which came from the Latin word for “dagger-
ars believe that the New Testament’s Gospel man” or “assassin,” a name given in Jesus’ day
according to Matthew used it as one of its to outlaws who worked to overthrow Roman
sources. rule. He was the treasurer for the disciples;
8. Thomas. John’s Gospel calls Thomas “the John’s Gospel tells us that he was dishonest. He
Twin.” He eagerly professed faith in Jesus, criticized Mary for anointing Jesus at Bethany,
saying that he would gladly go to Jerusalem an anointing that prefigured Jesus’ Death and
to die with Jesus. However, when told of the burial. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces
Lord’s Resurrection, “doubting Thomas” said of silver, and when he realized the magnitude
he would not believe until he saw the Risen of what he did, he hanged himself.
Lord for himself. Tradition also holds that he
preached in India, where he was martyred. For Review
9. James, Son of Alphaeus. Mark’s Gospel calls
him James the Younger, perhaps to distinguish 1. What is the meaning of disciple? Apostle?
him from James Zebedee’s son. Not much else
is known of this particular Apostle. He is prob- 2. How did Jesus’ relationship with his
ably not the so-called “brother of the Lord” apostles differ from the rabbi-disciple
who took over the leadership of the Chris- relationships of his day?
tians in Jerusalem after Peter. This James was
stoned to death in 62. 3. Who were the Twelve Apostles?
10. Simon the Zealot. We don’t know much about
this Apostle. The Zealots were a group of

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The Synoptic Gospels 145

For Reflection this important scene at the beginning of Jesus’ pub-
lic life, all Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity—
Which Apostle do you most identify with? Father (the heavenly voice), Son (Jesus), and Holy
Why? Spirit (dove)—are present. It is clear what is being
proclaimed here: Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is God.
Important Events Jesus is God’s only Son.
in Jesus’ Public Life

Because Jesus Christ is God-made-flesh, every- Jesus’ baptism revealed his perfect obedience to
thing about his life carries great meaning. Learn- his Father’s will. It also foreshadowed the baptism
ing about the events of our Lord’s public life can of his Death for the remission of our sins. Finally, it
teach us about the Father’s love for us through his serves as a model for our own Baptism.
Son. Jesus is our model. His humility, his gentle in-
teractions with people, his forceful teaching of the Temptations in the Desert
truth, his compassion, his love for all (including his (CCC, 538–540; 566)
enemies), his patient suffering, and his many other
human qualities can teach us how to live as God’s Luke’s Gospel reports how the Holy Spirit, after Je-
children. sus’ baptism, led him into the desert to pray, fast,
and prepare himself for the difficult mission ahead.
Baptism by John the Baptist During this forty-day retreat, Satan tempted Jesus.
(CCC, 535–537; 565) The number forty recalls the forty years the Cho-
sen People wandered in the desert after the Exodus
In all three synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ public life be- from Egypt. They, too, were tempted to turn away
gins with his baptism by John the Baptist. John, the
son of the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth,
was a distant relation to Jesus. Isaiah had prophe-
sied that there would be one sent to announce the
coming of the Messiah:

A voice of one crying out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’ (Lk 3:4)

John the Baptist preached the need for repen-
tance for the forgiveness of sin. By his submission
to John’s baptism, Jesus, the sinless one, displayed
great humility. He also showed that he was accept-
ing the mission that he was to begin, that of serving
all humanity as God’s Suffering Servant.

At his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on
Jesus in the form of a dove and a heavenly voice
proclaimed Jesus to be the beloved Son. Thus, in

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146 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

from God and his Law and, sadly, all too often they The Gospels report that Satan tempted Jesus
fell, turning to the worship of false gods. But by be- three times: to turn stones into bread, to worship
ing faithful, Jesus showed himself to be the New him instead of God, and to jump from the top of the
Israel. Temple. The first temptation was for Jesus to take
care of his own needs, in this case, that of hunger.
A temptation is a test. The Letter to the Hebrews Jesus’ response was, “One does not live by bread
(see Hebrews 4:15–16) explains that Jesus under- alone” (Lk 4:4). Unlike the Chosen People in the
went testing to sympathize with our human weak- desert, who often gave in to their sensual appetites,
nesses. He was tested in every way, but did not sin. Jesus had his mind fixed on doing the Father’s work,
This is why, when we are also tempted to do wrong, not self-gratification. Throughout his ministry, he
we can turn to our Lord for help and strength. He always put others first.
knows well the weaknesses of human nature and
wants to give us his grace and mercy. In the second temptation, Jesus was given the
opportunity to gain all worldly power and glory if

COMPARING ACCOUNTS OF JESUS’ BAPTISM

Note the similarities and differences of each Gospel account of Jesus’ baptism. Note, for example,
that John’s Gospel never clearly mentions that it was John the Baptist who baptized Jesus:

Mt 3:13–17 Mk 1:9–11 Lk 3:21–22 Jn 1:29–34

Who sees the sky
opened?

Who sees
the dove
descending?

Who hears the
voice of the
Father?

Create a similar chart and compare the following three passages about Jesus’ temptations in
the desert: Matthew 4:1–11, Mark 1:12–13, and Luke 4:1–13.

• Note three differences that you found in these accounts.
• What is the likely source of the stories of the three temptations? State your reasons.

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The Synoptic Gospels 147

ing victory over sin, Satan, and death, won by his
Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

Jesus’ time in the desert affirmed his identity as
God’s Son and his future mission. Jesus refused the
easy way out. Facing temptation as all humans do,
Jesus fought evil through a life of gentle, compas-
sionate service of others. He embraced the suffering
his fidelity to the Father brought. The devil always
tempts us to take the easy way out. In contrast, Jesus
gave us the example of true love. It is sometimes
tough and requires sacrifice, but it is the only way to
God and to true happiness.

he would worship Satan. This temptation would For Review
surface throughout Jesus’ ministry as the people
wanted to make him a king. Even his own Apostles 1. What is celebrated in the Christian feast
thought the Messiah should be a worldly ruler, but of the Epiphany?
Jesus rejected this temptation. He came to serve, not
to be served. His reply to Satan: “You shall worship 2. What important lessons do we learn from
the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve” the baptism of Jesus?
(Lk 4:8).
3. What is the meaning of each of the temp-
The third temptation was for Jesus to test God tations of Jesus in the desert?
by jumping off the top of the Temple. Such a spec-
tacular deed would attract people to him, proving For Reflection
his identity and furthering the aims of his ministry.
Jesus’ response was, “You shall not put the Lord, • What is the value of learning to obey God
your God, to the test” (Lk 4:12). Jesus always trusted and other proper authority?
his Father. Even as he hung dying on the cross,
abandoned by many of his friends and hearing the • How can conquering temptations make a
taunts of the bystanders to save himself, Jesus had person stronger?
confidence in his heavenly Father.
Jesus Proclaims the
The temptations of Jesus bring to mind Sa- Gospel (CCC, 541)
tan’s temptation of Adam and Eve. Then, Satan tri-
umphed over Adam. But Jesus is the New Adam. He After Jesus emerged from the desert, he began his
decisively conquered the devil and sent him away. teaching ministry. The Gospel of Mark summarizes
Jesus’ victory in the desert foreshadowed his last- the message Jesus came to deliver. It is centered on
the Kingdom (or reign) of God. Jesus’ words of
announcement are key:

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148 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom revealed that God’s Kingdom was present in his
of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the very person. They helped prove that Jesus is the
gospel. (Mk 1:15) Messiah, the Son of God.
Jesus came to proclaim that God’s Kingdom was
coming in his very person. Jesus is the Good News. The miracles of Jesus were signs of the messianic
He is the Gospel. He is the Revelation of the Father. age. They freed some people from earthly problems
This essential announcement requires two things: and evils, but they did not abolish all human suf-
that we repent and that we believe in him. ferings. Their purpose was to show Jesus’ power
Jesus proclaimed the Good News in short say- over sin. The Gospel miracle stories are explained
ings known as aphorisms, for example, “But many in more detail in Chapter 8.
who are first will be last, and the last will be first”
(Mt 19:30). He also taught his message in impor- Transfiguration
tant sermons like the Sermon on the Mount. Final- (CCC, 554–556; 568)
ly, many of his teachings are found in short stories
known as parables, for example, the Parable of the Jesus proclaimed the Good News in a dramatic way
Good Samaritan. through his Transfiguration. During this event,
which occurred on a high mountain, Jesus revealed
Jesus taught in words, but his deeds were power- his divine glory before Peter, James, and John. “His
ful messages, too. He lived the message he preached. face shone like the sun and his clothes became white
His unconditional love for the poor and needy, the as light” (Mt 17:2). Through this manifestation, Je-
sick, women, foreigners, children, sinners, margin- sus was foreshadowing God’s Kingdom.
alized people—indeed every single human being—
reveals the presence of God’s Kingdom in him, Pope Benedict XVI points out that the Transfig-
God’s only Son. More about Jesus’ rich message of uration took place while Jesus was praying.
God’s Kingdom will be covered in Chapter 7.
[I]t displays visibly what happens when Je-
Miracles of Jesus sus talks with his Father: the profound in-
terpenetration of his being with God, which
Among Jesus’ most important deeds were his mir- then becomes pure light. In his oneness
acles. These mighty works, wonders, and signs with the Father, Jesus is himself “light from
light.”

At the Transfiguration, two Old Testament
figures—Moses and Elijah—also appear. Their pres-
ence recalls how the Law (given to Israel through
Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah was a great prophet)
had announced the sufferings of the coming Messi-
ah. This vision also reveals all Three Persons of the
Blessed Trinity: the Father (in the voice), the Son
(Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (in the shining cloud).

Jesus instructed Peter, James, and John not to
spread word of this vision until after the Resurrec-
tion. They were to withhold news of this remark-
able event “until the Son of Man has been raised
from the dead” (Mt 17:9). Though the Son of God,
Jesus came not as an earthly king—he came to

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The Synoptic Gospels 149

preach the Good News of God’s love. and John in a transfigured Kingdom (or reign)
This preaching led him to Jerusalem state? of God
and his own Death at the hand of the
authorities. The Kingdom of God (also
called the reign of God) was
Paschal Mystery proclaimed by Jesus and be-
gan in his Life, Death, and
Jesus most clearly proclaimed the Resurrection. It refers to
Gospel through the Paschal Mystery, the process of the Father’s
that is, his Passion, Death, Resurrec- reconciling and renewing
tion, and Ascension. This mystery of all things through his Son,
total love reveals to everyone over all to the fact of his will be-
ages that Jesus Christ is the way to ing done on earth as it is in
Salvation. His Paschal Mystery res- Heaven. The process has
cued humanity from sin and death. begun with Jesus and will
This is the story the synoptic Gospels be perfectly completed at
and John’s Gospels want us to know: the end of time.
Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, has
risen from the dead! Reality is dif- Transfiguration
ferent now. Believe this Good News.
Be baptized, and accept the Lord and The mystery from Christ’s
Holy Spirit into your lives. Share the life in which God’s glory
truth of faith with others. The Paschal shone through and trans-
Mystery will also be studied in great- formed Jesus’ physical ap-
er detail in Chapter 8. pearance while he was in
the company of the Old
For Review Testament prophets Moses
and Elijah. Peter, James,
1. How did Jesus proclaim the and John witnessed this
Kingdom of God? event.

2. What was the purpose of Paschal Mystery
Jesus’ miracles?
Christ’s work of redemp-
3. What took place at the tion, accomplished princi-
Transfiguration? pally by his Passion, Death,
Resurrection, and glorious
For Reflection Ascension. This mystery is
commemorated and made
• Finish this sentence in your present through the sac-
own words: “The Kingdom of raments, especially the
God is like . . .” Eucharist.

• Why do you think Jesus ap-
peared before Peter, James,

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150 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

Main Ideas Egypt, and Herod’s persecution, and the
hidden years in Nazareth (pp. 140–141).
• Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave his
life for his flock; we are called to a similar • Jesus had many disciples, including a spe-
life of putting the needs of others before our cial group of seventy. He also had women
own needs (pp. 130–131). disciples which was unusual for that time
and culture (p. 142).
• Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the
“synoptic Gospels” because they have sev- • Jesus chose Twelve Apostles whose main
eral common verses and can be “seen to- job was to evangelize by preaching the Gos-
gether” (p. 131). pel (pp. 142–144).

• Mark’s Gospel is likely the first Gospel • Important events in the public life of Jesus
written; Matthew and Luke drew from Mark are his baptism in the River Jordan and
as a source in compiling their own Gospels being tempted by Satan in the desert
(pp. 132–133). (pp. 145–147).

• Gospel means “Good News” (p. 132). • Jesus, the Revelation of the Father, came to
deliver the essential message that the King-
• The term gospel is used in three interre- dom of God is at hand (pp. 147–148).
lated ways: as the very life of Christ, as the
preaching about Christ, and as the four writ- • Jesus used powerful signs called miracles to
ten versions of the Good News (p. 132). share the Good News (p. 148).

