Jesus and his surprising gospel. The first three chapters

Jesus and His Surprising Gospel

The Son of Man and the Son of God

December 6, 2024

This book is anonymous. If you know the name of the author, please do not disclose it. 

This publication is open-source. The intention is to give all readers permission to modify and use this text as they choose. 

The goal is for Jesus’ joy and liberty increasingly to come through the comforting truth of his full gospel. 

CONTENTS

Introduction (4)

1. The human Jesus grows to full maturity and launches his public ministry (8)

1. The historical Jesus
2. The saving faith of a little child (9) 
3. “The kingdom of God is within you” (17)?
4. Jesus’ scientific knowledge (43) 
5. Developing righteous character (50) 
6. Finding God’s will (60) 
7. Jesus at age twelve (72) 
8. The decisions that launched Jesus’ public ministry (78)
9. Finding joy in life (86)

II. The Son of Man teaches his original message (98)

1. Teaching truth(99)
2. The living truth of the the kingdom of God and the family of God (104) 
3. Revealing God as Father and Mother (110)
4. Loving God and the neighbor wholeheartedly (120)
5. Being merciful and forgiving (132) 
6. Doing good to others (141) 

III. The Son of God reveals his divinity (152)

1. Respond to different levels of hostility (153) 
2. The advanced level of Jesus’ gospel? (160) 
3. Forceful peacemakers (167) 
4. Paths for believers to find spiritual unity (173) 
5. How Jesus interpreted the meaning of his death on the cross (179) 

IV. The resurrected Jesus continues his work through us (185) 

• Resurrection in this life and the next one (186) 
• What the Spirit does—and not do—for us (190) 
• Hope for a much better world coming soon (195)
• Jesus and his gospel (199)

Further Reading ()

Endnotes ()

Abbreviations () 

Introduction

Jesus of Nazareth knew God better than any other person did who has ever walked this earth. This is why so many people are drawn to him and his teachings. 

But how many of us truly know Jesus? And how many have a good answer to the question of what the gospel was that he lived and taught? 

We get to know him and his gospel better through: 

• daily personal relating, as we discover who he was and what he was
• understanding his original saving message—as the Son of Man proclaimed the kingdom of God and the family of God
• grasping his full, advanced gospel, including his divinity as the Son of God
• learning to live his teachings, acquiring a character like his. Working on each chapter, I had to grow on the topic and apply the lessons to my life before I could get clear on the concept and finish the chapter.

As Jesus’ gospel in the New Testament comes to life in us, we may gain a new perspective by gradually, patiently acquiring for ourselves more of the qualities we see in him, as we are realistically able to do so. Part I of this book shows how. To begin with, we notice in Jesus something that we need more of in ourselves. Being selective, without taking on too much, we take creative steps to find things to do that will enable us to acquire more of the quality we have selected to work on. Self-help takes us part of the way, but the real growth is a gift from God. 

To meet these needs, this book offers a new perspective on the interwoven life and teachings of Jesus. The four parts of this book are designed in rough chronological order, focusing on what I propose as the four main stages of Jesus’ life. (1) From his birth, he grew up to full human maturity by the time of his baptism. (2) Then he publicly taught his original message. (3) Next, conflict broke out into the open when he began also to teach his full gospel; thus began the third period of his life, which lasted all the way to the cross. (4) Since that time, in the resurrection and then by his spirit, he has continued his work with, in, and through us.

To know Jesus and his gospel well, it helps to know all four of these phases. 

The heart of Jesus’ teachings is his gospel. In a condensed summary, we best understand Jesus’ original message as he expressed the kingdom of God in the language of the family of God. God is our Parent, a loving Father, and humankind are his children and therefore siblings. The meanings and values in these core truths unfold wonderfully in the following teachings of the Master’s gospel: We enter the family of God by humble, child-like faith. Growing up to be the best we can be, we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbors as ourselves. We are to be merciful as God is merciful, and to live the golden rule—doing to others as we want others to do to us.

I believe that living these and other teachings constitute the human cooperation with God that will eventually enable our planet to attain its destiny: living on earth as in heaven. And along the way to that glorious future, why should we not hope and work for a much better world that could come sooner?

When a critical mass of Jesus’ followers effectively live his gospel, we will increasingly love and serve God, each other, and everyone else. We will recognize our kinship with other persons in the family of faith—regardless of what religion, or none, they may profess. And together we will reach out to our siblings in the inclusive family of God who have no spiritual faith. 

Intellectual differences and spiritual unity

A friend of mine was welcoming a group of incoming seminary students. He told them to stand up with everything they agreed with and sit down with everything they disagreed with. Then he read a short text. All around the room, as they were standing up and sitting down, they saw each other do so in such a chaotic way that everyone burst out laughing. 

They were experiencing spiritual unity in the face of their intellectual differences. No one thought that intellectual differences do not matter. But they discovered that laughter can enable divine spirit to put these differences in their place. On this basis, discussion goes forward in a transformed light. 

As you read this book, if you find ideas that you would like to work with, you are encouraged to transplant them into the garden of beliefs that you already cherish. We are family, and getting everyone to agree with my language and concepts is not what this book is about. As an author, my dream is for you to deepen your loving communion with Jesus, to better understand and live his teachings, and to share them wisely.

Perhaps the most essential thing that many religions do is to teach about our basic relationship with God and with other persons. Jesus also did this. Searching wholeheartedly to discover his original message, several scholars in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries began using new historical tools. Some of them broke through to the realization that the heart of Jesus’ message was the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Today, many people would prefer the language of parenthood of God and the siblinghood of humankind. No matter what words we use, these phrases refer to living spiritual realities. We will see how this pair of truths can function as the hub around which all other gospel teachings fit. 

