The Morality of Jesus

The main lesson from this week was the moral teachings of Jesus. Namely these came from the sermon on the mount and the judgement of nations. In these Jesus outlines what he considers to be good and to strive for.  THese almost all deal with relationships, love, and putting others first.In the Beatitudes, those that are to be rewarded are the ones who help others, don't seek personal gain, and are what society thinks of as things to avoid. In the Judgement of Nations, Jesus tells us that the ones that please God are those who take care of the least among us. It is such a different theory than culture holds. In the two sections, Jesus doesn't condemn the sinner; he offers them a chance to seek forgiveness and start a new life.

Three things I learned this week I want to remember are:     Jesus's message is not one of punishment but of forgiveness. He offers us to a new chance in life. His offer is one of love and compassion. But while he tells us of God's forgiveness, he tells us God can still punish us.       From C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, I had pointed out to me that there is some sort of guiding principle in life. We all seek the concept of justice and fairness. When we go against the concept, we find ourselves trying to rationalize the action because we don't want to break the ideal we hold. This concept of Moral Law seems to point to a greater overriding force (God).      As humans, there always seems to be a conflict between what we do and what we think we ought to do. While we hold honesty in high esteem, we will lie to protect or benefit ourselves. We say what we want others to do yet fail to do so ourselves.

A Christian is some one who strives to follow the teachings of Jesus. I belive that I am a Christian, and I try to do as Jesus asked. I belive that it is our duty to help others and not seek to benefit ourselves from it. Being a Christian makes me more apt to help others in need. While I know I'm not perfect, I try to do better.

A way I can become a better Christian is by being more aware of ways I can help others. Then when I see what needs to be done, I can help and be a better person and Christian.      Another way I can become a better Christian is by learning more of Jesus's message, and I can interperet it more fully. Then I can find more ways I help out.

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