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Jesus, Master Teacher
By Dick Bain, USA.
One of the tasks that many people in the Urantia community are faced with at one time or another is teaching an individual or a group about The Urantia Book. Sometimes we may feel inadequate to the task, but we have some excellent guidance available. Though Jesus lived in a culture that was very different from ours, and though we are not dual nature beings like Jesus, nevertheless we can learn from his teaching methods. Our culture may differ from his, but human nature is the same today as it was 2000 years ago. The teaching methods of Jesus should be just as effective today as they were when he walked the earth. We students of The Urantia Book have the privilege of possessing a detailed account of Jesus' life and teachings. I believe that we who aspire to be teachers can profit greatly from studying and attempting to use Jesus' teaching methods.
Jesus and the Individual
During his time as Ganid's tutor, Jesus had the best opportunity of his life to teach and minister to individuals. Here are some of the incidents recorded in The Urantia Book and some thoughts about them:
Jesus talked to Godiah, a Philistine interpreter. When Godiah asked Jesus about the story of Jonah and the whale, he asked whether or not the whale actually swallowed Jonah. (1429) Because Jesus sensed how important this story was to Godiah, he did not directly address his question. He taught some truths by using metaphors derived from things mentioned in the story. By answering Godiah in this way, Jesus did not take anything away from him; rather he gave something to him. If we wish to teach someone, we need to learn about that person's deeply held beliefs and respect these.
Jesus turned Anaxand's anger toward his supervisor into concern for the supervisor's soul. (1431) Jesus used the metaphor of a drowning man and suggested that Anaxand would not let a man drown, and in a similar fashion, his supervisor was "floundering in darkness" and needed to be rescued. Jesus turned attention away from Anaxand's plight and focused it on the plight of his supervisor. He turned Anaxand's focus from within to without. He also suggested a positive plan of action: that he and Anaxand go and talk to the supervisor. Can we likewise turn someone's anger into positive action by using Jesus' method?
Fortune was a downcast and isolated young man. (1437) Jesus attempted to make a direct approach to the mind and soul of Fortune without success. He then resorted to the subterfuge of asking the young man for directions to Phenix. After Jesus had drawn the young man out of his shell, he was able to make an appeal to his soul through his mind. Jesus was persistent and creative in reaching Fortune; he wasn't put off by the failure of his first attempt. By showing interest in people's lives, we may be able to draw them out so we can speak to their souls. And we need to be creative and persistent in our approach to the souls of our fellow mortals.
Jesus gave counsel to a wealthy Roman regarding how he should administer his wealth. (1462) Jesus did this only because the rich man specifically asked for this advice. We would be well advised to follow this example. Do we lecture our children or do we practice the art of listening to them? Do we give friends unwanted advice?
Ganid was surprised that Jesus did not try to speak about spiritual matters to a pagan they met. (1466) Jesus explained that the man was not seeking truth now, but that later he might be ready for it. At another time, Jesus said that we should not cast our pearls before swine. In other words, don't waste your time with those who don't care about what you have to offer, but also recognize that some of them may sometime in the future be hungry for truth. Sometimes we need to practice patience and wait for a sign of readiness before we try to introduce The Urantia Book or ideas from it to people. It may not be what they need at that particular moment.
When Jesus saw a man mistreating his wife, he approached him in a way that distracted him from his anger. (1471) Jesus then made him aware that he was violating his own highest principles. This is one of the occasions that Jesus used guilt to make someone aware that his or her actions were unacceptable, but he did it in a kindly way, according to The Urantia Book. Some may think that encouraging guilt is never acceptable, but when we have failed to live up to our moral standards, guilt is an appropriate feeling. But we should not stay locked in feelings of guilt; rather, we should take appropriate action to remedy the problem. In this case, the man regretted what he had done, and promised to live up to a pledge he had made to a Cynic priest. Jesus showed us how to intervene in a conflict situation, and how it can be effective if we do it in a loving fashion
When Jesus and Ganid were accosted by two prostitutes, Ganid tried to send them away, but Jesus had a different reaction; he treated them with sympathy and dignity. (1473) He recognized that they had been forced into their work by circumstances. But he did more than sympathize with the women; he arranged a way for them to escape from their situation. He brought them to the wife of a new friend, and this woman agreed to help them leave their life of degradation and help them find work. They were not given charity, but rather a chance for honest work, a chance to regain their self-respect. It was not so much what Jesus said, but
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