Although the fatherhood of God was a pillar of Jesus’ gospel two thousand years ago, it remains an open question how we best express his revelation today. Many people question, struggle with, or reject, the idea of God as a father. Jesus would never have pressured anyone to use a particular name for God. Each person has a unique personal adventure of discovering God, and a story about how they came to their own name(s) for God. Countless wonderfully God-knowing persons have used different names and developed magnificent relationships with the Creator. Each person is free to choose a name for God that fits their discovery of the divine friend who is present within him or her.

The quality of our relationship with God matters far more than the language we use. In every age, eternal truth needs fresh expression to meet the needs of the current generation. In our interactions in the universal family of God, it helps to avoid languageism—looking down on others because of the language that they choose sincerely to express truth as it has become meaningful to them.

About the author

It was late in the writing of this book when the conviction arrived that it should be anonymous. I am still trying to figure out the meaning of this sense of obligation, and we invite you to share in the mystery. 

            The author is part philosopher, part evangelist. He has devoted many years to learning to live the teachings of Jesus’ full gospel—both the original message and the advanced teachings. Taken together, these teachings have come alive for the author: they are connected, moving, beautiful, true, and good. The author hopes to share his passion with you: to experience the two levels of the gospel as captivating and interwoven with the stages of Jesus’ life as sketched in the beginning of the Introduction.

The readers I have in mind

I write for persons who:

• are mature Christians who have the time to grow
• are independent thinkers who are philosophically and spiritually minded
• hunger for divine connection that brings meaning, purpose, and stability
• have major questions about Jesus and what he taught
• would like to be like Jesus
• are considering becoming a follower of Jesus 
• have not yet found what they are looking for in Christianity
• belong to other religions or no religion, and want to see whether this presentation of Jesus and his gospel can truly respect persons in other religions as equals in the family of faith

I also write for the unique you, no matter what you believe or do not believe, no matter what you are searching for and what you don’t like, no matter what you have done or not done. You are a divinely created and infinitely loved child of God. Your divine Parent has sent you a personal gift, the spirit of God to live within you. You have the perfect guide and friend. 

Transition

This book takes you on a tour through some of the things that Jesus said and did. It is like riding in a bus in Israel and beyond, visiting some of the places where these things happened. At each site, we get off the bus to see for ourselves more closely, to remember, imagine, and reflect. As tour guide, I have the author’s microphone as the bus approaches one site after another. But chapter by chapter, what is essential is for you to get off the bus, commune, and have your own experience.

I. How the human Jesus developed his character

Through his life and teachings, Jesus revealed God and showed how a human child of God can do God’s will on earth as it is done in heaven. We, too, can learn to do these things. 

The first part of Jesus’ mission was to grow up from childhood to full maturity. He developed a character that was strong, centered in God, and well-balanced. The steps of growth that are set forth in Part I show how every believer how we can become like Jesus as we grow up with him and achieve a character like his. 

2

The historical Jesus

To begin to know Jesus of Nazareth (roughly 4-6 BCE – 30 CE), we shall begin with some historical perspective. But this perspective, according to most historians, comes exclusively from using the tools of academic history. Reconstructing the historical Jesus in this way, we leave out all spiritual meanings, values, and religious beliefs. 

            However, the phrase “historical Jesus” has another meaning; it also refers to who Jesus really was and what he said and did. But if Jesus really was and is the Son of God, then in order to state the truth, we must use more than historical knowledge; we need faith. When I use the term “historical Jesus,” I have both meanings in mind. 

I have a personal interest in this chapter. At different times in our lives we ask the question: what is my purpose in life? I have read accounts of “typical” Gen Z young people asking this question. All kinds of big changes in life can bring this question to the fore. Now it’s also my question. I believe that understanding Jesus’ mission—the various things God assigned Jesus to do—is helpful here. The various statements of Jesus’ mission represent aspects of his life purpose. And our particular sense of purpose can flourish, I believe, by finding aspects of Jesus’ mission that we can enter into. 

            Toward the end of this chapter I propose a concept of Jesus’ mission that is my own. One of its advantages is that it is so universal that I think we all could enter into it. And between the beginning and the end of the chapter is important historical background which added, I believe, very meaningful perspective on Jesus’ concept of his own mission, his own purpose in life. 

Jesus was wholeheartedly engaged in his purposeful work as the first century unfolded. But he did so with a wisdom that was based on a very broad perspective; he looked back into the remote past and forward into the distant future. I believe that Jesus recognized that God is the Lord of history, and the Creator is not in a hurry. A thousand of our years is like a single day from God’s perspective (Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8). Jesus developed a perspective which shed light on the basic relationships of God and human beings, as well as his purpose during his life on earth. 

Jesus grew up with the Jewish belief that the origin of every human being goes back to the Creator of “the heavens and the earth,” who said, “Let us make humans in our own image, according to our likeness” (Genesis 1:1, 1:26).^[i]

This idea was imprinted upon Jesus because he was a member of a particular people whose beginning was four thousand years ago. The affirmation of the image of God in all people is expressed in the formal agreement, or covenant, that God made with Abraham to bless him—and through him, “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Here, in a way, is a version of Jesus’ basic gospel about our relationship with God and with humankind as a whole. The offspring of Abraham and his wife Sarah became the Hebrew people, also called Israelites and Jews. The covenant promised God’s blessing, and these people were to believe in, and obey, the one God. Jesus formally confirmed his bond with the Jewish people by going to John the Baptist to launch his career as a public teacher (explained in the first three sections of chapter 9). 

The process of history weaves the acts of the Creator and the doings of the creatures. God created the heavens and the earth. Jesus revealed our planetary destiny when he prayed, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). In other words, in heaven God’s will is done truly and beautifully. Humankind are a work in progress, but we shall eventually learn how to do this.

