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“NEVER HAS ANOTHER MAN SPOKEN LIKE THIS” 109
could have had at his disposal? Yet, when he taught,
he never spoke over the heads of his audience, many
of whom were “unlettered and ordinary.” (Acts 4:13) He
was considerate of their limitations, never overwhelming
them with too much information. (John 16:12) His words
were simple, but the truths they conveyed were nothing
less than profound.
4 Take, for example, the Sermon on the Mount, recorded
at Matthew 5:3–7:27. Jesus gave counsel in this sermon
that goes deep, getting to the very heart of matters. There
are no complicated ideas or phrases. Why, there is hardly
a word that even a young child cannot readily grasp!
No wonder, then, that when Jesus finished, the crowds
—likely including many farmers, shepherds, and fishermen—“were
astounded at his way of teaching.”—Matthew
7:28.
5 In his teaching, Jesus often used simple, short phrases
and uttered sayings that were rich in meaning. In an era
long before printed books, he thus implanted his message
indelibly in the minds and hearts of his listeners. Consider
some examples: “Stop judging that you may not
be judged.” “Persons in health do not need a physician,
but the ailing do.” “The spirit . . . is eager, but the flesh
is weak.” “Pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s
things to God.” “There is more happiness in giving than
there is in receiving.” (Matthew 7:1; 9:12; 26:41; Mark
12:17; Acts 20:35) Nearly 2,000 years after they were first
spoken, those sayings are as memorable as ever.
This last statement, found at Acts 20:35, is quoted only by the
apostle Paul. He may have received it by word of mouth (either from
someone who heard Jesus say it or from the resurrected Jesus) or by
divine revelation.
5. Give examples of sayings uttered by Jesus that were simple but
rich in meaning.