• Besides drawing from the Gospel of Mark, • The Transfiguration of Jesus revealed the
Matthew and Luke also have in common Good News in a dramatic way (pp. 148–149).
another 220–235 verses from a common
source called “Q.” They also used materials • Jesus most clearly proclaimed the Gospel
unique to their Gospels, designated “M” and through the living of his Paschal Mystery
“L” (pp. 132–133). (p. 149).

• Mark’s Gospel portrays Jesus Christ as the Terms, People, Places
Suffering Messiah or Suffering Servant, a
role intended for Christ’s disciples as well Match the following terms with the definitions
(pp. 134–136).
below.
• Matthew’s Gospel was intended for Jewish
Chapter 6 Quick View Christians to show that Jesus Christ was in- A. Emmanuel
deed the Messiah prophesied in the Old Tes- B. Nativity
tament (pp. 136–137). C. Epiphany
D. disciple
• Luke’s Gospel, intended for Gentile Chris- E. Kingdom (or reign) of God
tians, portrays the celebratory aspect of the F. Transfiguration
Gospel and defines Jesus Christ as the uni- G. Paschal Mystery
versal Savior of all (pp. 136–139).
__ 1. The process that was started with Jesus
• The synoptic Gospels present the mysteries and that will be perfectly completed at
of Christ’s life (pp. 139–141). __ 2. the end of time.
__ 3. The Passion, Death, Resurrection, and
• Important events in the early life of Christ Glorification of Jesus Christ.
are the Nativity, the circumcision and pre- Jesus specially chose seventy of these.
sentation in the Temple, the magi, flight into

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The Synoptic Gospels 151

__ 4. Only Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels Anyone who is well grounded in the tes-
__ 5. record this event. timonies of Scripture is the bulwark of
__ 6. “God is with us.” the Church.
Occurred in the presence of Old Tes-
__ 7. tament prophets Moses and Elijah and —St. Jerome
Jesus’ companions Peter, James, and
John. • Read Mark 10:45. In what way does this
The feast that celebrates the mystery of passage summarize Jesus’ mission?
Christ’s manifestation as the Savior of
the world. • How does this passage encourage your mis-
sion as a Christian?
Primary Source Quotations
Ongoing Assignments
Apostolic Origins of the Gospels
As you cover the material in this chapter,
The church has always and everywhere choose and complete at least three of these
maintained, and continues to maintain, assignments.
the apostolic origins of the four Gospels. 1. Create a comprehensive chart of Q, M, or
The apostles preached, as Christ had
charged them to do, and then, under the L. This can be done on a poster board or
inspiration of the holy Spirit, they and in an Excel document. Refer to this site
others of the apostolic age handed on to for help: http://catholic-resources.org/
us in writing the same message they had Bible/Synoptic_Outlines.htm.
preached, the foundation of our faith: the 2. Carefully read the Beatitudes as they ap-
fourfold Gospel, according to Matthew, pear in the Gospels of Matthew (Mt 5:1–
Mark, Luke, and John. 11) and Luke (6:20–26). In your journal,
note how particular Beatitudes differ.
—Dei Verbum, 18 3. Write a profile of one of the Apostles. Con-
sult some of the following websites for
There Is One Gospel ideas: Chapter 6 Quick View

While the New Testament contains four • www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/
writings called “gospels,” there is in re- article7065.asp
ality only one gospel running through all
of the Christian scriptures, the gospel of • Catholic Encyclopedia: www.new
and about Jesus Christ. advent.org/cathen/index.html

—Introduction to the New Testament • Patron Saints: www.catholic-forum
of the New American Bible .com/saints/indexsnt.htm

The Importance of Grounding Oneself in 4. Report on women in the ministry of Jesus.
the Gospels Articles to start your research include:

But above all it’s the Gospels that occupy • www.wcg.org/lit/church/ministry/
my mind when I’m at prayer; my poor women6b.htm
soul has so many needs, and yet this is
the one thing needful. I’m always finding • Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., “The Truth
fresh lights there, hidden and enthralling about Jesus and Women”: www
meanings. .americancatholic.org/Newsletters/JHP/
aq0906.asp
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux
• www.wcg.org/lit/jesus/andwomen.htm

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152 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

Chapter 6 Quick View 5. With one or more classmates, write and ership based on what Jesus taught in these
enact a skit of Peter’s recognition of Je- passages.
sus as the Messiah on the road to Caesarea 12. View the film The Nativity Story (www
Philippi. Base your skit on one of the fol- .thenativitystory.com). Write a short report
lowing passages: Mark 8:27–33 or Mat- discussing how faithfully the film repre-
thew 16:13–23. sents the Gospel accounts.
13. Read Acts 1:15–26. Note in your journal:
6. Create a PowerPoint presentation on bibli- How does Acts record the death of Judas?
cal scenes from Jesus’ hidden life. Include What happened to the money Judas got for
scenes from Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Je- betraying Jesus? Who replaced Judas Is-
rusalem. You can download images from cariot? How was he chosen?
sites such as these:
Prayer
• Holy Land Photos: www.holy
landphotos.org When Mary heard that she was to be God’s Moth-
er, she prayed the Magnificat, a prayer of praise
• Bible Places: www.bibleplaces.com to God. This famous Christian prayer teaches the
true meaning of humility and doing God’s will.
7. Create a collage or a PowerPoint presenta- God is the source of all that we are and all that
tion illustrating the Hail Mary. we have. He deserves our praise and gratitude.
Mary, our Blessed Mother, shows the way. Pray
8. Create a two-page (with graphics) news- the Magnificat with Mary, confident of, and be-
letter that covers the events of the infan- lieving in, God’s goodness.
cy narrative reported in Matthew’s Gospel
(Mt 1:18–2:23). My soul proclaims the greatness
of the Lord;
9. Write a short history of the Christmas my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
crèche. Use appropriate illustrations. For he has looked upon his
handmaid’s lowliness;
• www.catholictradition.org/Children/ behold, from now on will all ages
creche.htm call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done
• www.friendsofthecreche.org/ great things for me,
historyCreche.html and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
• www.catholiceducation.org/ to those who fear him.
articles/religion/re0238.html He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of
• www.livingcatholicism.com/ mind and heart.
archives/2006/12/a_short_history.html He has thrown down the rulers
from their thrones
10. After your reading of Mark’s Gospel, locate but lifted up the lowly.
a difficult passage that caused some confu- The hungry he has filled
sion. Consult two biblical commentaries. with good things;
Then, write a two-paragraph explanation the rich he has sent away empty.
of what you learned about the meaning of
the verses.

11. Read one of the following sermons in Mat-
thew’s Gospel: Matthew 10 or Matthew
18. Write a profile of good Christian lead-

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The Synoptic Gospels 153

He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants
forever.
—Luke 1:46–55

• Reflection: Through our Baptism and the
gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord has exalted
us, too. He has done great things for us by
making us his friends and disciples.

• Resolution: Spend five minutes each day
in the coming week thinking of the many
things the Lord has done for you. Thank and
praise him for his goodness by praying the
Magnificat each day.

Chapter 6 Quick View

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7

JESUS’
TEACHING

There will be more joy in Heaven
over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

—Luke 15:7

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Only for Today

What counts most in life is Jesus Christ, his Church, the gos-
pel, truth, and goodness.

Jesus the Teacher

Jesus is a one-of-a-kind Teacher who used several unique and
creative means to reveal God’s Kingdom.

The Regions Where Jesus Taught

Understanding the cultural, political, and religious back-
grounds of the particular regions of the Holy Land where
Jesus taught can help us to better understand his message.

Jesus Preached the Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God—which won’t reach fullness until the
end of time—was initiated by Jesus in his life and words and
was most revealed in his Paschal Mystery.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

Chapters 5–7 of Matthew’s Gospel reveal the Beatitudes,
Jesus’ instruction on how to live, and the Lord’s Prayer.

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156 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

pontiff Only for Today 6. Only for today, I will firmly be-
lieve, despite appearances, that
A term with roots from One of the most influential people the good providence of God
the Latin Pontifex, which of the twentieth century was Pope cares for me as no one else who
translates “bridge-builder.” John XXIII (1881–1963), who con- exists in this world.
Originally the term was as- vened the Second Vatican Council in
sociated with the highest 1962. Loved by Catholics and non- Inspired by the teachings and life
leaders of any religion; now Catholics alike, John XXIII strongly of Jesus Christ, Pope John XXIII was
the term is reserved almost believed that the Church should be beatified in 2000 by another holy
exclusively for the pope. like a “welcoming mother,” open to pope, Pope John Paul II. Blessed Pope
everyone, and in a special way to the John XXIII’s Christ-centered life is
beatified poor. He lived a simple life even as evident in his final testament: “What
pontiff and drew inspiration from a counts the most in life is blessed Je-
From the word for set of rules for living a Christlike life. sus Christ, his holy Church, his Gos-
“blessed,” this term refers Here are six of his rules: pel, truth and goodness.”
to a person who has been
declared by the Church to 1. Only for today, I will take the What counts most in life is Jesus,
have the ability to intercede greatest care of my appearance: his Church, his Gospel, truth, and
for those who pray in his I will dress modestly; I will not goodness! Truer words have never
or her name. Beatification raise my voice; I will be courte- been spoken. This chapter examines
is a step toward canonized ous in my behavior; I will not more closely the teachings of Jesus
sainthood. criticize anyone; I will not claim Christ as they come to us in the syn-
to improve or to discipline any- optic Gospels. The material focuses
one except myself. on the qualities of Jesus as Teacher,
background on the locations of where
2. Only for today, I will adapt to Jesus taught, the parables of Jesus,
circumstances, without requir- and his famous declarations in the
ing all circumstances to be Sermon on the Mount.
adapted to my own wishes.
Jesus Success
3. Only for today, I will devote Stories
ten minutes of my time to some
good reading, remembering that St. Jerome said, “He is rich enough
just as food is necessary to the who is poor with Christ.” Reflect on
life of the body, so good read- the meaning of this statement by com-
ing is necessary to the life of the pleting the following exercise.
soul.
• List the names of people (famous
4. Only for today, I will do one or not so famous) you believe
good deed and not tell anyone have found fullness of life by
about it. following Jesus. Don’t get stuck
solely on “church-types.” Think
5. Only for today, I will do at least of friends, relatives, neighbors,
one thing I do not like doing;
and if my feelings are hurt, I will
make sure that no one notices.

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Jesus’ Teaching 157

teachers, and acquaintances that reflect a spirit This was a remarkable text because it prophe-
of having found life in Christ. sied the coming of the Messiah. His listeners were
• Write a wise quotation about faith in Jesus or struck by Jesus’ dramatic reading and looked intent-
life in general that you have heard someone on ly at him after he sat down. He looked back at them
your list say. and said, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in
• Write one quotation of your own that repre- your hearing” (Lk 4:21). At first, Jesus’ neighbors
sents your faith in Jesus. admired him, but then the full impact of what he
proclaimed struck them. Jesus was claiming that in
For Reflection him Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah was tak-
ing place, that in him, God’s Kingdom was pres-
For the next six days, put into practice each ent. In fact, Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. He
of the six rules of Blessed Pope John XXIII had come to preach the Good News to the poor, to
that were described on page 156. Focus on help people live freely, to perform acts of mercy and
one per day. Note in your journal the prog- work for justice, and to celebrate God’s presence in
ress of what you did to accomplish your goal. the world.

Jesus the Teacher Jesus’explanation astonished his fellow citizens.
When they realized the full impact of his claim, they
The Gospel of Luke reports that when Jesus came showed outrage, saying things like, “Who is Jesus?
out of the desert after his forty-day retreat, he re- Isn’t he the son of Joseph? How can he be the Prom-
turned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit. He ised One?”
then began to teach in the synagogues throughout
the whole region, and people began to praise him Luke’s Gospel explains that Jesus defended
for his message. himself by relating that no prophet ever received
honor in his own hometown. He pointed to the ex-
On the Sabbath, he came to his hometown of amples of Elijah and Elisha, prophets of Israel, who
Nazareth and went to the synagogue, a typical prac- also ministered to Gentiles, and were rejected by
tice for Jesus. On this particular day, he did the pub- their contemporaries. By mentioning them, Jesus
lic reading of Scripture. He was handed the scroll strengthened his own claim to be a prophet. Like
that contained the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Je- Old Testament prophets, Jesus called on people to
sus unrolled the scroll until he found the following repent. Like them, he used creative teaching meth-
passage, which he read aloud: ods (e.g., teaching with parables) to get people to
pay attention. He also engaged in symbolic, atten-
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, tion-grabbing actions (e.g., the cleansing of the
because he has anointed me Temple in Luke 19:45–48), warned of God’s judg-
to bring glad tidings to the poor. ment at the end of time, and performed healings and
He has sent me to proclaim liberty other miracles. His teachings and actions revealed
to captives his identity. For example, when he raised the dead
and recovery of sight to the blind, son of the widow of Nain (see Luke 7:11–17), wit-
to let the oppressed go free, nesses to the marvelous event proclaimed, “A great
and to proclaim a year acceptable prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has vis-
to the Lord. (Lk 4:18–19) ited his people” (Lk 7:16).

