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what he did that was the most effective in this case. Actions speak louder than platitudes. Ganid learned several valuable lessons from this experience. Jesus taught Ganid to look beyond the surface appearances and see the goodness in the two women, and he saw that it is important sometimes to lend a helping hand as well as supportive words.
In Section 4 of Paper 133, Jesus speaks to a number of persons. (1474) In each case, he uses metaphors drawn from the sort of work each person is doing. We are usually more comfortable with and respond better to that which is familiar to us, that which is nearest and dearest to our hearts.
The forgoing examples show a number of principles that Jesus used in his work with individuals. Jesus understood human nature. He lovingly but firmly led people to consider their spiritual nature. He always appealed to love and fairness; he never stooped to use of fear or intimidation; the content of his teaching was always positive. He knew the ways in which we attempt to shut off truth that we don't want to hear and he knew how to circumvent these roadblocks.
Jesus with the Apostles
When Jesus taught the Apostles and disciples, he used different techniques than he did with individuals or large crowds. He sometimes simply lectured, but he also taught by example, and by actions whose results carried a lesson.
There are many of Jesus' lectures and talks with the Apostles recorded in The Urantia Book. Some of these lectures were initiated by Jesus to enlighten his Apostles, but many were spontaneously generated in response to a question by one of the Apostles. I am sure that few of us will have apostles or disciples, but we may unexpectedly find ourselves in a position of teaching a group of people. I believe we can use the spontaneous teaching method of Jesus to advantage.
On one momentous occasion, we observe Jesus teaching by example. When Jesus joined the Apostles in the upper room for the Last Supper, he found them contending for the seat of honor at Jesus' right hand; this was not the first time that the Apostles had been contending with one another about their place in the coming kingdom. Jesus gave them a profound lesson in humility; he washed their feet. He used this example to then give them a talk about service. By his actions, Jesus was able to make all of the Apostles very conscious of the pettiness of their contending for the place of honor. He opened their hearts and minds to the lesson on service he taught after his unexpected action. When I think of this lesson, I am reminded that our lives can be a lesson to everyone whose lives we touch in some way. We can teach by doing.
Jesus also set up situations to produce results that served as profound lessons to his Apostles. Consider the feeding of the 5000. Though Jesus had proclaimed time and again that his was a spiritual kingdom not of this world, yet the apostles had not completely given up the idea of Jesus as a Messiah who would take his place as leader of the Jews by demonstration of divine power. They saw the increasing number of people following after Jesus as a sign that he might soon be acclaimed a political as well as a spiritual leader of the Jews. It was indeed a painful lesson they received when they saw Jesus refuse the call to kingship and saw the material minded among the people following Jesus desert him.
Possibly one of the most amazing and powerful demonstrations Jesus performed was raising Lazarus from the dead. Apparently, Jesus did not raise Lazarus to teach or change anyone's mind, rather, this demonstration reinforced the faith of Lazarus' sisters, the Apostles and others who already believed in him and his mission. But reinforcing that which we know and believe is a part of teaching, much as when a teacher gives a child positive feedback for getting a math problem correct. Sometimes we forget that affirmation is a powerful tool. We forget to praise that which is praiseworthy to reinforce positive behavior. We forget that encouraging the positive is the best way to eliminate the negative.
Jesus Teaches the Crowds
Jesus' teaching methods with the crowds was different than his approach to teaching the Apostles. This is not surprising, since Jesus chose his Apostles to carry on his teachings. When Jesus taught them, he was teaching teachers. When teaching the masses, Jesus was teaching a group of people with varying levels of spiritual hunger and comprehension, so different methods were appropriate. One of his favorite devices for teaching the crowds was the parable.
The authors of The Urantia Book inform us that there were a number of good reasons for Jesus to use parables when teaching the masses. First, he could teach at several levels at once. The more spiritual listeners could discern deeper spiritual meaning than those who were less spiritually inclined. And those who sought to trip Jesus up would be unable to derive any meaning from the parable because they were not spiritual seekers. Another reason parables are valuable when teaching truth is that stories are more easily remembered than lectures. This may be why the parables of Jesus survived in the Bible much better than anything else he said. We probably won't have to deal with hostile Pharisees, but perhaps parables might add an interesting twist when we are teaching a large group of people. The next day, they might even remember something we said!
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