The Great Teachings of Jesus

By Rolando José Olivo

Jesus' legacy is truly extraordinary. So much so that Christianity is the most relevant social and religious movement in history and started the defense of human rights.

It is relevant to note that Jesus, an exceptional speaker, who dealt with radical people, accustomed to continuing with their religious traditions, who expected for the arrival of a warrior Messiah, knew the human nature, and stood out for saying too much with few words, not transmitting his ideas directly (helping his disciples to reason and understand complex messages), and progressively reinforcing his great teachings, which include more than 40 parables, and the origin and development of Christian ethics.

Furthermore, Jesus, also known as the Master, guided humanity on a path of spiritual goodness and perfection, expecting that people will discover their existential purpose (meaning of life), develop their potential, and manage to approach God with love, faith and hope.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rolando José Olivo
• Release date: Jun 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463040089

Rolando José Olivo

[e-mail] Instagram: @rolandojolivo Systems Engineer with 3 postgraduate degrees: Master's Degree in Applied Economics, Diploma in General Management and Specialization in Management of Social Programs (Summa Cum Laude). Work experience in companies in the oil sector, occupying these positions: Planning and Logistics Manager, Project Coordinator, Financial Advisor and Consultant. Consultant in the economic and financial area. Writer of books on economics, management, self-help, novels and Christianity, among others.

Book preview

I. INTRODUCTION

Despite the fact that many aspects and customs are currently perceived as normal, Christianity is responsible for: a) the return of monotheism (some anthropologists maintain that the first generations of human beings worshiped a single Creator God and throughout the time, this belief was lost, and therefore, the next generations of various cultures worshiped various gods), b) the origin and development of science (scientific thought arose from medieval Christianity, based on theology and later in the use of reason, and the medieval Christian churches also encouraged the development of research in convent and the creation of universities in Europe), c) the constitution of a new religious, political, social and economic system (leaving polytheism and Judaism behind and laying the foundations for capitalism), d) the defense of human rights (at a time when women were extremely discriminated and could not even present their testimony in courts, Jesus treated them as true human beings), e) the definitive rejection of violence (Jesus' phrase of turning the other cheek to the enemy is famous), f) the universal sense of human justice (the French historian and philosopher René Girard, 1923-2015, recognized that Christianity is unprecedented and highly innovative, indicating that without this movement, maybe it would not have been possible to end with human sacrifices or the legitimacy of punishing innocent victims), g) the dignity of work (the medieval-Christian conception of work states that it dignifies the human being and is a pillar of the progress of society), and h) the non-deification of rulers (they don´t have divine character; this Christian position has been confirmed by democratic governments, which consider rulers as public servants and administrators of society's resources).

In the same way, the legacy of Jesus also includes: a) expanding the Jewish belief in the existence of a One True God throughout the world (especially in the Western civilization), b) dividing history into two eras (before and after Christ), c) including celebrations such as Holy Week and Christmas, d) rescuing the principles and moral values, and e) promoting many processes of transculturization, modernization, progress and human development (the contemporary Western culture is fundamentally Christian and Greco-Roman).

It should be noted that Jesus was an extraordinary speaker. He liked to be with people, share his impressions and gradually reinforced his messages, using parables as didactic methods. In the Bible, there are more than 40 parables of the Master, whose messages haven´t lost their validity and transmit relevant moral, ethical and religious lessons.

With the purpose of glimpsing the great teachings of Jesus, this literary work is divided into the following main chapters:

II. The Human Needs.

III. The Parables of the Master.

IV. The Sermon on the Mount.

V. The Christian Ethics.

Briefly, in Chapter II. The Human Needs, according to the aspirations and needs of people, and the complex human nature, it is revealed the strategy of Jesus about his messages. The Chapter III. The Parables of the Master explains the meaning of more than 40 accounts of Jesus. The Chapter IV. The Sermon on the Mount thoroughly analyzes this impressive theological discourse. And in the Chapter V. The Christian Ethics, there are foundations and guidelines of the Christian doctrine.

Likewise, in accordance with the other books of this collection (1. Who is Jesus?, 2. Who is the Biblical Messiah?: Analyzing the Christian and Jewish Vision, 3. Who is the Lord?: Analyzing the Divine Condition of Jesus, 4. Jesus, Human Suffering and Greater Perfection, 5. Jesus, the Cross and the Resurrection and 6. The Extraordinary Unconventional Leadership of Jesus), this text gives an overview of how Jesus acted, who, aware of his purpose and existential mission, made great efforts to fulfill all his obligations, give examples for his supporters, and create the most relevant social and religious movement in the history of humankind.

Finally, there was not and will not be another leader like Jesus, the true pioneer