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158 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

But on that occasion at the beginning of Jesus’ alms, do not let your left hand know what your right
ministry in the synagogue, his own neighbors were is doing” (Mt 6:3). Or Jesus could have said, “Hy-
critical of him, enraged on this particular Sabbath to pocrisy is unbecoming for my disciples.” Instead
the point where they tried to throw him down a hill. he taught, “Why do you notice the splinter in your
Jesus escaped this first attempt on his life. brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam
in your own eye?” (Mt 7:3).
Jesus had much work to do after that day in
Nazareth. This work involved preaching, teaching, Jesus’ metaphors and similes created vibrant im-
and performing mighty works to reveal who he was ages that made his listeners take notice. For exam-
and the coming of God’s Kingdom. People would ple, Jesus told us that the Son of Man would appear
respond one way or another to Jesus because of his very quickly. “For just as lightning comes from the
mighty message, his marvelous deeds, and his en- east and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming
gaging personality. Jesus definitely was a one-of-a- of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there
kind teacher. the vultures will gather” (Mt 24:27–28).

How Jesus Taught Jesus also appealed to our senses. He used vivid
images to teach about our vocation: “You are salt
The philosopher Aristotle said that teachers are to be for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can
more honored than one’s parents. His point was that it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but
while parents give us physical life, teachers show us to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are
how to live well. If this observation is true, then we light for the world” (Mt 5:13–14).
should revere Jesus above all teachers. His message
and his person bring eternal life. Jesus spoke Aramaic, a poetic language. Arama-
ic was the language spoken by his contemporaries.
Jesus was an exceptional teacher, easy to learn This language was vivid and poetic. For example,
from and good to be around. He had many qualities Jesus spoke in parallel statements, that is, he re-
that made him an outstanding teacher, worth listen- peated thoughts a second time in a slightly differ-
ing to. For example: ent form to drive home an idea. Here’s an example:
“Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn
Jesus was genuine. Like all superb teachers, Je- your back on one who wants to borrow” (Mt 5:42).
sus’ deeds backed up his words. A prime example
is how he taught that the greatest love we can show Jesus also used hyperbole, or exaggeration, to
another is to lay down our lives for that person. Je- make a point. This speech pattern was also com-
sus did what he preached when he freely gave up his mon in Aramaic. A parallel example in English is,
life for all of us. “I have a ton of homework,” or “It’s raining cats
and dogs.” Hyperbole drives home a point, but we
Jesus was available. Jesus met people where should not take it literally. Jesus said, “If your right
they were. A wandering preacher and teacher, he eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.
taught everywhere—on hillsides, on dusty roads, at . . . And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it
the tables of the rich and poor, as well as in the syna- off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one
gogues and in the Temple. To keep the attention of of your members than to have your whole body go
so many different types of people, Jesus surely was into Gehenna” (Mt 5:29–30). Jesus’ point is clear:
interesting, attention getting, and entertaining. Fight temptation rather than risk eternal loss. He
does not want us to mutilate ourselves. He exagger-
Jesus was understandable. Jesus used down-to- ated to drive home his message.
earth, picturesque language. For example, instead
of giving a high-blown maxim like “Charity should
not be ostentatious,” Jesus said, “But when you give

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Jesus’ Teaching 159

Jesus taught with authority. When rabbis of Je- often used the word ‘Amen,’ sometimes repeated,
sus’ day taught, they typically quoted prominent to emphasize the trustworthiness of his teaching, his
teachers to back up their positions. Jesus quoted no authority founded on God’s truth” (CCC, 1063). No
other rabbi, and when he quoted Scriptures, he gave one but Jesus taught in this manner. He spoke with
novel, penetrating, and profound interpretations. As unusual authority. He quoted no other teacher.
God’s Son, he spoke on his own authority.
Jesus was a brilliant debater. Jesus’ opponents
We can see this clearly in the way Jesus used the sometimes tried to catch him in one of his teachings,
simple little word Amen. Amen is a Hebrew word but he would have none of their tricks. One incident
that comes from the same root as the word “believe.” involved the coin of tribute Jews were expected to
It carries the sense of “Yes, certainly, I believe.” It give to the Roman emperor. Pious Jews hated paying
was used at the end of an oath or blessing or a curse the tax. One day the Pharisees’ disciples approached
or some similar saying. It showed agreement with Jesus with the question, “Is it lawful to pay the cen-
the words of another. sus tax to Caesar or not?” (Mt 22:17).

Jesus used this simple word to introduce (not If Jesus said no, his opponents would then claim
end) and to strengthen his own words. The Cat- that he was preaching rebellion against Rome, a
echism of the Catholic Church states, “Our Lord crime punishable by death. If he said yes, he would

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160 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

grace lose face with zealous Jews who hat- minds, challenging them to grow. An
ed the Roman tax. Jesus understood example from Jesus’ministry involved
God’s gift of friendship and clearly the malice of the question. He a rich aristocrat who asked Jesus what
life that enables us to share asked his opponents to show him a he must do to gain eternal life. Je-
his life and love. Grace in- coin. This was a clever move on his sus reviewed the commandments.
troduces us to the intimacy part because his opponents produced When the man assured Jesus that he
of life with the Blessed a Roman coin, something they should had kept all the commandments, Je-
Trinity. not have been carrying if they hated sus challenged him to sell everything
the Romans as much as they claimed. he owned, distribute his money to
Their hypocrisy was immediately the poor, and come follow him. The
clear to everyone. Jesus’ response: rich man sadly turned from Jesus and
“‘Then repay to Caesar what belongs walked away. Jesus looked at the de-
to Caesar and to God what belongs parting man and said, “How hard it is
to God.’ When they heard this they for those who have wealth to enter the
were amazed, and leaving him they kingdom of God! For it is easier for
went away” (Mt 22:21–22). Jesus a camel to pass through the eye of a
saw through their ploy, revealing to needle than for a rich person to enter
everyone their true intentions. the kingdom of God” (Lk 18:24–25).

Jesus challenges his listeners. This saying demands that Jesus’
Good teachers stretch their students’ followers examine their consciences.

JESUS AND PARADOX

A paradox is defined as “a comparison that
appears to contradict” or “something that
leads to a situation that defies intuition.” For example,
consider the paradox of Petronius: “Moderation in all things,
including moderation.” Jesus used thought-provoking paradox in his
teaching. Often this took the form of short, memorable sayings of great
significance. Here are three examples:
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my
sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose
or forfeit himself? (Lk 9:24–25)

For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.
(Lk 9:48)

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles
himself will be exalted. (Lk 14:11)

• Write the meaning of each of these paradoxes of Jesus. Also, write about one or more
experiences from your life when these have been true.

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Jesus’ Teaching 161

What is the meaning of Jesus’ saying? Is this hyper- The Regions
bole? After all, a camel cannot pass through the eye Where Jesus Taught
of a needle and, by comparison, a rich man cannot
be saved. This saying does involve some hyperbo- The Gospels report that Jesus limited his teaching
le as well as a paradox (see page 160), an appar- ministry to the Holy Land, especially in Galilee and
ent contradiction. He gave his own solution to the Jerusalem. Piecing together the regions of the Holy
problem when his disciples questioned him: “What Land and the cultural, political, and religious situa-
is impossible for human beings is possible for God” tions in each provides further background informa-
(Lk 18:27). tion for understanding the Gospel message. Galilee,
Samaria, and Judea were the three important regions
Jesus warned against a person trying to earn or of the Holy Land that figured prominently in Jesus’
merit the gift of God’s grace. We enter God’s King- ministry.
dom only through the miracle of God’s grace. We
need to be humble and to have faith and trust in God Galilee
alone. The danger of having too much wealth is the
belief that money can buy Salvation. In reality, ma- Jesus and most of his Apostles were from Galilee, a
terial possessions can blind us to think that we don’t region in the north with fertile land and rolling hills
need anyone, including God. Owning many things watered by the Jordan River and the Sea of Gali-
and hoarding money can make us miss the humble lee. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a small town of per-
workings of God in our midst. Jesus warns us and haps no more than five hundred people at the time
challenges us just like he did in the Sermon on the he lived there. It was about an hour’s walk from
Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Hellenistic city of Sepphoris, a former capital
the kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:3). of Galilee. Sepphoris might have provided work for
Joseph and Jesus, though Jesus probably avoided it
For Review during his public life since Herod Antipas and oth-
ers who opposed Jesus were centered there.
1. What significant event took place when
Jesus began to preach in Nazareth? How Herod Antipas (4 BC to AD 37), the son of
did Jesus’ neighbors react? Why did they Herod the Great, ruled Galilee during Jesus’ life-
react this way? time. Farmers and shepherds were relatively pros-
perous because of the fertility of the land. The Sea of
2. Discuss some qualities of Jesus as a teacher. Galilee provided a living for fishermen. Most of the
population was Jewish, though some Gentiles (non-
3. What language did Jesus customarily speak? Jews) could be found in the area. Jews from Judea
sometimes doubted the religious fervor of Galilean
4. What is the meaning of the word Amen? Jews because of their relationships with Gentiles.
How and why did Jesus use it in a unique Galilean Jews also spoke with a distinctive Arama-
way? ic accent. However, many Galileans were zealous
about their religion and greatly disliked foreign rul-
For Reflection ers. It was from this area that the religious group
known as the Zealots (see Chapter 8) first formed
Create a list of four more qualities that you and held great influence.
believe make for a great teacher. How did
Jesus exhibit that quality in his own ministry
in the Gospel of Matthew?

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162 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

Mount Gerizim Many of the colorful details of by calling him a Samaritan (see John
Jesus’ parables come from his keen 8:48).
One of the two mountains observation of Galilean life: birds,
in the immediate vicinity flowers, farmers at work in the fields, Judea
of the West Bank city of fishing nets straining under a heavy
Nablus. The mountain is load. Cana (the site of Jesus’ first mir- Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus,
sacred to the Samaritans, acle), Bethsaida (the home of Peter, was located in Judea, as was Bethany,
who believe it to be the lo- Andrew, and Philip), and Capernaum the home of Jesus’ friends Lazarus,
cation chosen by YHWH for (the headquarters of Jesus’ Galilean Martha, and Mary. Another notable
a holy temple. The moun- ministry) were all located in Galilee. Judean town was Jericho, where Je-
tain continues to be the sus healed a blind man and met a fa-
center of Samaritan reli- Samaria mous tax collector, Zacchaeus.
gion to this day.
Samaria was the region to the south The region was in the southern
of Galilee, north central in relation part of the Holy Land. It was a dry,
to the entirety of the Holy Land. The barren, craggy land where most of its
Samaritans descended from foreign- inhabitants were Jews who returned
ers who intermarried with the old from the Babylonian captivity. Jeru-
northern Israelite tribes at the time salem was the principal city. Lofted
of Assyria’s conquest of the northern on two hills 2,255 to 2,400 feet above
kingdom. The Samaritans accepted sea level, Jerusalem was Judea’s reli-
the Mosaic Law, but did not accept gious, political, and economic center.
the prophetical or wisdom writings. Life centered on the Temple located
They rejected the Jerusalem Temple there.
because they believed that God chose
Mount Gerizim as the proper place Most of the Judean population
to worship. The Judeans destroyed lived in or near Jerusalem. In Jesus’
the Mount Gerizim temple in 128 BC, day, the city may have had a popula-
leading to hostility between Jews and tion of 55,000 to 70,000 people with
Samaritans. On pilgrimages to Judea, as many as another 120,000 swell-
Galileans would try to avoid Samaria ing the population during the Jewish
if they could for fear of being attacked festivals. Jews in Jerusalem worked
by Samaritans. at many various trades. The city also
attracted scribes whose job it was to
Though Jesus did not allow his interpret the Law.
Apostles to preach to the Samaritans
(see Matthew 10:5), he showed only A barren wilderness was located in
love to them. He made one a hero of southernmost Judea, the place where
a parable (see Luke 10:30–35), was Jesus retreated after his baptism. Also
kind to a Samaritan woman (see John found there was the fifty-three-mile-
4:1–42), and praised a leper from Sa- long Dead Sea, which, at 1,300 feet
maria for being the only one to thank below sea level, is the lowest point on
him for a cure (see Luke 17:16). earth.
Some of Jesus’ enemies insulted him

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Jesus’ Teaching 163

WHERE WAS IT? Sidon Caesarea
Tyre Philippi
Read the following Scripture references from the synoptic
Gospels. Locate on the map where each event took place. Chorazin Bethsaida
SEA OF GALILEE
• Where did Jesus cast out a demon? (see Mark 1:21)
GALILEE
• To which city was the traveler in the parable of the
Good Samaritan going? (see Luke 10:30) JORDAN RIVER

• On the road to which city does Jesus predict his Pas- Jericho
sion and Death? (see Mark 8:27–33)
Emmaus
• To what does Jesus compare Chorazin and Bethsaida?
(see Matthew 11:20–22) JUDEA DEAD SEA

