What is the difference between Jesus’ teaching and the teaching of the Old Testament or the Apostles? If you spend several years diligently studying the Tanakh, you will systematize what is written, commit it to memory, and be able to apply it in life. Most ancient rules deal primarily with explicit prohibitions and directives. But if you spend many years unpacking Jesus’ teaching, you will encounter things that are initially incomprehensible. You will not be able to systematize all the knowledge, and you will not be able to apply some of Jesus’ words in life the way followers of Judaism apply the Mosaic law: you will lack an exhaustive understanding of many of Christ’s sayings. Jesus spoke about very elevated concepts — for example, love, purity of heart, and so on.
With the teaching of the Apostle Paul it’s a little better — most people understand Paul more easily than they understand Jesus. Paul’s teaching is also relatively limited. Yet even in it there are “anomalies,” apparent and obvious contradictions. This is not surprising — Paul had a unique religious experience and a strong personality. Still, one must understand that Paul’s teaching is not the Absolute Word of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
In Jesus’ own words: His teaching does not fit into many minds; it is too “big” for human consciousness — when the mind focuses on one aspect, others hide “beyond the horizon.” In Jesus’ words there are no simple, everyday rituals to follow, like keeping the Sabbath or abstaining from pork. For many of Jesus’ statements a person lacks the corresponding experience or even the capacity to absorb divine truths. What is to be done?
The solution to this problem lies in the foundational concept of Christ’s whole teaching: constant close communion with God Himself and the growth of the person (intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, etc.) so that everything can be understood. Some people imagine approaching God as climbing a mountain or ascending a staircase. In fact, the most accurate allegory for drawing near to God is the growth of a plant — nothing other than an inner transformation and the enlargement of the human mind and heart over time. No external effort is required: the person changes from within, and a progressively clearer picture of the surrounding reality and of God continually comes into view. It is very much like enlightenment.
What can a person do to grow in this way? Essentially, such growth is a mystery; it is God’s action in response to a person’s desire. Thus the path to God lies through an unexplored realm, shrouded in the mystery of matters of the heart. Every spiritual seeker approaches this mysterious door and realizes that God cannot be reached by logical deductions or by zeal in performing outward rituals. Without spiritual growth there is an impenetrable stone wall between a person and God. One cannot pass through the white door without being reborn from within, without losing everything that ties us to the world behind.
Jesus’ teaching is a description of spiritual reality as it is. Many stand agape at the sense of perfect harmony in such a worldview. Many think it is unattainable; many are unable to contain Jesus’ words within themselves. In the end it is not religious zeal that decides, but your heart: does it love Jesus? Does it love all that Christ has revealed to our world? If so, a mysterious power begins to work in the mind and heart, and Christ’s words begin to take on real meaning. An inner light begins to illuminate all the dark corners of the soul and of the entire universe. The spiritual plant begins to grow. The mysterious door begins to open…
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