Jesus revealed God and how a human being can—now, on this planet—learn to live the will of God on earth in a heavenly way. His life and the truth that he taught lead us into the divine way of love. 

The inspiring leadership of Moses

Around 1700 BCE, during a famine, many of the Hebrews had gone down to Egypt in order to find work and food, only to be taken into slavery. Their oppression persisted for four hundred years, until around 1260, when Moses arose and led them from bondage into freedom. 

From place to place, for forty years, Moses led the community that followed him, teaching them about God (Yahweh, often translated, “the Lord”). He gave the people discipline and laws, for example, the Ten Commandments: Worship only God, not images. Rest and worship one day a week. Honor your parents. Do not commit murder, theft, or adultery. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor. And do not crave to have for yourself any kind of possession that belongs to your neighbor. (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21).

From the teachings of Moses, Jesus chose what he would call “the greatest commandment” and a second one “like it”: “You shall love the lord your God and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. . . . You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Deuteronomy 6:4, Leviticus 19:18, and Mark 12:28). It was liberating for many people in Jesus’ day to embrace the simplicity of this summary of the law. These commandments represent the first great step of putting into practice the truths of our basic relationships with God, our loving and merciful Father, and our neighbor, who could be anyone. 

The monarchy, its division, and lessons that followed

The early, tribal period continued until, in the eleventh century, a monarchy was established under three kings, Saul, David, and Solomon. At the time of Jesus people were looking for the Messiah, the “Anointed One,” to restore the monarchy and sit on the throne of David. But after Solomon, the kingdom was divided between Judah in the south and Israel in the north. 

A conflict between peoples that was important in Jesus’ time began in the eighth century BCE, when the Assyrian army took over the Northern Kingdom of Israel whose capital was Samaria. In addition to its devastating cruelty, Assyria had a policy designed to prevent its conquered peoples from ever rising up again in rebellion, a policy of ethnic mixing. They would deport the priests, people who were educated, and the leadership elite generally, and scatter them into other areas of their kingdom; and then from those areas, they would bring in people to settle in the newly conquered territory. As a result, over centuries, the Israelites who were left in Samaria blended their genes, customs, and religious beliefs and practices with those of their neighbors. They worshiped Yahweh, the God of Israel, along with tribal gods, which made for religious confusion, in contrast with the Jews, who normally focused their worship on God alone. Samaritans did not regard the Jerusalem Temple as the divinely chosen place for worship; instead, they worshiped on Mount Gerizim. By the time of Jesus, antagonistic relations between Samaritans and Jews had gone on for centuries, and mutual bad feelings were common. 

In the sixth century, the kingdom of Judah would be conquered by Babylon, where many Jews were taken into captivity.^[ii] There the prophet Isaiah II proclaimed beautiful truths about the goodness of God.^[iii]Isaiah also assured the people that they would return to their homeland, which happened when Babylonia was conquered by Persia, whose kind Cyrus respected the customs and religions of the people he conquered. He sent the captives home to rebuild the Temple and restore Jerusalem and their homeland. 

Despite interference from the Samaritans, the rebuilding went forward, and the prophet Ezra was the leader most responsible for reintroducing traditional law. 

From the history of the divided kingdom and other sources of knowledge, Jesus taught a warning that has many applications today. “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand” (Matthew 12:25).

From the Book of Isaiah Jesus took one of his several statements of his mission, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18; Isa. 61:1). Note that Jesus said different things in different situations unfolded aspects of his own developing concept of his mission.

And in response to the difficulties between Samaritans and Jews, Jesus sought to transform such attitudes. Perhaps his most-loved parable is about the good Samaritan who cares for the Jew seriously injured on the side of the road. (Luke 10:25-37; John 4:3-42).^[iv]

Some groups that Jesus dealt with

The pivotal change between the two main parts of Jesus’ life and gospel occurs in the crisis of relationships between Jesus and the religious leaders who opposed him. 

The Pharisees, who traced their intellectual origin back to Ezra, were a religious and political party or sect. By the first century, CE, their view of religious life had become the most common one among Jews. Their concept of righteousness came with a theology of their history, which explained why the Jewish people had suffered devastation under Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Macedon, and Rome. These miseries were said to be caused by God, who was punishing his people for failing to obey his laws. The Pharisees and many others equated the will of God with obeying the law, and then equated law with the 613 commandments that could be found in the Torah—the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, regarded as the law of Moses. These laws regulate matters ranging from spiritual essentials to minor details. In addition, there was the oral law, developed over the centuries by religious authorities; it was generally regarded as given by God to Moses but not in written form. It included the laws of religious purity, for example, in doing no work on the Sabbath day of rest and eating only with persons who were religiously pure. There was a stark contrast between the religious teachings of the Pharisees and the quality of the message that Jesus lived and taught. 

In addition to the Pharisees, there were other political and religious parties or sects. The Sadduceeswere the aristocratic priests in the Temple in Jerusalem, and they had their own ways of interpreting the law. They were specialists in the Torah; unlike the Pharisees, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. The scribes were specialists in religious law who performed legal services outside all through the land; many of them were Pharisees and members of the Sanhedrin, which was the highest ruling body of the Jews, meeting almost daily in the Jerusalem Temple. 