• Where did Jesus dine with Zacchaeus? (see Luke
19:1–10)

• Where did Jesus instruct two disciples to find a colt
for him? (see Matthew 21:1)

• Where did the resurrected Jesus eat a meal with two
disciples? (see Luke 24:13)

For Review Jesus Preached
the Kingdom of God
1. Describe each of the regions of the Holy
Land that figured in the public life of From the beginning of his public ministry until his
Jesus. Death on the Cross, Jesus preached the coming of
God’s Kingdom. “This is the time of fulfillment.
2. Who were the Samaritans? What were The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe
some of their beliefs? in the gospel” (Mk 1:15). In doing so, Jesus accom-
plished the will of his Father. The Father’s will is to
3. When were times that the population of share his divine life with all human beings. He ac-
Jerusalem would swell? complishes this by gathering all persons around his
Son Jesus Christ. The Church is, in fact, this gather-
For Reflection ing, “on earth the seed and beginning of the king-
dom” (Lumen Gentium, 5, CCC, 541).
Write a journal entry describing what
you imagine one day of travel with Jesus The “Kingdom of God” (or “Kingdom of Heav-
would have been like in any of the regions en,” used by Matthew) is not a place. Rather, it is
described. the active presence of God’s love, justice, truth,
and Salvation working in the world. Jesus Christ is
God’s presence in the world, the one who brings the
Kingdom. He is the one who gathers all people into
the unity of the Blessed Trinity—Father, Son, and

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164 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

Holy Spirit—through his preaching and miracles. sores. The rich man never even noticed Lazarus,
Ultimately, it is the event of the Paschal Mystery— who eventually died and went to Heaven.
Christ’s work of redemption, accomplished princi-
pally by his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and glori- Before long, the rich man also died. He was bur-
ous Ascension—that brings about the Kingdom. It ied and went to hell. There he suffered every tor-
is the saving event that unites us to our Savior Jesus ment. He saw a vision of Lazarus in Heaven who
Christ and makes it possible for us to be adopted was totally happy in the company of Abraham, the
into God’s family. father of the Jews. The rich man begged Abraham to
allow Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to
One prominent way that Jesus used to help cool his tongue, for he was in agony burning in the
people understand the mystery of God’s Kingdom flames. Abraham refused the rich man his request,
growing in our midst was the use of parables. While nor could the rich man appear to his five brothers to
his miracles confirmed the truth of his words, his warn them what was in store for them if they didn’t
parables helped his contemporaries, and help us to- change their selfish ways. Abraham replied that the
day, to understand the meaning of his message. rich man’s brothers had the Sacred Scriptures to tell
them what to do; even if a man came back to life,
What Are Parables? they wouldn’t pay attention.

The English word parable comes from the Greek
word parabole, which means “placing two things
side by side in order to compare them.” The para-
bles that Jesus told were simple, vivid picture stories
drawn from ordinary life. They compare something
very familiar—like seeds, wheat, yeast, sheep,
farmers, and nets—to an unfamiliar truth, usually
about some aspect of God’s Kingdom. Jesus told
these stories to challenge his listeners to use their
imaginations, emotions, and minds to grapple with
the truth he wants to teach.

By using parables, Jesus again demonstrated his
brilliance as a teacher. His stories revealed truth in
an interesting way. They are easy to remember. This
was important because Jesus’ disciples did not take
notes when he taught them; they had to commit his
teaching to memory. Jesus’ stories were so vivid that
his hearers could easily recall them.

Consider the parable of Lazarus and the Rich
Man (see Luke 16:19–31). The message of the par-
able is that wealthy people must share their riches
with poor people. If they don’t, God will punish
them in eternity. In the story, Jesus tells how Lazarus
was poor and sick. He was so poor that he longed
to eat the scraps that fell from the tables of the rich
man, and he was so sick that he was covered with

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Principal Parables of Jesus in the SynopJetsiucs’GToeascpheinlgs 165

Read at least five parables from the list. Be sure to select at least one from each Gospel. Sum-
marize the interpretation of the parable found in one biblical commentary. Write your own inter-
pretation of the meaning of parable drawing on the information you read in the commentary.

Lamp under a bushel Matthew Mark Luke
New cloth on old garments
New wine in old wineskins 5:15–17 4:21–22 8:16–18
The Sower 9:16 2:21 5:36
Mustard seed 9:17 2:22 5:37
Wicked tenants of the vineyard 13:3–23 4:2–20 8:4–15
Budding fig tree 13:31–32 4:30–32 13:18–19
House built on a rock 21:33–45 12:1–12 20:9–19
Wayward Children 24:32–35 13:28–32 21:29–33
Leaven 7:24–27 6:47–49
Lost sheep 11:16–19 4:26–29 7:31–35
Weeds among the wheat 13:33 13:34–37 13:20–21
Treasure hidden in a field 18:12–14 15:3–7
Pearl of great value 13:24–30
Dragnet 13:44 7:41–43
Unmerciful servant 13:45–46 10:25–37
Laborers in the vineyard 13:47–50 11:5–10
Father and two sons 18:23–25 12:16–21
Marriage feast for the king’s son 20:1–16 12:35–38
Wise and foolish maidens 21:28–32 12:42–48
The servants and their talents 22:1–14 13:6–9
Separating sheep from goats 25:1–13 14:16–24
Seed growing silently 25:14–30 15:8–10
Doorkeeper on watch 25:31–46 15:11–32
Two debtors 16:1–13
Good Samaritan 24:45–51 16:19–31
Friend at midnight 17:7–10
Rich fool 18:1–8
Watchful servants 18:9–14
Wise steward 19:11–27
Barren fig tree
Dinner guests
Lost coin
Prodigal son
Dishonest steward
Rich man and Lazarus
Useless servants
Persistent widow
Pharisee and tax collector
Ten pounds

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166 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

How could anyone forget this story once they God’s Kingdom Is for All
heard it? How could they forget the religious mes- (see the Mustard Seed, Luke
sage Jesus was trying to teach? 13:18–19; the Sower, Mark 4:1–20)

Another reason Jesus’ spoke in parables was to God’s Kingdom has arrived in his Son Jesus Christ
force his listeners to look at reality in a fresh way. who came to reconcile and renew all things. God is
Parables stretch the mind into active thought. If peo- near because Jesus is near. Salvation is taking place
ple are not willing to change their preconceptions, right now. YHWH’s justice is bringing peace to the
they will fail to understand Jesus’ point: “They look, land, justice to the poor, and comfort to widows and
but do not see and hear but do not listen or under- orphans. Jesus is the Promised One, the Messiah,
stand” (Mt 13:13). Jesus’ parables are windows into who came to usher in God’s reign. He is the prin-
the mystery of God’s reign. They help to uncov- ciple sign of the Kingdom, of God’s will being ac-
er the marvelous work of God in our midst. Their complished on earth, even as it is in Heaven.
teaching is often surprising and usually clear, but
the original listeners or today’s readers has to look The growth of the Kingdom is steady, but sure.
at the story with open eyes to discover what Jesus Jesus says it begins small like a mustard seed, but
means. Consider, for example, the short parable of it will grow large. It spreads in its own mysterious
the pearl. Jesus said: way, like yeast working in dough or seeds secretly
unleashing their power. Its harvest will be greater
The kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant than we can possibly imagine.
searching for fine pearls. When he finds a
pearl of great price, he goes and sells all he The parable of the Sower tells us that the King-
has and buys it. (Mt 13:45–46) dom, despite all the obstacles in may encounter, will
flourish. This parable also teaches that everyone is
The meaning of this story is clear, yet urgent. So invited to accept the Kingdom but people must first
valuable is the man’s discovery of the perfect pearl accept Jesus’ Word. The word of the Lord is com-
that he surrenders his entire fortune to buy it. When pared to seed sown in a field, seed that must fall on
we discover God’s Kingdom, we should do what the receptive ground to take root and flourish. Follow-
merchant did. God’s Kingdom is so valuable that we ers of Jesus are the fertile ground that receives the
should stake our whole life on it. Lord’s word, letting it sprout and grow until the har-
vest at the end of time. It is at the end of time that the
The Meaning of the Parables Kingdom of God will come in fullness so that “God
(CCC, 543–546) may be all in all” (1 Cor 15:28). The just will reign
with Christ forever, glorified in body and soul, and
There are several important messages to be gleaned the material universe will itself be transformed.
from the parables of the synoptic Gospels. For ex-
ample, the Kingdom of God is for all; sinners are Sinners Are Welcome (see the Lost
welcome; Salvation has arrived in the person of Sheep, Luke 15:1–7; the Lost Coin,
Jesus; repentance is a prerequisite for entering the Luke 15: 8–10; the Lost Son, Luke
Kingdom; the Kingdom is for the poor and lowly; 15:11–32)
and the Kingdom should be rejoiced over. More in-
formation on these meanings follows. Jesus preached forgiveness and mercy. He asso-
ciated with all kinds of people, especially those who
needed God’s love and forgiveness: tax collectors,
the poor, prostitutes, and the sick. His invitation to

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Jesus’ Teaching 167

the Kingdom was open to all sinners to sit at the that we should name the parable “The Two Broth-
table of the Lord. ers and Good Father.”) Certainly, the younger son
threw away his father’s patrimony and was foolish,
Those who self-righteously believed in their ending up his miserable spending spree by dining
own holiness severely criticized Jesus for associat- with swine. For his Jewish audience, who consid-
ing with the outcast. They believed that if you asso- ered pigs unclean animals, Jesus could not have
ciated with bad companions then you yourself must painted a more desolate picture.
be evil. Jesus replied, “Those who are well do not
need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to When the son realized how low he had sunk, he
call the righteous but sinners” (Mk 2:17). repented and returned to his father. His father was
waiting all the time, to rush out to him, embrace him,
On one occasion, when certain Pharisees and and throw a welcome-home party. It is the father’s
scribes complained about Jesus’ association with love that is prodigal, spendthrift, beyond all our
sinners, Jesus told three important parables of for- expectations; and so is the father’s attitude toward
giveness. In the parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus the second son, who complained about his father’s
tells of the shepherd who goes out of his way to generosity. Like those who were criticizing Jesus
rescue the lost sheep. In a world where shepherds for mingling with sinners, the second son is self-
might quietly accept the loss of one percent of their righteous, not even calling his brother “my brother,”
flock, and not risk abandoning the rest of the flock, rather referring to him as “this son of yours.” But
Jesus’ example would have surprised his audience, the father, always loving and wise in his ways, as-
but Jesus wanted to show us the depth of the Fa- sured his elder son that one day he would inherit all
ther’s love, especially for the lost sinner. God’s love of his father’s possessions, but the time at hand was
is beyond what we can comprehend, and it is in- a time to rejoice because his lost brother “was dead
tended for everyone. and has come to life again; he was lost and has been
found” (Lk 15:32).
God’s love is also tender. Note how the shep-
herd places the lost sheep on his shoulders. Why? The father in this parable is lavish in his love.
Simply because a lost sheep will lie down and re- Jesus tells this story to teach that his Father’s love
fuse to move. The tender care and loving concern of is similar. He stands ready to unconditionally ac-
the shepherd is a glimpse of the immense love God cept his children back into the family and with great
has for us. love. Such is God’s love and mercy. Since Jesus is
the Father’s unique Son, the one who reveals the
The Lost Coin paints a vivid picture of a woman Father, he associates with sinners to bring them the
sweeping the whole house to retrieve a lost coin and Good News of God’s mercy and compassion.
then announcing to her friends and neighbors that
she has found it. Besides this happy outcome, note,
too, how Jesus compared God to a woman, some-
thing no rabbi of his day ever did. God’s love is like
that of a persistent woman who would not give up.
God will not give up on sinners. The love of Jesus’
Father—our Father—greatly exceeds the expecta-
tions of the learned men of Jesus’ day. God’s mercy
is something to rejoice about.

Finally, a careful reading of the parable of the
Lost, or Prodigal, Son reveals a compassionate fa-
ther and his two sons. (Pope Benedict XVI suggests

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168 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

Be a Good Samaritan

The parable of the Good Samaritan, one of the most popular of all parables, is recorded in Luke
10:25–37. It has often been turned into an allegory throughout Christian history. Here is a popu-
lar interpretation of the parable of the Good Samaritan as an allegory.

Parable Elements Allegorical Meaning

Traveler Adam (who represents all humanity)

Jerusalem the heavenly city, our goal

Jericho the fallen world

Robbers demons who strip Adam of immortality

Priest the Law

Levite Prophets

Samaritan Jesus Christ (who heals humanity with oil and wine—comfort and admonition)

Inn the Church

Innkeeper Apostles: Peter and Paul

Samaritan’s return Second Coming of Christ

Complete this project with a classmate:

• After carefully reading the parable, share your own allegorical interpretation. Who are the
victims of violence in your world? Who fails to take notice? What kinds of aid can you and
your classmates give? What would correspond to the inn? Write a short report summarizing
your and your partner’s responses.

• Devise a short service project where you can respond to someone in your school who might
be neglected or hurting. Follow through on the project, and write a summary of its results.

