THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST

“The people were astonished at his doctrine”, Matt. 7. 28.

The writer of Psalm 78 may well be Asaph of David’s day; he traced the history of Israel, underlining the mighty power of the word of God. He commanded, and it happened! The teachings of Christ and everything that the Word of God means are not frozen on the pages of a book, but lived out in the experiences of life. Verse 2 is quoted in Matthew 13. 35.

Our resource. In verses 1, 2, the teachings of Christ are represented in four ways:

1. Authority, “Give ear … to my law”. One feature that characterized all that Christ taught was the authority that He commanded; cf. Matt. 7. 28, 29.
2. Vitality, “the words of my mouth”. This refers, not to mere words, but to the Word of life. The Bible is a book that speaks; do we read the Bible, or does the Bible read us?
3. Sagacity, “open my mouth in a parable”. The teachings of Christ penetrate the mind and soul, and when they are understood, they make a deep and unforgettable impression.
4. Gravity, “utter dark sayings of old”. This relates to the wise man and his sayings, where old truths are best and there is no room for new truths. It implies a weighty speech and Christ’s teaching is weighed rather than measured.

Our response, v. 3. (i) “We have heard”; obedience revolves around hearing and then putting it into practice, (ii) “And known”; we have a great responsibility if we have heard because it implies a knowledge of the facts and action to follow, (iii) “Our fathers have told us”; we have been told and we must tell others. This leads to the third main point.

Our responsibility, v. 4. Here is indicated the importance of not hiding the truths from the children; they should be shown to the generation to come. In 2 Timothy 2. 2, we see the Paul-Timothy relationship and the charge that Paul gave to his child in the faith. “Thou hast heard” is past; “commit thou” is present; “shall be able to teach” is future. This must also be our solemn duty before God.

Teach me to feel another’s woe, That mercy I to others show.