Due to social, political, and economic factors, the gap between elites and non-elites was large.^[v] The most important political issue in Palestine at the time of Jesus was how to deal with the miseries of living under the power of the Roman empire. The Herodians were supporters of King Herod (or possibly his son, Herod Antipas). The Zealots (and other similar groups) advocated violence against the soldiers and authorities of the Roman empire. The Zealots preferred a righteous death rather than life in subjugation to a pagan regime.^[vi]

Divergent expectations of the kingdom of God

When Jesus’ parents took their newborn into the Jerusalem Temple, one believer praised God for the child. “He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:32 NLT) 

Astrologers from the East came seeking “the king of the Jews.” Learning of this, the brutal and paranoid King Herod jealously sent out soldiers to find and kill the child. Joseph and Mary were informed just in time. They fled to Egypt, where they stayed until Herod died in 4 BCE (Matthew 2). Even though Rome provided good roads and the advantages of Greco-Roman culture, there was a constant threat of violence if the Jews were to revolt. In addition, King Herod, his sons, and others used violence in pursuit of their ends.^[vii]

At this time, there was a widespread hope for, and expectation of, another leader like Moses. He would establish the kingdom of heaven, the reign or rule of God. He would be the Messiah, which means the “Anointed” one, appointed by God. A majority of people thought of him as one who would function as a king and deliver them from being oppressed as part of the Roman empire. Then he would establish Jerusalem as the seat of authority for Israel and the world. 

Toward the end of his life, Moses prayed to God for guidance in selecting his successor, a leader who would be one like himself. He turned over the command of his followers to Joshua, so that his people would not be “like sheep without a shepherd” (Numbers 27:17; Deuteronomy 18:15; Luke 1:31; Matthew 9:36). Joshua would lead them into the promised land.

The Jewish people had long hoped, prayed, and suffered for what they called the kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God. Jesus used these phrases in order to communicate with his hearers, since that was what people were generally looking for and what John the Baptist had been proclaiming. Jesus usually used terms signifying family relationships to explain his own concept of the kingdom. 

In some ways, the kingdom concept did not fit his message. A king was known primarily in terms of his power; he was a remote figure who had no personal relationship with his subjects. Kings were often angry, vengeful, and violent. In first-century Palestine, the kingdom idea was easy to misunderstand, since it was linked to the popular longing for a Messiah to lead an army and deliver the Jews from the rule of Rome. 

Nevertheless, if Jesus compromised in his choice of this language, he did so wholeheartedly. After all, in the idea of God as king there is a great truth: the sovereignty of God. The Creator structures energy and matter according to laws of nature. The Sovereign commands his creatures to live in accord with the moral law, expressed for example in the golden rule of doing to others as we want others to do to us. And loving God and the neighbor is required for a person to participate on the spiritual level of the family of God, who loves us all. 

Jesus’ purpose—and ours

Jesus’ mission was to lead people into a spiritual promised land. Which is exactly what he did. This promised land is what Jesus called the kingdom of God—an umbrella concept comprising Jesus’ main ideas and ideals. This concept includes teachings that enable every believer to become and be like him, even though we will always be less perfect. 

On the way to our future, we can do great things because of our support: divine fellowship, abundant mercy, and generous patience. We also gain essential support in the social and spiritual life that we experience in vital religious community.

Jesus’ perspective about our creation and destiny, together with his knowledge of history, for example, helped him be realistic about the facts of his time and place. For all his heavenly and spiritual ideals, he was always also grounded in a knowledge of earthly and material matters.

We have glimpsed bits of what Jesus knew about the creation and destiny of humankind and the history of his people. Included are the covenant with the one God to bless all peoples of the earth; some highlights of the work and teachings of Moses; the history of the divided monarchy; diverse groups with whom Jesus interacted; differing expectations of the Messiah; and Jesus’ purpose for his work on earth plus a goal for us to become like him.  

We can apply this goal of becoming like Jesus in all our activities in daily life. We can enter into Jesus’ broad perspective on history and participate in his mission. We contribute to planetary progress both by our personal growth into an increasingly heavenly way of living and by doing for others. 

The next chapter explores Jesus’ astonishing concept of how we are saved. 

Questions and invitations

• Everyone is divinely created. If this is so, what does this imply? Does the Creator’s design include historical process with its ups and downs on the way to a magnificent destiny? Does this design make room for the decisions that we make? Does it include what Jesus called “the kingdom of God within you” (discussed in chapter 3)? 
• What factors in your own history have most shaped your perspective? 
• Do you learn more about the history of others who are different from you in important ways? If not, would you be willing to consider taking some time to do this? How could you do it? Is there an easy way to begin that you could do habitually? Can you start now?
• What happens when you think of your present activity as fitting into Jesus’ universal mission of helping individuals and the planet come a little closer to a spiritual promised land? 

3

How did Jesus connect salvation with the faith of a little child? 

In order to understand Jesus well, we need a perspective that comes from growing to become more and more like him. Thus, to succeed in Part I, I need to present plausible ideas of Jesus’ growth from childhood to full maturity. I draw on what the Bible has to say about his early years, on ideas from psychology and history, and on teachings from Jesus’ later life that I regard as implicitly autobiographical. These teachings I regard as helping us better understand the years in Jesus’ life before he began his public ministry. 

We begin by focusing on the pivotal spiritual transformation that can occur in childhood or any later phase of life. It has many names: receiving or entering the kingdom of God or the family of God; and being born again or saved. I assume that this happened in Jesus when in early childhood. 

In our times, people seek transformation in a broad sense more than salvation in particular. If we urgently need some component of health or psychological well-being, it is common to feel transformed when this need is met. In many cases, this feeling arises partly because God is reinforcing our positive step forward. But there is a kind of transforming that human beings cannot do by themselves. Salvation is given to us by God when we become ready to receive it.

What Jesus taught about salvation is found with many interrelated truths, parables, promises, and commands that he taught in his original message. They all form a meaningful web. I begin with Jesus’ teaching on how important it is to be, in an essential way, like a little child. 

Imagine the scene. Jesus has been engaged in teaching about family life. The next thing we know, mothers are bringing their children for him to touch and bless. Some of his closest disciples start criticizing the mothers for this interruption. The response of Jesus to these disciples was righteous indignation. To them he simply said, “Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:17). Jesus was pointing out that his critical disciples were themselves acting in a manner inconsistent with being in the kingdom.