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Jesus’ Teaching 169

Salvation (see the Workers in the to be true, then by living justly and lovingly. Saying
Vineyard, Matthew 20:1–16; the we are going to change and not following through is
Great Feast, Luke 14:15–24) empty lip service. The one who obeys God’s Word
is the one who does God’s will.
Jesus emphasized time and again in his teaching that
a new age had dawned, that the day of Salvation had After announcing the coming of the Kingdom,
arrived. He spoke of new wine being poured into Jesus called for repentance and faith in the Gospel.
new wineskins, of a new harvest, of the need to put Repentance and faith go hand in hand. Jesus expects
on new robes. His vivid image of a wedding feast us to respond to his announcements that God’s King-
especially announces that the Lord is among his dom is happening now, that God is a loving and for-
people. (The wedding banquet was a familiar sym- giving Father, and that Salvation is happening in our
bol for Jews of Heaven and God’s presence among midst. What are we called to do? First, we should
his people.) Nothing can be the same again. The di- repent, that is, change our lives, and then we should
vine physician has come. believe the Good News of Salvation. Listening to,
and acting on Jesus’ words is like the wise man who
Jesus came to assure us that Salvation is taking built his house on a foundation of rock. Nothing can
place. Jesus is the Savior of everyone. The wedding destroy the foundation of the Gospel!
feast is open to all—Jew and Gentile alike. It is a
pure gift, something we cannot earn. God gives it as Preparation for God’s Judgment
he pleases, just like the landowner dispensed wages (see the Ten Virgins, the Talents,
freely and generously to workers who only labored the Sheep and Goats, Mt 25:1–46)
for an hour. God’s Salvation is great news.
The Kingdom belongs to the poor and lowly, that
Jesus announced Salvation, and he brought it. It is, to those who accept Christ in humility. Jesus
comes through repentance and forgiveness of sin. came to preach to the poor, and he blesses them.
In speaking to the wealthy tax collector Zacchaeus, He shared their life, experiencing hunger, thirst, and
Jesus said, “Today Salvation has come to this house privation. He identified himself with all poor peo-
. . . For the Son of Man has come to seek and save ple, and he requires that we love them as a condi-
what was lost” (Lk 19:9–10). Jesus is the Savior. tion of entering his Kingdom. In fact, when Christ
It is he who makes us whole, who heals the alien- comes to judge us, he will separate the sheep from
ation between us, the Father, and other people. Je- the goats based on this criterion: “Whatever you did
sus’ miracles reveal his identity, show forth Father’s for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for
power, and demonstrate that the Good News is tak- me” (Mt 25:40). Oppositely, those who ignore the
ing place. needs of the least ones will be asked to depart from
the Lord to the “eternal fire prepared for the devil
Belief and Repentance (see the Two and his angels” (Mt 25:41). This warning of Christ,
Foundations, Matthew 7:24–27; the echoed by the Church, is of the eternal punishment
Two Sons, Matthew 21:28–32) of Hell for those who die separated from God in the
state of mortal sin.
The English word repent (Greek metanoia) literally
means “change one’s mind,” a radical way of think- Entering God’s Kingdom requires faith, but it
ing and doing things. Because Jesus is here, reality also demands action. Love is faith-in-action. Be-
and life are now radically different. It is time to stop cause God is love, we, as Jesus’ disciples, must also
living selfishly and bitterly toward our neighbor. be loving. We help Jesus in his work of Salvation by
God’s justice is breaking into our world. We should being instruments of God’s mercy and love. For one
accept this new order of things first by believing it

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170 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

devil thing, we must use the talents he gave plan, but in the end, things will work
to us for the benefit of others (see Mat- out. The weeds will be separated from
The name for a fallen angel thew 25:14–30). And we must serve the wheat on harvest day.
who refused to accept God as he served. To follow Jesus, and to
or his Kingdom. Another love in imitation of him, takes sacri- Those who accept God’s King-
word for the devil is Satan, fice and commitment. Jesus’ invita- dom and Jesus, who proclaimed it,
or the “Evil One.” The devil tion is a challenge: “Whoever wishes have found the hidden treasure. We
and other demons were at to come after me must deny himself, should stake everything on it. Jesus
first good angels, but be- take up his cross, and follow me” (Mk has revealed to us his Father’s good-
came evil due to their own 8:34). This means service: ness, his generosity, his forgiving
choices and actions. love, and Salvation. Jesus announces
Rather, whoever wishes to that good triumphs over evil. There-
Hell be great among you will be fore, we should accept this Good
your servant; whoever wish- News with joy and deep conviction.
Eternal separation from es to be first among you will We should not wait for tomorrow be-
God that results in a per- be the slave of all. For the cause it might be too late. This was the
son’s dying after freely and Son of Man did not come to lesson a foolish man did not learn. He
deliberately acting against be served, but to serve and to tore down his old barns, and he built
God’s will (that is, not re- give his life as a ransom for new ones to store his riches. Unfortu-
penting of mortal sin). many. (Mk 10:43–45) nately, he did not count on dying that
night. The time to choose Jesus and
Mount Sinai, Sinai, Egypt. Rejoice (see Weeds his Father’s Kingdom is right now.
among the Wheat,
Sermon on the Mount Matthew 13:24–30; The Lord wants us to believe in
Hidden Treasure, him and his message because he needs
A section in Matthew’s Matthew 13:44; Rich us to share it with others. We have his
Gospel (Mt 5:1–7:29) in Fool, Luke 12:16–21) joy to share with others; we have the
which Jesus delivers the Good News of Salvation to give oth-
first of five discourses re- The Good News Jesus came to preach ers. We are instruments of his love.
corded in the Gospel. The met with resistance. Perhaps in some “Repent, believe the Good News of
Sermon on the Mount be- ways Jesus’ words were so good they Jesus and live his life of love—this is
gins with the sharing of the were almost impossible to accept. Je- the message of Christ our Savior!”
Beatitudes. The Beatitudes sus’ enemies saw him as a threat to
are also found in the their power over people. They worked For Review
Sermon on the Plain in Luke to get rid of him. Jesus knew the
6:20–26. Kingdom would be opposed, but he 1. What is meant by the expres-
assures us that it will triumph in the sion “Kingdom of God”?
end. This is the point of the parable of
the Sower. Even amidst apparent set- 2. What is a parable? Why did
backs in working for God’s Kingdom Jesus tell parables?
and Salvation, we should be happy,
joyful people. We know there will be 3. What is the meaning of the
suffering and evil in our world. There following parables?
will be forces working against God’s
• Lazarus and the Rich Man

• Pearl

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Jesus’ Teaching 171

• Mustard Seed specifically related to Jewish-Christian problems.
• Sower Luke, remember, wrote for a predominately Gentile-
• Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, Lost Son (Good Christian audience. The following sections provide
more detail on Jesus’ teachings from the Gospel of
Father and Two Brothers) Matthew.
• Sheep and Goats
• Rich Fool The Beatitudes
• Good Samaritan (CCC, 1716; 1725–1727)
4. Discuss five points of Jesus’ message.
5. What does it mean to repent? The moral teaching offered in the Sermon on the
Mount is a roadmap to eternal happiness. Another
For Reflection word for happiness is beatitude. In the Beatitudes,
Jesus’ blessings reveal how to fulfill our desire for
Write or share a parable that expresses happiness and teach us the final end to which God
your belief in the presence of God’s Kingdom. calls us: the Kingdom, the vision of God, partici-
pation in divine nature, eternal life, life as children
Jesus’ Sermon of God, and rest in God. The life-giving words of
on the Mount the Beatitudes show us how to love God and others
in imitation of our Lord. (For comparison, see Lk
The Gospel of Matthew records Jesus’ Sermon on 6:20–26.) The Beatitudes also complete the prom-
the Mount, an occasion when Jesus went up on a ises that God made to Abraham, the father of the
mountainside to speak to a great crowd of his fol- Jewish faith.
lowers. Recall that the Evangelist Matthew wrote
his Gospel for a Jewish-Christian audience. The A summary of the Beatitudes follows.
scene of Jesus’ teaching on the mountain brings to
mind Moses, who delivered the Law from a moun- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
tain, Mount Sinai. A message of the Sermon on the theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Mount is that Jesus is the New Lawgiver. His in-
structions guide those who have accepted the Good Jesus associated with poor, weak, and vulnerable
News and wish to live as his faithful followers. people and expects that his followers should also.
This beatitude is not intended to condone the condi-
The Sermon on the Mount is recorded over three tion of material poverty, which is an evil that should
chapters in Matthew 5–7 and contains over one hun- be eradicated. Rather, Jesus wants us to recognize
dred verses. It begins with Jesus’ blessings, the Be- our spiritual poverty—that everything we are and
atitudes, and then it treats Jesus’ instructions on how everything we have are gifts from God. We show
to live and how to pray. It concludes with additional our gratitude for what we have been given by shar-
reflections on what is important in life. Luke’s Gos- ing what we have and what we are with others.
pel contains a shortened version (32 verses) of this
teaching in the “Sermon on the Plain” (Lk 6:17–49). Blessed are they who mourn, for
The missing verses in Luke mainly concern sayings they will be comforted.

Jesus blesses those who mourn over injustices and
evils committed against God and his children, that
is, the sufferings of needy and innocent people. The
hearts of those close to God ache for the sins of the
world and for their own sins, too. The Lord tells us

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172 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

not to lose heart, though, because he promises that Blessed are they who hunger and
he will eventually console us. Through deep mourn- thirst for righteousness, for they
ing, we receive comfort that only God can provide. will be satisfied.

Blessed are the meek, for they will Our restless hearts cannot find true happiness until
inherit the land. they find God. Jesus blesses those who know that
only God’s righteousness can fulfill us. God made
Meek people are humble and patient with others. us so our hearts seek divine justice, the holy Father,
Jesus exemplified meekness when he treated others and the loving, forgiving friendship of Jesus Christ,
with gentleness and compassion. He also forgave our Savior. The Lord Jesus comes to us in the Eu-
others when they hurt and taunted him. His heav- charist to help us grow in holiness, to satisfy our
enly Father also treats each of us with patience, for- spiritual hunger, and to unite with us so we can take
giveness, and gentleness when we sin. We should him to others.
imitate God our Father and Jesus our Savior by
being patient with the shortcomings of others. We Blessed are the merciful, for they
should work to solve disagreements with gentleness will be shown mercy.
and goodwill and never give in to hate or violence.
When we pray the Our Father, we petition God to
“forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who
trespass against us.” God shows his great love for
us through his Son Jesus Christ, who forgives our

How Well Are You Living the Beatitudes?

Examine how well you are putting the teachings of the Beatitudes into practice. Read each
statement below and rate your own behavior. Write a short summary of how well you are doing
and in what ways you need to improve. Then answer the questions that follow.
• I thank God for all that I am, and I share my gifts with others.
• I fight the evil influences that tempt me and ask for God’s forgiveness for my own sins.
• I am a gentle, humble person who works to build others up.
• I am growing in holiness—for example, I receive the Eucharist at least once a week.
• I am a forgiving person.
• My priorities are God is number one, family is number two, and friends are number three.
• I am an instrument of God’s peace in my family and school.
• I am willing to suffer criticism for doing the right thing. I resist peer pressure.

Questions

1. Which Beatitude does the world most need to see practiced? Why?
2. What are practical examples of how today’s teens might put into practice each of the

Beatitudes?
3. Read Luke’s version of the Beatitudes in Luke 6:20–26. What are some differences between

Luke’s and Matthew’s versions?

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Jesus’ Teaching 173

sins and makes it possible through the Holy Spir- Blessed are they who are perse-
it and Baptism to become members of the divine cuted for the sake of righteous-
family. As a sign of our gratitude, we should share ness, for theirs is the kingdom of
with others the love, mercy, and forgiveness that we Heaven.
have been given. Forgiving others, especially our
enemies, is a sign to others that our merciful God Suffering for faith in Jesus is a great sign of love
loves everyone. for him. He himself suffered misunderstanding and
abuse when he preached the truth. Our Christlike
Blessed are the clean of heart, for words and actions will at times bring us ridicule
they will see God. and rejection. Some brave Christians even suffered
martyrdom. When we remain faithful to the Lord,
A person with a clean heart has a single-hearted he will reward us with eternal happiness in Heaven.
commitment to God. School, money, possessions, There is no greater reward.
family, sports, friends, and everything else should
come after a total commitment to accomplish God’s Sayings on How to Live
will. The clean of heart are honest, sincere, and
unselfish. The next section of the Sermon on the Mount of-
fers more sayings of Jesus that form the central part
Blessed are the peacemakers, for of Matthew’s Gospel. The source for many of these
they will be called children of God. sayings is Q and the material unique to Matthew. As
you proceed through the subsections of what fol-
Adopted children of God must be loving and peace- lows, begin your study by first reading each refer-
ful and never cause conflict with others. They will enced passage from the Bible.
work hard to end strife that leads to violence. A
Christian is a peacemaker, a disciple of the Prince Salt of the Earth and Light of the
of Peace, one who treats others as brothers and sis- World (see Matthew 5:13–16)
ters in the Lord.
Jesus shares the beautiful image of Christians as salt
and light. He teaches that if we put into practice each
of the Beatitudes, they will make a compelling dif-
ference in the world. Just as salt flavors food, com-
mitted disciples flavor the world with Christ’s love.
This means that the world should be a better place
because Christians are in it. Salt also preserves food,
saving meat for future consumption. Our presence
as Jesus’ disciples should bring the world closer to
eternal Salvation.

