The Teachings of Jesus in the 21st Century

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The Teachings of Jesus in the 21st Century
By Jon W. Quinn

Some people complain that the teachings of the New Testament are not really practical for modern times. For example, the rules of conduct laid down by Jesus in the “Sermon on the Mount”, or the demand for honesty in all circumstances, or the roles we play in the family; that these teachings may have been right for the 1st century, but not for the 21st.

But the fact is that many people in the 1st century also complained that His teachings did not really fit their time either. Many then hated Jesus for what He taught. In the beatitudes (Matt. 5:2-13), Jesus pronounced as “blessed” or “happy” the one who was poor in spirit, who mourns, who is meek, who hungers and thirsts after righteousness, who is merciful and pure in heart and a peacemaker. He told us to love even our enemies and seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first. These teachings have never fit the world’s standards; not in the 21st century, but not in the 1st century either.

The ultimate authority in the universe is God Himself, not the world. It is up to us to choose whom we will follow. If I do not want to follow Jesus, then I will dismiss His teachings. If I do, then I will follow them. Do His teachings really work in today’s world? The answer is, that if your goal is eternal life, then they do.