            Jesus connected salvation with the faith of a little child in this interaction and on other occasions. Jesus used different angles of approach to the truth of our saving transformation. Some of these complementary teachings are considered in this chapter.

An ancient Greek proverb goes, “Well begun, half done.” Our topic is momentous, and this chapter asks to be pondered section by section. I first clarify this teaching about the little child, which I regard it as autobiographical. I suggest a few ideas about Jesus’ childhood. When we speak of receiving and entering the kingdom as a child of God, we are talking about the same thing that we consider next. This time Jesus spoke of being “born from above” (born of the spirit). 

After that, we savor the happiness that Jesus promised to those who are poor in spirit (the humble). Next, we consider the power of living faith to repent and begin a new life. 

Then I offer remarks on Jesus’ open arms of welcome and next on the receptive and active essentials of living faith. 

After this effort of study, we pause to catch our breath; Jesus offers rest for our souls. The concluding summary takes the form of a reflective review of the path traced in this momentous chapter. 

Clarifying the meaning of “a little child”

When the disciples criticized the mothers for bringing their children to Jesus, he taught a requirement for gaining entrance into the kingdom of God (equivalent to salvation). The kingdom is a gift that , and it can only be received in the manner of a little child. Jesus did not define the childlike attitude or way of relating with the giver; but it reasonable to think that at least an open and receptive attitude of faith is required. 

I believe that the child’s attitude and manner of relating also include humility. On another occasion, when disciples asked who is the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus brought a child into their midst and said, “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt.18.1-5). Here humility is not a requirement but a mark of excellence. 

Speaking of “a little child” illustrates Jesus’ tendency to use the language of family to teach the kingdom concept. Entering the kingdom, we become part of the family of God. Initially, we may simply equate the kingdom of God with the family of God. But the relation between these concepts is more complex. Jesus also used the family of God language to include all persons (see the section in chapter 13 on the family of God). 

Jesus understood that as children of our heavenly Father, our relationship with God has some features in common with a good relationship between a little child with its earthly parents. Repeatedly, for months, I would get caught up watching the little girl across the street in the front yard with her father. Every few minutes, she would go to her daddy and lift up her arms. He would bend down and gather her up in his arms for a minute or so. She wanted reassurance, and he was trustworthy. This scene was a charming illustration of the truth of relationships in the family of God; and it showed the goodness of one of the most important human virtues, trustworthiness.^[viii] And trust in God is well placed: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV).

Another one of Jesus’ images reinforces how comparatively little we are when we enter the kingdom—and how great our prospects are. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and make nests in its branches” (Matthew 13:31-32).

Implicit autobiography in some of Jesus’ teachings

It is plausible that much of what Jesus taught as an adult he had learned through his own prior experience. In speaking of the faith of “a little child,” Jesus was also being autobiographical, telling us something about his own early childhood. He also referred to his apostles as “little children” (John 13:33). We are not little merely in comparison with God, but also, I think, in contrast with who we will become in heaven. 

Our spiritual life can be enhanced by our social surroundings. Jesus’ extraordinary mother Mary would have chosen an outstanding husband in Joseph. Thus, Jesus grew up in a home that would have been an excellent place to begin to know God. Among Jesus’ neighbors in Nazareth, some would have had strong faith, and this would have encouraged faith in this growing and spiritually receptive child. In later childhood, Jesus would have benefited from the local synagogue, where Jesus would have studied the Hebrew scriptures. Jesus would have recognized and rejoiced in its gems of scripture, for example, “The Lord is my strength and my song” (Isa 12.2 RSV). This verse touches on the three virtues that this book emphasizes in character growth: the Lord (centered in God), strength, and song (well-balanced). 

With this social support plus the spirit of God within him (see the next chapter), it is easy to imagine Jesus relating with his heavenly Father and finding in him the source of his greatest joy. He was beginning to experience God’s love for him; and it is plausible that he was starting to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. This could have motivated him to do the Father’s will by making good decisions and doing good to others. These childhood experiences may have helped Jesus to form the concept of the faith of a little child which he taught to adults.

Spiritual receptivity and spiritual rebirth

Without the faith of a little child, spiritual rebirth—which is equivalent to entering the kingdom—cannot take place. A man named Nicodemus came out under cover of darkness to meet Jesus (John 3:1-12). He was a Pharisee, very familiar with the laws of Jewish tradition. He was also a member of  the Sanhedrin, the highest ruling court of the Jews, which met almost daily in the Jerusalem Temple. He was very impressed with Jesus and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person.” These “signs” were deeds of power such as healings. 

Jesus could have responded to Nicodemus by quoting scriptures and giving enlightening commentary. But Jesus perceived that Nicodemus needed something else. Jesus gave him the frank diagnosis, “No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 

The word “above” was a way of referring to heaven; we need to be born from heaven; “the kingdom of God” and the kingdom of heaven” were interchangeable ways of referring to the same reality. Nicodemus failed to understand this truth because he made the mistake of interpreting Jesus literally. “How can anyone be born after having grown old?” “Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?”

Jesus replied: “. . . . What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above. The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:6-8). “Wind” and “spirit” are both translations of the same Greek word, pneuma. Jesus’ reply affirms the importance and reality of spiritual experience—sincere relating with God like Jesus probably did as a child. Jesus’ reply also acknowledged human limits in spiritual experience. 