Christians are also like light. Light dispels dark-
ness. It shows the way and dispels fear of the un-
known. Jesus tells us that our good works should be
like a beacon of light that leads others to God. The
Good News is only good and newsworthy if people
can see it in action.

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174 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

BREAKING As with the Beatitudes, there are also two versions of the Lord’s Prayer
OPEN THE in the synoptic Gospels. In the Gospel of Matthew (6:9–13), Jesus teaches
LORD’S the Lord’s Prayer in the context of instructing his disciples to be authentic
PRAYER when they pray, to trust in God without using a lot of empty words, and to
pray with forgiveness in their hearts. Directed to a Jewish-Christian audi-
(CCC, 2759–2865) ence, the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew’s Gospel has been described as “the
gospel in miniature.”

In Luke’s Gospel, the Lord’s Prayer appears in Luke 11:2–4, right af-
ter Jesus is discovered praying by himself. His disciples then ask him how
they should pray. The context in this case is that Luke was writing for a
Gentile-Christian audience who did not have a strong heritage of prayer.
Thus, Luke presents the Lord’s Prayer as a formula, the model prayer
for followers of Jesus. The Gospel then relates two of Jesus’ parables
that emphasize the need to be persistent when we pray because God will
surely answer our prayers. This may have been a new a message for Gen-
tile Christians since they did not grow up with the Jewish experience of
YHWH, who indeed answered the prayers of his Chosen People.

A brief explanation of the various petitions of the Lord’s Prayer fol-
lows. The wording given is traditional, based most closely on Matthew’s
version.

OUR FATHER

Jesus invites us to address God as Abba. This intimate term is roughly
equivalent to our word “daddy” or “dad,” a sign of intimacy and child-
like trust. Jesus teaches us that God is good, gracious, loving, and one we
can address with confidence. Jesus’ Father is our Father, too. Moreover,
we share the same God the Father with our fellow human beings,
meaning we should treat each other as brothers and sisters with
understanding, compassion, and love.

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Jesus’ Teaching 175

WHO ART IN HEAVEN AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS
WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS
“In Heaven” refers to God’s transcendence, his AGAINST US
way of being, and his majesty above all his crea-
tures. Through Jesus, God lives in the hearts of Here, we admit that we are sinners and need the
the just. We profess that we are God’s people who Holy Spirit to help us repent of our selfishness and
are united to Christ in Heaven. We wait for the turn to a life of love and service. In humility, we
day when our heavenly reward will be fully ours. confess that we need Jesus’ help and forgiveness
on our way to the Father.
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
Jesus teaches that there is an intimate link be-
“Hallowed be thy name” is a petition that every- tween God’s forgiveness of us and our forgiveness
one will regard God as holy (as he is in Heaven). of others. The forgiveness we have received must
God is the source of all holiness. We hallow (make be shared with others. Forgiving others is a great
holy) God’s name when we accept his love and sign of love and understanding of the human con-
act like his Son, Jesus Christ. When we live up to dition; it invites others to love in return.
our name as Catholics, we lead others to come to
know and praise God because they can see his im- AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION
age reflected in us.
We pray to God to spare us the path that leads to a
THY KINGDOM COME; THY WILL BE sinful life and for strength to remain in his grace un-
DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN til the very end of our lives and to conquer against
the test of Satan. Temptation translates as “test.”
Jesus inaugurated God’s Kingdom in his earthly To defeat Satan requires our picking up the cross
ministry and through his Paschal Mystery. But God’s of suffering. We petition God for the strength to
Kingdom will be fully established only at the end of overcome difficulties in living a Christian life. We
time. Until then, we should live, experience, and ask for the assistance of the Holy Spirit to give us
work for the Kingdom now, in the present. Praying gifts like fortitude, watchfulness, perseverance,
for God’s Kingdom to come is to ask for Christ’s and a heart that can tell the difference between
return, the final coming of God’s Kingdom, when trials that strengthen us spiritually and tempta-
there will be perfect righteousness, peace, and tions that lead to sin and death.
joy. It requires that we join in Jesus’ ongoing work
by loving others and responding to the least in our BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
midst.
In union with the saints, we ask God to manifest
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD the victory that Christ has already won over Sa-
tan. We pray that the Father will deliver us from
Bread represents all that sustains our lives. When Satan’s snares, the temptations of a godless soci-
we ask for bread, we are requesting what bread ety. We petition God to keep us from the evil of
represents: physical life (food, shelter, clothing); accidents, illness, violence, and natural disasters.
psychological life (friendship, love, companion- We pray that God will keep us from cooperating
ship); and spiritual life (the Eucharistic Jesus, the with the evils of injustice, prejudice, and selfish-
Word of God accepted in faith, and the Body of ness. Finally, we pray with the Holy Spirit, and all
Christ we receive in Holy Communion). God’s people, for the Lord’s Second Coming. On
that day, humanity will be forever free from the
Praying for our daily bread also challenges us snares of the Evil One.
to remember the needs of others, especially our
obligation to share with poor people. AMEN

In this petition, we are also praying for the When we recite the Lord’s Prayer in private, we
fullness of God’s material and spiritual blessings end it with “Amen,” thus affirming our belief and
that will be ours in Heaven. agreement with what we have just prayed. When
we say our amen with conviction, the Lord’s Prayer
becomes our prayer, too.

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176 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

transcendence New Standard of Law should be persons of integrity,
(see Matthew 5:17–48) that is, truthful in everything they
A trait of God that refers say or do.
to his total otherness and The Old Law is a preparation for the
being infinitely beyond and • Finally, two of the most difficult
independent of creation. Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that teachings of all: love of one’s
enemy and the injunction not to
lust he did not come to abolish the Law seek revenge. The Old Law intro-
duced strict justice into the legal
The “disordered desire for and the Prophets of the Old Testament, system of its day by teaching that
or inordinate enjoyment one should limit one’s justice to
of sexual pleasure” (CCC, but to fulfill them. He came to fulfill “an eye for an eye and a tooth for
2351). a tooth,” but Jesus tells us more is
all the promises of the Old Covenant. expected of Christians. We should
oaths be forgiving of our enemies by
Jesus shows us the way to greatness breaking the chain of violence
Oaths are solemn, formal and by not seeking revenge.
declarations of promise. by amplifying six examples from the Why? Because everyone is our
They are false when an brother and sister; everyone is our
oath is contrary to a per- Law to emphasize the importance of neighbor, even our enemies.
son’s dignity or communion
with the Church. a changed heart, an interior attitude of The New Law is difficult to put

Golden Rule love of God and neighbor. He teach- into practice. Jesus set high stan-

The Golden Rule is de- es with authority using the formula, dards for his followers, calling them
scribed by Jesus and record-
ed in Matthew 7:12: “Do to “You have heard that it was said . . . to “be perfect, just as your heavenly
others whatever you would
have them do to you.” but I say this to you.” Jesus stresses Father is perfect” (5:48). From a hu-

that mere external observance of the man point of view, Jesus seems to be

Law is not enough: demanding the impossible. What he

• We must not murder, but we is calling us to do is to stretch, to be
should not even be angry with
our neighbors or harbor evil more loving and responsive to others.
thoughts about them. Anger and
resentment lead to action. Rather, What is impossible for us to achieve
if we have an enemy, we must
reconcile with him or her before on our own efforts is possible when
we approach God in worship.
Jesus seems to be saying that we
should not go through the mo-
tions of worshiping the God we
can’t see if we harbor negative
feelings toward the neighbor we
can see.

• Jesus affirms the sixth command-
ment against adultery, but he also
tells us we should avoid lust, the
disordered, unrestrained sexual
craving that leads to sin. Jesus
also teaches fidelity in marriage
and forbids the divorce of law-
fully married couples.

• True disciples of the Lord do not
need to take idle oaths, swearing
to back up their word. Catholics

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Jesus’ Teaching 177

we surrender to God’s love and allow his Kingdom Jesus instructs us to trust God always, especially
to rule our lives. when we pray. The Father knows what is good for
us, and if we ask for it, he will grant it. He warns us
Have a Right Attitude about false prophets, perhaps a problem in the com-
(see Matthew 6:1–34) munity for whom Matthew wrote. But even today,
many false prophets vie for our attention, making
Having good intentions or a right attitude is essen- deceitful promises of happiness. These voices come
tial for moral living. Jesus instructed his followers from many directions, but Jesus says we can judge
to examine their attitudes when they perform virtu- a tree by its fruits. Check out the lives of the people
ous works. For example: Is our motive to seek the making promises. Are they credible? Do they love?
approval of others? Or is it to give glory to our lov- Do they bring joy, peace, and true happiness? If not,
ing Father? Jesus tells us that his way to holiness is reject them.
the path of humble love. This means that when we
give money to the poor, we should do it in a way The Sermon concludes by encouraging us to take
that does not draw attention to ourselves. When we Jesus’ words to heart and build our lives on them. It
pray, we should do so simply and sincerely. (The is not enough to mouth them; we must put them into
Lord’s Prayer is the model prayer for Christians.) action! These teachings are a solid foundation for a
When we fast, we should do so without calling at- Christian life, a foundation that nothing can shake.
tention to ourselves. God loves us with an everlast-
ing love and has already rewarded us. Why should Jesus asks much of us in the Sermon on the
we be motivated by what others think? Mount. Catholics should live differently than the
rest of the world because we have accepted the mes-
Jesus said to trust his Father. God will watch out sage of his Good News. We are special to Jesus, and
for us. If the Father takes care of the birds in the sky the Lord will always care for us. We must pray to
and the flowers of the field, how much more will he our Father sincerely and forgive others. If we do so,
watch over us, his children. Worrying about things the Father will send goodness our way and enfold us
we can’t control is empty and leads nowhere. If we in his love. The Sermon on the Mount is the charter
make doing God’s will our priority, then he will lead statement of our Christian life. If we want to know
us and provide what we truly need. what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, we
need to study and live out the Beatitudes.
Requirements for Christian Living
(see Matthew 7:1–29)

The last chapter of the Sermon on the Mount shares
several requirements for Christian living, beginning
with Jesus’ admonition not to judge others. Jesus
does not approve of those who think they are mor-
ally superior to others. Just as God will forgive us
as we forgive others, so he will judge us as we judge
others. Thinking ourselves better than others, mak-
ing them live up to our idea of what is holy, is ar-
rogant. Jesus wants humility and gentleness in his
followers. He teaches the Golden Rule, the sum-
mary of his Law of Love: “Do to others whatever
you would have them do to you” (Mt 7:12).

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178 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

EXPLAINING THE FAITH

Is God male? If not, then why do we address God as “Father”?

God is not distinctly male. God is a pure Spirit who is beyond biologi-
cal distinction. God has both feminine and masculine characteristics,
as evidenced by the fact that both men and women are created “in
the image and likeness of God.” With that said, we are called by Jesus
himself to address God as Father and to turn to him as the children he
loves. The name Jesus most clearly referred to for God is Abba (“Dad-
dy”). That he would refer to God as Daddy or Father when he could
have used a number of other words and titles from Hebrew Scriptures
is significant. It showed clearly that Jesus had come to earth to tell us
about God, his Father and our Father.

For Review

1. What are the Beatitudes? What does each
mean?

2. How are practicing Christians like “salt”
and “light”?

3. In the Sermon on the Mount, what does
Jesus have to say about almsgiving, pray-
ing, and fasting?

4. What is the Golden Rule?
5. What does Jesus say about judging others?
6. Discuss the meaning of each of the ele-

ments in the Lord’s Prayer.

For Reflection

Write a practical and contemporary definition
of what it means to be “poor in spirit.”

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Jesus’ Teaching 179

Main Ideas • The Beatitudes fulfill our desire for happi-
ness. Another word for Beatitude is happi-
• Pope John XXIII taught that Jesus, the ness (p. 171).
Church, and the Gospel represent the great-
est truths in life (p. 156). • The Lord’s Prayer is included in the Gospel
of Matthew (pp. 174–175).
• Jesus taught with authority and prophesied
that the Messiah had come (pp. 157–158). Terms, People, Places

• Many people in Jesus’ hometown of Naza- Use a vocabulary word from the list below to
reth could not accept the authority of his
teaching (p. 158). help rewrite the following sentences to make

• Jesus was an exceptional teacher who used them true.
many teaching skills: he was genuine, avail-
able, understandable, dramatic, authorita- pontiff beatified
tive, a brilliant debater, and challenging Mount Gerizim Sermon on the Mount
(pp. 158–161). lust oaths
Golden Rule transcendence
• Jesus used paradox to help him dramatize
his message (p. 160). 1. The Sermon on the Plain begins a section Chapter 7 Quick View
in Matthew’s Gospel in which Jesus deliv-
• The regions where Jesus taught—Galilee, ers the first of five discourses recorded in
Samaria, and Judea—had different political, that Gospel.
religious, and cultural agendas
(pp. 161–163). 2. Pope John XXIII was canonized by Pope
John Paul II in 2000.
• Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God was
at hand and that the Kingdom was the active 3. In themselves, laws are not evil. However,
presence of God’s love, justice, truth, and they are false when they are contrary to a
Salvation working in the world person’s dignity or communion with the
(pp. 163–164). Church.

