Jesus is our Great Teacher

Today is Teacher’s day

Jesus is our Great Teacher!

A common word we use in our context for teacher is ‘Guru’. Meanwhile this word may not be in usual practice but we have a high respect for this word. A Guru has an important role in shading light against the darkness, giving knowledge against ignorance and providing guidance against wandering state of life. Guru is not just our usual teachers at schools, colleges and universities. Sometimes our family members or friends or any stranger can be a Guru in our life.

Sampadananda Mishra writes:

A Guru alone has power to speak about truth without any distortion,
He is alone capable to demonstrate many aspects of the truth and lead the disciples to the ultimate truth of everything,
He doesn’t only communicate the truth to his disciples but also gives them power to assimilate it and be one with it,
He alone knows to sing the beauty and glory of the higher knowledge as he is in possession of that,
He holds disciples within him and makes him unite with his consciousness,
He functions as a mother who carries disciples in the womb of his consciousness before he gives them birth to the life of spirit,
He has power to swallow the weakness and ignorance of the disciples and fill them with immensity of light, truth and wisdom,
His presence is so heavy and intense that one with weakness and selfishness can never stand before him,
He raises the very consciousness of the disciple; lifts him up Godward; uplifts him from the state of ignorance to the state of Wisdom, from the state of darkness to the state of Light, from the state of misery to the state of Ananda/joy.
He is the father who tends to the growth and the welfare of the disciple and leads him to the world of Light and Truth by being with him throughout all his difficulties on the path of his discipline and struggle.[1]

Guru is a Sanskrit word which means “dispeller of darkness,” from ‘gu’, meaning "darkness," and ‘ru’, meaning "that which dispels." Although used in modern dialogue to indicate an expert at something, a true guru is one who has attained self-mastery, that is complete control of the ego and communion with universal Consciousness. Because of this state of realization (enlightenment), a guru is uniquely qualified to lead other spiritual seekers on their inward journey toward divine Self-realization. Just because someone is charismatic, knowledgeable in their field, or followed by a throng of devotees, does not make them a guru by the true sense of the word.[2]

Yogapedia provides nine traits of a Guru[3]:

Humble: They want nothing for their own gain, only the good of the student.

Honest: They are not seeking blind obedience or a cult-like following.

Peaceful: They are unflappable because their egos have no personal motive.

Kind: They exhibit pure, unconditional love and goodwill for all.

Respectful: They will never force their will on anyone or expect someone to renounce his/her free will.

Discerning: They do not use spiritual powers for show.

Compassionate: They work tirelessly and selflessly for the benefit of others.

Virtuous: They do not ask for adoration or sexual favors.

Self-controlled: They can enter the unblinking, un-moving, non-breathing state of samadhi at will.

Hence, the word Guru itself has heavy weight in our cultural understanding but gives us deep insight. In a Christian context, a teacher (Greek: διδάσκαλος, didaskalos) can mean the one who teaches concerning the things of God and duties of man.[i]

Jesus was a great teacher in his time who taught not like usual Jewish teachers but with authority (Mark 1:22). He didn’t just teach with words but by his all actions. He came as life for us who were in state of death from the life which God has breathed.[ii] He came to be the light for us who were indwelling in the darkness (John 8:12). He came to become the way for us who were wandering in the exile[iii] (John 14:6). He came to reinstate our identity and restore our fellowship with God (2 Cor. 5:19). He lived a perfect life (1 John 3:5) acceptable to God. He demonstrated many aspects of the truth using parables. He called his disciples to be one in the mission of proclaiming the truth to the whole world (John 17:21-23). He didn’t seek his own glory (John 8:50-58) but he possessed Father and knew how to glorify him (John 14:11, 20). He assembled disciples within him and united them with his image, purpose and goal (John 15). He emphasized new birth in spirit (John 3:5-7). He took our weaknesses and infirmities (Matthew 8:17, Isa. 53:4) and grants us his Holy Spirit to grow in spiritual maturity and walk in truth, light and wisdom of God (John 16:13). His presence was intense and impacting that no mere weaker and selfish people could stand before him (Zacchaeus, Judas, Peter, Paul, etc.). He raised the understanding level of his disciples and way of seeing the world with a new lens. He also functions as a Father (Not God the Father) wants growth and welfare of the disciples and wants us to be light, letter, ambassador and salt to this world (Matthew 5:13-16, 2 Cor. 5:20, 3:3). He also promises us never to forsake but be with us every time (Hebrew 13:5, Matthew 28:20). Jesus is dispeller of idolatry, darkness, sin and evil from our life.

Jesus was humble, honest, peaceful, kind, respectful, discerning, compassionate, virtuous and self-controlled throughout his service life. He is not just Lord, not just Savior, not just Messiah, not just God, not just King, not just elder brother, not just a friend but also the Great Teacher to our life. He was a Man of Action. Our Eastern framework needs to realize how Jesus really meets their image of a Guru. It is true that he isn’t a Guru the way Eastern mind might think further but they can have a larger scale of realization that Jesus is the one who is a True Guru for them. Our culture is very impressive and has high thought of a Guru but they are missing the true Guru who is the way to immortality, truth, and light.

[P.S. The article is written under Eastern context but there is no distortion made to true theme of the Gospel nor there is any synchronization committed. Our Eastern world indeed needs Jesus and we have so much grounds that can be used carefully to depict the Gospel to hearts of Eastern minds.]

References used:

InspiringPhilosophy. The Lost Message of the Bible, 2020. Accessed July 13, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33MleMmkFOM.

Mishra, Sampadananda. “Sanskrit Words for a Teacher (2).” Medium, July 22, 2021. Accessed July 13, 2022. https://sampadanandamishra.medium.com/sanskrit-words-for-a-teacher-2-ad0e4ba5c315.

“G1320 - Didaskalos - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (Esv).” Blue Letter Bible. Accessed July 13, 2022. https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/gen/1/1/s_1001.

“What Does Guru Mean?” Yogapedia.Com. Accessed July 13, 2022. http://www.yogapedia.com/7/8971/lineage/guru/what-does-guru-mean.

“Who Is Jesus?” NepalChurch.Com, August 30, 2019. Accessed July 13, 2022. https://nepalchurch.com/19345/who-is-jesus/.

[1] Sampadananda Mishra, “Sanskrit Words for a Teacher (2),” Medium, July 22, 2021, accessed July 13, 2022, https://sampadanandamishra.medium.com/sanskrit-words-for-a-teacher-2-ad0e4ba5c315.

[2] “What Does Guru Mean?,” Yogapedia.Com, accessed July 13, 2022, http://www.yogapedia.com/7/8971/lineage/guru/what-does-guru-mean.

[3] Ibid.

[i] “G1320 - Didaskalos - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (Esv),” Blue Letter Bible, accessed July 13, 2022, https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/gen/1/1/s_1001.

[ii] “Who Is Jesus?,” NepalChurch.Com, August 30, 2019, accessed July 13, 2022, https://nepalchurch.com/19345/who-is-jesus/.

[iii] InspiringPhilosophy, The Lost Message of the Bible, 2020, accessed July 13, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33MleMmkFOM.