Then Jesus tried to reach Nicodemus one last time. He spoke of himself as “the Son of Man” who had “descended from heaven.” The term “Son of Man” was the mysterious title that Jesus chose to refer to himself. It underscores the humanity of Jesus; but Jesus was not just a human but the human. But if he had descended from heaven, he was also more than human. What he communicated to Nicodemus in private, he did not yet proclaim in his gospel message to the crowds, and for good reason, as we will see in the first two chapters of Part III. 

This conversation did not bear fruit quickly. But eventually Nicodemus did exercise the faith to protest the injustice of the Sanhedrin’s judging Jesus without a hearing, and then after Jesus’ death, joining with Joseph of Arimathea in preparing Jesus’ body for burial in the tomb (John 7:50-51, 19:38-42). 

I believe that Jesus responded to Nicodemus in a way that was designed to help him realize his spiritual poverty, his lack of experience in spiritual realities. If he had asked Jesus for spiritual help, or changed direction and began to search for God wholeheartedly, or knocked on the door of the kingdom, so to speak, in a way that was humbly ready to begin a new life on a new level, Jesus would have welcomed him on the spot. 

Jesus’ teaching of the need to be reborn is sometimes interpreted as requiring a powerful religious experience. But spiritual growth can progress in a smooth, gradual way; and we can enter kingdom of God (equivalent to the kingdom of heaven) without sensing that any major threshold has been crossed. 

Nevertheless, to be born of the spirit implies beginning a new life as a child of God. This requires ongoing, humble openness to new truth. If we choose to cooperate, the religion of the spirit will lead us into new ways of thinking, feeling, and acting. 

Humble, poor in spirit, secure, and happy

I interpret the next teaching of Jesus as helping us understand the faith of a little child as an attitude of humility. “Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:6 substituting “happy” for “blessed”). Being poor in spirit cannot mean lacking in self-respect or having a bad attitude toward oneself; this would not be meaningful as a requirement for entering the family of God. 

            I believe that the phrase, “poor in spirit” means “humble.” This implies recognizing our growth needs. Persons seeking to enter the family of God need some sense of the difference between the Creator Father and the child. Humility can also be defined by contrast. Its opposite is pride (in the sense of hubris), arrogance, or contempt for others; these interfere with good relationships in the kingdom of God.  

I believe that Jesus’ first beatitude was an autobiographical teaching. If so, the human Jesus did recognize his growth needs; and he was free of pride, arrogance, and contempt. He knew the happiness that comes from the humble simplicity of relating to the Father as a little child.

We can find complexities in Jesus’ teachings, but what is more striking is how he lived and taught the way of simplicity. As we begin to see simplicity in Jesus’ various teachings on salvation to different individuals and groups, we may ask, “How can this be so simple?” Jesus’ simplest answer: “The Father himself loves you.” “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (John 16:27; Luke 12:32). Entrance is free to those with the faith of a child. But staying in the kingdom requires growth.

This teaching of the kingdom belonging to the poor in spirit comes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). The Son of Man began with a series of promises that are generally called “beatitudes” (Matt. 5:3-12). This term comes from the Latin word, beatitudo, which means “happiness.” The first beatitude promises happiness to the poor in spirit and gives them assurance that the kingdom is theirs. Jesus’ course in spiritual happiness had eight promises, every one of which one comes up in this book. 

The gift of the kingdom of heaven includes salvation that encompasses love, forgiveness, and transformation beginning on earth and continuing into everlasting life. The more we sense the meaning of this kingdom family that we have received and entered, the more grateful we are, the more we realize the goodness of God, and the more we experience the happiness that Jesus promised.

Whenever we are poor in spirit, then if we recognize that we are out of alignment with the divine way, and if we mobilize our energy to go back to this beatitude, things change significantly. We can open ourselves and receive once again, even for the zillionth time, the assurance of faith and a relaxing happiness that restores us and puts me back on the path. 

One more thing. If we equate the attitude of a little child with humility, a remarkable conclusion follows. Not only is this attitude necessary for entry into God’s family. It also functions as the only requirement—except for persons who need to repent in order to experience the saving attitude of a little child. 

Repentance, needed by some to enter the family

Zacchaeus was lost—just the kind of person that Jesus was especially drawn to. Righteous persons do not need to repent (Luke 15:7); but many do need to do so in order to become part of God’s family of faith. (Closely related to this topic is chapter 14 on the attitude of mercy and practices of forgiveness.) The story of Zacchaeus demonstrates the power of spiritual transformation to inspire a great decision and action (Luke 19:1-10). 

Zacchaeus was living in reverse and needing to repent—to turn around and say YES to God with his life. Being the chief tax collector in the region, his job was to gather the oppressive taxes demanded by the Roman empire; in addition, he had enriched himself greatly by overcharging people. He would have been hated by the Jews in his area.

But he had heard about Jesus, and when he learned that the famous teacher was going to be coming through Jericho, he went out to meet him. But he was short, and the crowd was already lined up so that he could not see. So he rushed ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to be able to see Jesus when he came by. When Jesus saw Zacchaeus, he called Zacchaeus by name and said that he had to stay with him in his home. 

When the crowd heard this, some of them criticized Jesus for staying with a sinner. But Zacchaeus was so full of eager expectation that when he saw Jesus and heard what he said that it triggered his faith. After getting down from the tree, he replied, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 

Then Jesus described this event with the word “salvation” and gave an important statement of his mission. “Today salvation has come to this house . . . . The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” Again, the Son of Man is functioning divinely. Traditionally, only God is a savior, as the prophet Second Isaiah had spoken in the name of God: “There is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a savior; there is no one besides me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!” (45:21-22).

For his salvation, Zacchaeus had the courage to come to Jesus, face his great weakness, and take powerful and generous action. What Zacchaeus needed to do to enter the kingdom family was to actively exercise transforming faith expressed in repentance. 