• Parables are story devices employed by 4. The term “lord” was originally associated
Jesus, which use ordinary events while with the highest leader of any religion, now
comparing them to spiritual matters it is most exclusively for the leader of the
(pp. 164–166). Roman Catholic Church.

• Among the messages of the parables are 5. Jesus went beyond the demands of the
that the Kingdom of God is for all; sinners sixth commandment and extended its pro-
are welcome; Salvation has arrived in the hibitions to include the sin of swearing.
person of Jesus; the Kingdom is for the poor
and lowly; and the Kingdom should be re- 6. The Beatitudes summarize the main stan-
joiced over (pp. 166–170). dard for behavior: “Do to others whatever
you would have them do to you.”
• Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount resembles Mo-
ses’ giving the Law on a Mountain (p. 171). 7. The line “in Heaven” in the Lord’s Prayer
is a reference to God’s power.
• The Sermon on the Mount includes Jesus’
blessings, the Beatitudes; instructions on 8. Mount Gerizim was a place sacred to Sa-
how to live and pray; and additional stories maritans because they believed it to be the
(pp. 171–177). place YHWH chose for his holy temple.

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180 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

Chapter 7 Quick View Primary Source Quotations and embrace his prodigal son, these are
no mere words: They constitute an expla-
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself nation of his very being and activity.

In our neighbor, we should observe only —Pope Benedict XVI
what is good.
Research the meaning of the term anawim.
—St. Jeanne de Chantal How are the anawim another way to describe the
poor in spirit? Who are the anawim in your com-
We Are Christ for the World munity? How can you serve them? Write a short
essay that answers these questions.
Christ has no body now on earth but
yours, no hands but yours, no feet but Ongoing Assignments
yours; yours are the eyes through which
Christ’s compassion looks out at the As you cover the material in this chapter,
world, yours are the feet with which he is choose and complete at least three of these
to go about doing good, and yours are the assignments.
hands with which he is to bless us now.
1. Many of Jesus’ sayings are great guides for
—St. Teresa of Avila living. Read through the Gospel of Mat-
thew or the Gospel of Luke to discover ten
We Are Poor in Spirit good rules for living that you find especial-
ly meaningful. Reproduce them in an at-
In our more honest moments, we recog- tractive format, such as a poster board.
nize our profound neediness, our intellec-
tual limitations, our spiritual inadequacy, 2. Create a PowerPoint presentation on places
our moral failures. In our helplessness, that factored into Jesus’ ministry. Check
we turn to God. Our response of grati- sites like these:
tude and trust, itself a grace, means that
the kingdom of Heaven is ours. • Nazareth: www.bibleplaces.com/
nazareth.htm
—Bishop Robert F. Morneau
• Bethsaida: www.bibleplaces.com/
Jesus Is the Parable bethsaida.htm

The real novelty of the New Testament • Jerusalem: www.bibleplaces.com/
lies not so much in new ideas as in the index.htm (check index)
figure of Christ himself, who gives flesh
and blood to those concepts—an unprec- 3. Prepare an illustrated report on at least
edented realism. In the Old Testament, three aspects of daily life in the time of Je-
the novelty of the Bible did not consist sus. Consult biblical dictionaries or Inter-
merely in abstract notions but in God’s net sites like the following:
unpredictable and in some sense unprec-
edented activity. • www.jesuscentral.com/ji/
historical-jesus/jesus-firstcentury
This divine activity now takes on context.php
dramatic form when, in Jesus Christ, it
is God himself who goes in search of the • For a video presentation, see: www
“stray sheep,” a suffering and lost human- .firstcentury.tv/video/DailyLife.htm
ity. When Jesus speaks in his parables
of the shepherd who goes after the lost 4. Visit a Jewish synagogue or interview a
sheep, of the woman who looks for the rabbi to discover how a synagogue ser-
lost coin, of the father who goes to meet vice is conducted today. If permitted, take

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Jesus’ Teaching 181

pictures or tape your interview with the 11. Compose your own short prayer in imita-
rabbi. Report your findings. tion of the Lord’s Prayer with petitions that
5. Report on a woman who played a role in fit your needs.
the ministry of Jesus. The following web-
site can give you some ideas: Prayer

• http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/jesusand Here is the Lord’s Prayer as it is found in the
women/index.html Gospel of Luke. Pray it slowly several times,
meditating on each phrase:
6. Draw your own map of the Holy Land in
the time of Jesus. Do an Internet search for Father, hallowed be your name,
ideas. your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
7. Create a PowerPoint presentation that illus- and forgive us our sins
trates the different elements of the Lord’s for we ourselves forgive everyone in
Prayer. Select appropriate background debt to us,
music. and do not subject us to the final test.

8. With a partner, write a script of a conflict —Luke 11:2–4
between two teens. Illustrate how it can be
resolved in a creative way by employing • Reflection: How do you make God’s name
the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. holy? How do you bring the Good News of
Jesus to others?
9. Do one of the following activities on the
parables: • Resolution: Extend forgiveness to someone
who has hurt you. Ask for forgiveness of
• Write an original parable to exemplify someone whom you have hurt.
one theme in the teaching of Jesus. Use
pictures or create your own artwork to Chapter 7 Quick View
illustrate your story.

• Rewrite the parable of the Good Samari-
tan in a modern urban setting.

• After choosing a parable from one of the
synoptic Gospels, research three com-
mentaries to discover more about its
meaning. Write a one-page report using
appropriate footnotes. Conclude the pa-
per with your own interpretation of the
parable.

• With several other students, enact a skit
of the Prodigal Son or Good Samaritan
in a contemporary setting.

10. Prepare a short report on J. Brent Bill’s
“Happy Hunger: Revisiting the Sermon
on the Mount,” a Youth Update article
found online: www.americancatholic.org/
Newsletters/YU/ay1291.asp.

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8

JESUS’ MIRACLES AND
THE PASCHAL MYSTERY

Then [Jesus] opened their minds to understand
the scriptures. And he said to them,

“Thus it is written that the Messiah would
suffer and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name to all the nations,
beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

—Luke 24:45–48

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Famous Last Words

The saving life, Passion, Death and Resurrection, and glorious
Ascension of Jesus allow us to face our own death with hope
of eternal life.

Jesus, the Miracle Worker

Jesus’ words were accompanied by many “mighty works and
wonders and signs” that allow us to experience God’s pres-
ence and accept the invitation to believe.

People Who Encountered Jesus

Understanding more about the religious, cultural, and histor-
ical background of Jesus’ contemporaries help us to better
put into context his words and actions.

The Paschal Mystery

The Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus are cen-
tral to our Salvation and are experienced today in the living
sacraments.

Resurrection of Jesus

The Resurrection is the crowning truth of our faith; without a
belief that Jesus is raised from the dead our faith is empty.

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184 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

Famous Last Words died painfully of tuberculosis at the age of
twenty-four (1873–1897)

People are always fascinated by the last words spo- “Father, into your hands I commend my
ken by a person who is approaching death. A per- spirit.”
son’s “final words” often help us glimpse beyond —Jesus Christ, Savior of the World (4/6
this world to the next. Here are some examples of BC–AD 30)
what some famous people have said in their last
moments: None of us knows what words will come to mind
at the time our own death. However, we believe that
“It is very beautiful over there.” Jesus Christ allowed death to touch him so that he
—Thomas Alva Edison, inventor could destroy death and the power of sin once and
(1847–1931) for all. The Death and Resurrection of Christ enable
us to face our final hours with the firm hope that our
“All my possessions for a moment of time.” dying is the transition into an eternal life of union
—Elizabeth I, Queen of England with our loving God.
(1533–1603)
This chapter provides more information about
“Oh, do not cry—be good children and we the Paschal Mystery, that is, the saving events of
will all meet in Heaven.” Christ’s Passion, Death, Resurrection, and glorious
—Andrew Jackson, seventh president of Ascension that have won for us the forgiveness of
the United States (1767–1845) sin and eternal life. In connection with the Paschal
Mystery, more details are offered of Jesus’ earthly
“For the name of Jesus and the protection ministry help to reveal his identity, including his
of the church I am ready to embrace death.” miracles and the cultural, religious, and historical
—St. Thomas Becket, martyred by King background of the people he interacted with.
Henry II of England (1118–1170)

“Go on, get out! Last words are for For Reflection
fools who haven’t said enough!”
—Karl Marx, atheist philosopher, What would you hope your dying words to be?
father of Communism (1818–1883)

“Lord, help my poor soul.” What I Want from Life
—Edgar Allan Poe, American author
(1809–1849) Read the following quotation. Answer the follow-
ing questions about how you imagine your life and
“So little done, so much to do.” death.
—Cecil John Rhodes, British imperi-
alist, mining magnate, and politician Life is uncertain and, in fact, may be very
(1853–1902) brief. If we compare it with eternity, we will
clearly realize that it cannot be but more than
Looking at her crucifix: “Oh! . . . I an instant. A happy death of all the things of
love him. . . . My God. I . . . love . . . life is our principal concern. For if we attain
you!” that, it matters little if we lose all the rest.
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the beloved But if we do not attain that, nothing else will
saint known as the Little Flower, who be of any value.

—Blessed Junipero Serra

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Jesus’ Miracles and the Paschal Mystery 185

• What does Serra mean that “a Types of Miracles miracles
happy death” should be our prin-
cipal concern? Jesus’ miracles are often grouped in Powerful signs of God’s
the following way: as physical heal- Kingdom worked by Jesus.
• What do you imagine Heaven to ings, nature miracles, exorcisms,
be like? and raisings from the dead. In each
of these categories, Jesus addresses
• How does understanding that a particular problem and provides a
life on earth is just “an instant” solution. Sometimes he accompanies
in comparison with eternity help the miracle with an explanation of its
you to live your life now? meaning. These categories of miracles
are described in the next sections.
• What five things would you like
to accomplish in your life? Physical Healings

• Write a one-paragraph obituary Jesus was a healer par excellence. He
of your life. caused blind people to see, deaf peo-
ple to hear, and lame people to walk.
Jesus, He cured many dreaded skin diseases,
the Miracle Worker healed a woman who bled for twelve
(CCC, 547–550) years, and relieved the sufferings of
many others.
The Gospels report how Jesus’ words
were accompanied by many “mighty An example of a physical healing
works and wonders and signs.” These is Jesus’ cure of a leper in Mark 1:40–
signs highlighted Jesus’ ministry: 45. This miracle follows a typical pat-
“When it was evening, after sunset, tern for miracle stories that we find in
they brought to him all who were ill the Gospels:
or possessed by demons. The whole
town was gathered at the door. He • First, there is an introduction. In
cured many who were sick with vari- this case, a leper approaches Je-
ous diseases, and he drove out many sus and kneels down.
demons” (Mk 1:32–34). Jesus’ mir-
acles served many purposes. They • Second, there is a display of
show how the Kingdom of God is faith. The leper begged Jesus,
present in him. They prove that he is “If you wish, you can make me
the Messiah. His miracles confirm that clean” (Mk 1:40).
he was sent by God the Father. They
invite us to believe in him. They also • Third, there is the cure. “Moved
strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ as with pity, he stretched out his
God’s only Son. hand, touched him, and said
to him, ‘I do will it. Be made
clean’” (Mk 1:41). Note here the
compassion of Jesus in touching
the man with the skin disease,
something that people simply
feared to do for fear of catching
the disease.

