Lessons From Christ

Luke 2:52 (NIV)
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Jesus spent His time among us teaching. He placed much of His effort in trying to expand our understanding of what really should matter in our lives, as far as how we regard our Father in Heaven; as well as each other. As a follower of Christ, what was emphasize by Him, must be looked at with serious attention. This being said, I start this study with this example from Jesus….

Christ was fully God, perfect in all areas of existence. God became man, existing as a man in every aspect. As a man it was necessary for Jesus to develop, into a man from a child. This passage in Luke gives insight into just what is necessary for complete development. This was a living example set by Jesus for all of mankind. It speaks to the type of instruction that should be given a child, and also gives us adults a guideline for self-analysis. From this guide we can determine what is lacking and how to make changes for improvement.

Jesus Grew….
Not only is it necessary to develop physically in all areas, but also to make efforts to grow continually as well.
Wisdom….
This places focus on intelligence, development of the mind and its abilities for mental strength.
Stature….
In addition to the mind, the body or physical being must be maintained. Healthy living was an issue back then as it is now.
Favor….
In order to receive favor one must do what is favorable in the sight of the one whose favor is wanted. When that one is God, it becomes a question of the spirit. How closely you can get your spirit to follow the Holy Spirit, will determine the measure of obedience you have to God's righteousness.
With God and Men….
We were created to be involved in relationship, first with God, and then with each other. In the very beginning, it was God who said that man should not be alone. It has always been our position to exist as a social being. The difficulty lies in finding a peaceable path that will include both God and man. Remember the instruction from Christ; 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (you find it... hint: see Matthew) Finding a balance is not an easy thing, but that does not release us from the obligation to make the effort.

In terms of today's world, most everyone holds some kind of understanding of the necessity of the mind and body. The focus is toward the promotion of education and health, and spans throughout every nation and culture. It might be said that in some ways it has grown at the expense of the other areas on this list. In order for man to be complete, all of these areas of life must be recognized and addressed. The neglect and inattention to the spiritual being, is still persistent today. The confusion that hindered the development of social harmony, back then, is still a problem area. In the social area of relationship, we still need the umbrella of clarity.

The teachings given us by Christ Jesus are of great value. His best teaching is in the life that He lived... giving the example and pattern for us to follow. That life was presented to the apostles, who in turn formed and taught the early Church. All of the inspiring lessons that deal with faith, character, belief, or Spirituality, are touched on in this brief description, concerning Jesus' development. It's a great lesson... "A LESSON FROM CHRIST."

Blessings,
Matt.