To this brief discussion of repentance, I would add a bit. First, the chapter on mercy has a section on repentance. It concludes on the note that once our process of repenting is completed, our challenge is to let go of guilt feelings and mobilize faith in cooperation with the transforming grace of divine mercy.

I expand the interpretation of repentance in the introduction to the next chapter, where we look at Jesus’ remark that he came to call not the righteous but sinners. I interpret this to imply that not everyone needs to repent before entering the kingdom.

Last, every person who enters the family of faith starts a more direct and upright relationship with God. This makes us more keenly aware of our need to grow. We might not be repenting in the normal sense, but we are experiencing a certain change of mind. It is interesting to note that metanoia, the Greek word usually translated as “repentence,” literally means a “change of mind.” And sooner or later, our own wandering into actions that go against the will of God make our turn to repent. 

When I speak of the family of faith, I mean to include persons of other religions, or none, in whom faith in God (or a functional equivalent) is alive and well. 

Jesus’ open arms

The Davis Sisters’ gospel song, “Twelve Gates in the City” proclaims three gates into heaven in the east, west, north, and south (Revelation 21:12). This celebration continues the striking openness with which Jesus brought people into the family of God by awakening living faith in receptive hearers. He did not initiate them into a system of theology. Instead, he gave direct teaching plus images that evoked the response of the whole person and gave a wide latitude for interpretation; the door opens to a diverse humanity. 

More wide-open promises are found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). “Ask, and you will receive; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Matthew 7:7). In my opinion, these assurances are given to those who are humbly open, receptive, and active. Asking, searching, and knocking have meaning in the context of entering into and growing in the kingdom of God. 

Note that Jesus’ message was centered on God. With Nicodemus he implied his divinity, but he never required people to believe in him or to believe anything about him as part of the price of entering the kingdom and gaining salvation. (The important exception is discussed in Part III, chapter 17, in the section on when salvation for enemies of the kingdom requires belief in the divinity of Jesus.) 

Living faith, receptive and active

Mystery surrounds the work of God’s spirit in our mind; and how heaven determines when our spiritual birthday occurs is uncertain. But I believe that we can understand something of what is going on. 

I conceive of living faith as a never-ending cycle with two phases. The first is receptive. We may be primed to find God by parents, friends, and strangers; social media; personal problems; or restless seeking. All kinds of factors can cooperate with God’s silent work of grace in the mind.

The time comes when we see and hear a person filled with faith; or we read, ponder, or pray. A spiritual truth enters the mind and the spirit of God illuminates it so that the mind intuitively recognizes its truth. It touches us before we have a chance to doubt or reject it. Later, our trust may falter; we may choose to uproot it. But at least for a time, we are in synchrony with spirit. 

When we receive a spiritual realization, we can stop and ponder its meaning and allow it to sink in and take root. For example, we can receive the kingdom of God in the sense of receiving our new primary identity: a member in the family of God. 

But to complete the process of making God’s gift truly our own, we need to do to act on it. This can happen by moving into the active phase of living faith. We enter the family of God by beginning to relate on the basis of our new identity. 

The connection between salvation and faith is clear in the often-repeated teaching, “by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). This means that saving faith is a gift from God; it is not something that we can earn by what we do. 

God-given faith comes with unsuspected power. Active faith enables us to make truth part of ourselves, and it allows divine spirit to do good through us. Exercising one’s faith develops a larger capacity of receptivity and a greater power to act. 

When Jesus had occasion to criticize some of his followers by saying, “you of little faith,” he wasn’t complaining that God hadn’t given them enough (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 16:8, 17:20; Mark 9:22-23). Rather, he was telling them that they were not using the power of their gift. When he said to a person, “Your faith has made you well,” he wasn’t denying his own healing power, but emphasizing the essential role of the other person’s faith (Mark 5:34; Luke 17:19). Acting on faith completes the circuit of divine giving and human receiving. 

The faith of Jesus was receptive and active. Only receptive and active faith is living faith. Only living faith is saving faith. And living faith is growing faith. 

Avoiding overwhelm 

Observing Jesus interacting with others, we see that he usually gave truth in small packages. That way, his conversation partners and hearers would have an opportunity to put his teaching into practice and then come back for more. However, in this book, many chapters are large packages with much to think about. Especially if we are trying to read quickly, even a small package may turn into a heavy burden. Our receptivity lessens, and we are less able to enter into Jesus’ happiness, which comes simply from the assurance of being welcomed as a child in the family of God. 

To the problems of trying to understand in a hurry and grow too fast, the Son of Man responds, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). 

            I believe that this parable of the heavy burdens and the light yoke is another autobiographical teaching that reveals what Jesus discovered in teamwork with God. If we are toiling on one or more big tasks, we may feel like an ox wearing a heavy yoke, pulling a plough all alone through dry, hard, rocky ground. If so, we need to exchange this yoke for another one that two workers can pull together. Not only does Jesus give us an agenda—the will of God—that is manageable. Jesus’ companionship also brings new energies and refreshing rest for the soul.

Reflecting in leisure about the ideas in this chapter

The experience of being yoked together with Jesus is joyous. The more joy we find from knowing him and understanding his teachings, the more smoothly our transformation proceeds. Consider some examples. 

Jesus’ concept of the faith of a little child is most directly expressed by his teaching that we can only receive and actively enter the kingdom of God “as a little child.” This receiving and entering can also happen at any age. Jesus was pointing out a human illustration of a spiritual truth: in faith and trust, a little child seeks and receives assurance from the Father. Many people have an urgent need of this joy because they are anxious and need assurance about their salvation. Receptive faith, holding up our arms, “waiting upon the Lord” (Isaiah 40:31), allows us to receive the joyous assurance that we need and begin the process of living faith, which actively relates as part of the family of God. 