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186 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

exorcism • Next, there is the result of the of Lake Galilee. This miracle is report-
miracle. “The leprosy left him ed in all four Gospels. (The Gospels
The public and authorita- immediately, and he was made of Matthew and Luke also tell of Je-
tive act of the Church to clean” (Mk 1:42). Jesus’ word sus’ feeding four thousand people on
liberate a person from the and his touch result in the another occasion.) According to the
power of the devil in the healing. accounts in Matthew 14:15–21 and
name of Christ. Luke 9:12–17, Jesus had gone to the
• Finally, we learn the people’s Sea of Galilee to be by himself, but
reaction to the mighty deed. In the people followed him there. Jesus
this example, Jesus instructed was moved by their faith, so he healed
the man not to tell anyone of his the sick among them. He also taught
cure but simply to go to a priest, them about the Kingdom of God.
who would certify that the man When evening came, the disciples ap-
was cured, and then to offer the proached Jesus and realized that the
proper sacrifices as the Law re- people would be hungry if they didn’t
quired in Leviticus 14. But the eat soon. They told Jesus: “This is a
man simply could not keep what deserted place and it is already late;
happened to himself. He spread dismiss the crowds so that they can go
the great news wide and far. As to the villages and buy food for them-
a result, Jesus’ reputation grew selves” (Mt 14:15).
so much that he could not en-
ter a town openly. Even though However, Jesus wanted the peo-
he remained in deserted places, ple to stay, and he told his disciples
“people kept coming to him from to feed the crowd. The disciples were
everywhere” (Mk 1:45). confused; the only food for the whole
crowd was five loaves of bread and
Nature Miracles two fish. Jesus instructed them to
bring him the food. He took it, looked
Jesus demonstrated mastery over the up to Heaven, blessed and broke the
loaves, and gave them to the disciples
elements. For example, he calmed a who in turn gave them to the crowds.
“They all ate and were satisfied, and
storm and walked on water. His curs- they picked up the fragments left
over—twelve wicker baskets full”
ing of a fig tree caused it to wither. He (Mt 14:20).

changed water into wine. This miracle has great meaning.
For example, the twelve baskets rep-
In another famous example, Jesus resent the twelve tribes of Israel un-
der the Twelve Apostles, who helped
fed five thousand people on the shores Jesus distribute the food. The actions
of Jesus—blessing, breaking, and giv-
ing—point to the Last Supper, where
Jesus instituted the Eucharist. The

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Jesus’ Miracles and the Paschal Mystery 187

crowd learned that Jesus is the Bread of Life who son at Nain; the daughter of Jairus; and his friend,
gives his very self in Holy Communion. This sacra- Lazarus, whose corpse lay rotting in the grave.
ment, foreshadowed in the miracle of the loaves and
fishes, is a marvelous sign of Christ’s love for us on The raising of Jairus’ daughter is found in all
our earthly journey. The Holy Eucharist is the food three of the synoptic Gospels. Jairus, the head of a lo-
that will sustain us until we reach the messianic ban- cal synagogue in Galilee, sought Jesus out, fell at his
quet in God’s Kingdom at the end of time. feet, and begged Jesus to come to his house to cure
his dying daughter. Before reaching the house, word
Exorcisms came that the daughter had indeed died. Jesus told the
synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith”
An exorcism is the expulsion of an evil spirit that (Mk 5:36). When Jesus reached the official’s house,
possesses a person or sometimes a place or object. In he found people weeping and wailing over the death
Jesus’ day, these spirits tormented people and some- of the child. Jesus said to them, “Why this commo-
times drove them crazy. Among Jesus’ exorcisms tion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep”
was his expulsion of a legion of spirits from a crazy (Mk 5:39). Jesus’ words were met with ridicule.
man. The spirits went into a herd of swine, which
then ran off a cliff. The Lord also healed epileptics Jesus was not deterred. He took the child’s fa-
and a possessed man who was both blind and mute. ther and mother with him, as well as Peter, James,
and John, and entered the child’s room. Taking her
Luke 4:31–37 records an occasion when Jesus by the hand, he said, “‘Talitha, koum,’ which means,
cured a man possessed by an unclean spirit. Jesus ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise!’” (Mk 5:41). Imme-
was teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum on the diately, the twelve-year-old girl got up and started
Sabbath. People were astonished at his teaching be- to walk around. This incredible deed of power over
cause he spoke with authority. The possessed man death “utterly astounded” those who witnessed it.
cried out, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus Jesus instructed them to give her something to eat.
of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know As is typical of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus also ordered
who you are—the Holy One of God!” (Lk 4:34). Je- the witnesses to the miracle not to spread word
sus rebuked the demon and ordered him to be quiet about it. Jesus did not want people to approach him
and come out of the man. “Then the demon threw the with misunderstandings of who he was and what his
man down in front of them and came out of him with- mission was. He was the Messiah, but not an earthly
out doing him any harm” (Lk 4:35). The people who king intent on earthly power. He was the Suffering
observed this powerful deed were amazed, saying, Servant who would die to save the people.
“What is there about his word? For with authority
and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they This miracle of the raising of the child, like all
come out” (Lk 4:36). Jesus has the power to make Jesus’ miracles that brought people back to life,
whole. He has power over evil. Jesus is truly God’s clearly points to the resurrected life of Jesus and
Holy One. A secondary lesson to learn from the in- those who have faith in him.
cident is the close proximity between good and evil.
While many humans, including Jesus’ disciples, do How Jesus’ Contemporaries
not recognize him or his mission, Satan does recog- Understood Miracles
nize and name the source of goodness, that is, Jesus.
Many people who encountered Jesus took offense
Raisings from the Dead at him because he would not work miracles to sat-
isfy their curiosity or to prove himself to possess the
Finally, the Gospels report several examples of Je- powers of a magician. Others refused to believe in
sus bringing a dead person back to life: the widow’s

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188 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

him in spite of his great deeds. For example, John’s severed ears, leprosy, and death. Second, Jesus did
Gospel reports of a man Jesus cured of his blindness not engage in any bizarre rituals to bring about the
(see John 9:1–34). Jesus’ opponents simply claimed cures, as did so many of his contemporaries. He
that the man was never blind to begin with. On oth- healed on his own authority, using his own power,
er occasions, people admitted Jesus could heal, but often stressing the need for the afflicted to have faith.
they gave credit to Satan, a charge that Jesus claimed Finally, Jesus did not perform miracles for pay. He
was ridiculous. Satan works against our good; why did his works out of the goodness of his heart and to
would he heal someone? “Every kingdom divided further the will of God.
against itself will be laid waste and house will fall
against house” (Lk 11:17). New Testament
Understanding of Miracles
Many people in today’s secular society deny the
reality of supernatural events. They think it is im- To appreciate Jesus’ miracles, an understanding
possible that God would suspend the laws of nature of miracle from the biblical perspective is needed.
to get directly involved in the natural universe. In The Scriptures assume that God continues to work
this way of thinking, there is a verifiable scientific in human history. God cares for us, demonstrated
reason to explain away what appears to be a miracle. perfectly by God’s sending his Son. This is the real
Other skeptics hold that Jesus was nothing more than miracle of God’s love—that God became man in Je-
a clever healer who could diagnose people’s mental sus Christ. The miracles that Jesus performed are a
disorders and say the right words to make them heal powerful sign of God’s compassionate love for us.
themselves. Other non-believers explain away a na-
ture miracle like the multiplication of the loaves by The New Testament uses three different but re-
saying what really happened is that Jesus inspired lated words to express the concept of miracle. The
the people to share their food with one another. Still synoptic Gospels use the word dynamis, which
others claim that Jesus’ did not really raise anybody means, “act of power.” Note how the English words
from the dead, but simply used a form of artificial dynamic and dynamite are derived from this Greek
respiration that revived an apparently dead person. word. On the other hand, John’s Gospel uses the
Greek words ergon (“work”) and semeion (“sign”)
In all these interpretations, note how skeptics for miracle. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ “works and
limit the power of God. Jesus is the Second Person signs” reveal Jesus’ glory, purpose, identity, and re-
of the Blessed Trinity, both truly God and truly man. lationship to his Father. Jesus’ mighty works were
He is able to do anything. At root, many modern dis- both powerful and significant. These adjectives tell
believers are denying the divinity of Jesus or simply us two important things about Jesus’ miracles:
not understanding the nature of a biblical concept of
Jesus’ miracles. 1. Jesus’ miracles reveal God’s power.
2. Jesus’ miracles are signs of God’s Kingdom.
There were other healers in Jesus’ time in both
the Jewish and Roman world. Jesus’ contemporaries In and through Jesus, God’s power has broken
believed that God-inspired men had the ability to per- into human history. God is the ruler of nature. When
form some healings. Even the New Testament itself Jesus calms the storm, for example, he is demon-
mentions certain people who had the power to heal. strating that he is closely identified with YHWH,
who is the Master of the universe. The miracles help
However, Jesus’ miracles are unique among show who Jesus is and where he comes from.
those performed by other wonder-workers of his
day. First, there is no record that anyone else cured
such a variety of problems—blindness, paralysis,

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Jesus’ Miracles and the Paschal Mystery 189

Jesus also mastered Satan and the forces of dark- (Mk 2:12). What they were seeing was, in fact, God
ness. When Jesus drove out demons, he was pro- in their midst!
claiming that God has power over sickness and the
evil it brings upon people. When he raised someone Thus, miracles reveal Jesus’ identity. Anyone
from the dead, Jesus showed that he has power over who has God’s power over nature, over sickness and
the worst evil of all—death. In performing miracles, death, over Satan and the forces of evil, over sin it-
Jesus was crushing Satan’s power. self must be God himself. The miracles help show
that Jesus is God’s Son.
The miracles also show that Jesus has power
to forgive sins. Sin separates people from God and Additionally, Jesus’ miracles are signs of the
others. It makes us hate God, other people, and our- coming of God’s Kingdom. With Jesus, God’s
selves. It leads to death. When Jesus forgives sin, he Kingdom is here; Satan’s kingdom is ending. Sin,
is speaking for God. He helps free people from the sickness, and death entered the world when Adam
alienation that causes spiritual suffering and death. sinned. Jesus is the New Adam who inaugurates
A dramatic example of Jesus’ power to forgive sins God’s reign over human hearts. The miracles are the
appears in Mark 2:1–12. A paralyzed man wanted signs of the advent of God’s Kingdom. Satan’s reign
to get close to Jesus, but the only way he could do ended at the coming of Jesus.
so was for his friends to lower him through the roof
of a crowded room. Jesus was moved by the man’s The miracles prompted people to put their faith
faith and said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiv- in Jesus. Faith plays a major role in Jesus’ miracles.
en” (Mk 2:5). The scribes who were present were On two occasions in Mark (5:34 and 10:52) and one
upset by this proclamation. They accused Jesus of in Luke (17:19), Jesus says, “Your faith has saved
blasphemy because only God can forgive sins. Jesus you.” In some cases, the miracle increases faith to
could read their accusing thoughts. So, to demon- a remarkable degree, as in the case of exorcism of
strate that he had the authority and power to for- the Gerasene demoniac, who begged Jesus to permit
give sins, he instructed the paralytic to get up and him to remain with him. One of the most dramatic of
go home. The man immediately did what he was all Jesus’ miracles appears in John’s Gospel, where
told. Everyone was astounded. They glorified God Jesus taught that he is the Way, the Truth, and the
and said, “We have never seen anything like this” Life. Speaking to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, who
was mourning the death of her brother, Jesus said:

“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever
believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and
everyone who lives and believes in me will
never die. Do you believe this?” She said
to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe
that you are the Messiah, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.” (Jn
11:25–27)

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in one of his
most significant miracles of all. This miracle was
a powerful sign that Jesus has power to conquer
death; it symbolizes that through Jesus our own res-
urrection takes place. Our ultimate Salvation—the
conquering of our own death—comes through Jesus

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190 Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World

Christ through the Church. He is the resurrection For Review
and the life. Without him we are dead.
1. What were the four kinds of miracles
John’s Gospel reports that many Jews believed Jesus performed? Give an example of
in Jesus after witnessing this miracle, but some went each.
to the Pharisees, who along with the chief priests
plotted Jesus’ Death. Miracles force people to ask 2. What is the meaning of the miracle of the
some basic questions: “Is Jesus the sign we have multiplication of the loaves and fish?
been looking for? Is he the promised one? Is he the
Messiah? If he is, then we will have to change our 3. What is the significance of the exorcisms
lives and follow him.” Jesus performed?

Jesus’ miracles compelled his contemporaries, 4. Why was it ridiculous for Jesus’ opponents
as they do us, to face and answer the question “Who to claim that Jesus’ power to heal came
do you say that I am?” from Satan?

Reading and Interpreting Jesus’ Miracles

A complete list of Jesus’ miracles in the Bible is found below. Work through the following steps
to learn more about the miracles of Jesus:

1. Read all versions of the miracles that are listed in boldface type.

2. Briefly summarize what has taken place and why it is a miracle.

3. Assign this particular miracle to one of the four categories of miracle discussed in this sec-
tion: physical healing, nature, exorcism, or raising from the dead.

4. Interpret the deeper meaning of the miracle. How does it show God’s power? What signifi-
cance does it have, that is, what is it a sign of?

Miracle Matthew Mark Luke John

Changing water into wine 8:23–27 4:35–41 5:1–11 2:1–11
Healing of the nobleman’s son 8:28–34 5:1–20 8:22–25 4:46–54
Disciples’ catch of fish 9:18–26 5:21–43 8:26–39
Stilling of the Storm 9:20–22 5:24–34 8:40–56
Demoniacs of Gerasenes 9:27–31 8:43–48
Raising Jairus’s daughter 9:32–34
Healing the bleeding woman 9:1–8 2:1–12 5:17–26
Healing of the two blind men 8:1–4 1:40–45 5:12–16
Healing of possessed mute 8:5–13 7:1–10
Healing of the paralytic 1:23–27 4:33–36
Cleansing of the leper
Healing of the centurion’s servant
Demoniac at Capernaum

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