In the next example, we may need to venture more to gain the joy. Spiritual rebirth I take as equivalent to entering the kingdom of God. Nicodemus illustrated the fact that this cannot occur if one’s spiritual receptivity is very limited. 

Jesus used the image of the wind to describe the mystery of the unpredictable incoming and departure of the spirit (John 3:8). When this experience occurs, we want to live on that blessed level all the time. When the experience departs, it is natural to feel disappointed. We cannot constantly live on the level of our highest ideals; the Creator has designed us to approach our ideals by gradual growth. 

Nevertheless, as we progress, we live at our best more often, for longer periods of time; and our best gets better. We are on the path to staying in touch with God all the time. Jesus learned to respond to disappointment by embracing the Creator’s plan, which provides for our holistic and unified growth. Being patient with our growth helps us enter into Jesus’ joy. 

If we are humbly conscious of our need for spiritual growth in our relationships with God and others, I believe that we are what Jesus called “poor in spirit.” On this basis alone, we received into the kingdom family of God. Jesus’ joy pervades the happiness that he promised in each of the beatitudes. The more we discover the blessings of being a child of God, the more we experience the happiness that Jesus promised. 

Said Jesus, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). Being liberated from whatever was holding us back from entering into, or progressing in, the family of God is inherently joyous. We also need to ask, search, and knock (Matthew 7:7); these are human steps in the endless cycle of receptive and active faith. 

Spiritual rebirth is a milestone on the path of living faith. And living faith is a gift from God that enables us to receive and recognize spiritual truth—and act on it. The receptive and active phases of living faith lead up to and follow spiritual rebirth. Faith comes with power. But whether we enter the kingdom of God dramatically and suddenly, or we hardly notice any significant change, spiritual rebirth launches a new and higher spiritual level of living. 

We also looked at the moral and spiritual triumph of the repentant Zacchaeus. It is rare for a huge step of growth to occur suddenly. Comparing ourselves to him, we might think, “I could never do what he did.” But what Zacchaeus drew upon is the power of the same God who lives in each of us. We can rejoice in what was done for, through, and by Zacchaeus. Our faith, too, comes with unsuspected power; and if we use this power in doing our Parent’s will, we shall become increasingly able to call on it in the midst of a challenging situation.

All the blessings we could count in the preceding chapter are possible because, as Jesus said, “The Father himself loves you” (John 16:27). If, as I believe, God is love (1 John 4:16), then love is so central, so all-pervading and dominant in God that everything that our Parent does expresses love, as does every quality we discern in God. Receiving divine love and giving this to others are among the greatest joys. Jesus’ open-hearted welcome to the family of God is our introduction to God’s goodness. 

Thus, in a variety of ways, in openness and simplicity, Jesus proclaimed salvation as a free gift to those whose receptive and active faith signal true readiness to receive the gift. 

As we gain experience with the divine truth and, in particular, the truths of this chapter, we learn to live them, and we come to sense which one a particular situation calls for—in other words, what God’s will calls for. Is it a time for receptivity or action? Do we extend a happy welcome into the family of God or discretely raise a question with implications for repentance? Does a person need encouragement to keep searching or to knock confidently on the door that is ready to be opened? 

Note: whenever we truly live the spirit of any of the teachings in Jesus’s saving message, in this chapter or any other, for any length of time, we are not just becoming like him—we are being like him. The exception is that Jesus never had occasion to repent. 

After we enter the family of God, what comes next? The child grows up to be like the Parent.The faith of a child makes it easy to enter the family of God, but staying in the family requires natural, patient growth. To get through the trials and testing that are part of life, we continue to need this same, living and growing childlike faith. 

            In all these adventures, God’s spirit within—the topic of the next chapter—plays a great and often overlooked role. Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to “treasure hidden in a field” (Matthew 13:44). Let’s see what treasure we can find next for ourselves and others. 

Questions and invitations

• Pick one of the teachings highlighted in this chapter that especially struck you. What feelings arise for you in response to it? And what do you think about it? Discussing with others will multiply your discoveries. 
• Did you find anything in this chapter that you want in your life? In what ways could you weave this teaching into your life? Combine a realistic understanding of the situation that needs to be turned around plus higher insight into what it will take to accomplish that. One, two, or three key actions can be enough to take the human steps to catalyze what needs to happen. 

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^[i] Quotations from the Bible MOSTLY use the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, unless otherwise noted.

^[ii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_captivity

^[iii] In the book of Isaiah, scholars regard chapters 1- 39 to be the work of an eighth-century BCE prophet, 40-55 by an anonymous sixth-century prophet, and 56-66 by either Second Isaiah or one or more later prophets. (The New Oxford Annotated Bible, fifth edition, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha [New York: Oxford University Press, 2018]), p. 977.

^[iv] William H. McNeill, A World History , 3^rd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press), 59-74; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritans ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_captivity

^[v] https://www.smp.org/dynamicmedia/files/9a98fef004e9e9211f619d1610b42a2c/TX001246_1-Background-Life_Times_First_Century_Palestine.pdf from Essential Guide to Biblical Life and Times, by Martin C. Albl [Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 2009].

^[vi] https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/judaism/judaism/sadducees ; https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/scribes-bible ; https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/judaism/judaism/herodians https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/judaism/judaism/pharisees

^[vii] Jean-Pierre Isbouts, In the Footsteps of Jesus: A Chronicle of His Life and the Origins of Christianity, 2^nd ed. (Washington, D.C: National Geographic, 2017) chapters 1-3.  

^[viii] An influential model of developmental psychology, set forth by Erik H. Erikson, presented eight stages in the life cycle, in each of which we ideally gain a particular strength. In the first year of life the most important is trust. See for example his “Eight Ages of Man” in Childhood and Society (New York: W. W. Norton, 1950).