The Good Teacher

Appreciating the role of teachers, especially Jesus

08/21/2017

Matthew 19:16-22 A young man approached Jesus and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" He answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." He asked him, "Which ones?" And Jesus replied, "You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

             Teachers in our society sometimes sadly get short-shrift. What I mean is that they are not fully appreciated. One metric to measure someone’s importance to society – although by no means the only one – is what we pay them, and teacher salaries are notoriously low. I always remember that poignant scene from the movie, “A Man For All Seasons,” about St. Thomas More, the chancellor of England. An ambitious young man wants to be prominent and powerful like More, but More suggests he be a teacher. More says, “Why not be a teacher? You’d be a fine teacher, perhaps a great one.” Richard Rich replies somewhat condescendingly, “If I was who would know it?” More answers: “You; your pupils; your friends; God. Not a bad public that.” More clearly believes that teaching is a noble profession but Rich does not. It’s pretty clear which man’s attitude about teaching is more prevalent in our modern society. We hear derogatory jokes about teachers and coaches like “well, those who can’t do, teach.”

               That’s why it may be hard for modern Americans to grasp adequately today’s gospel where a young man calls Jesus, “Teacher.” We might think of a student who brings a teacher an apple and asks a question. But that’s a far cry from reality. To be a teacher, a rabbi, in ancient Israel was closer to being a Jedi Master. In case you’re a little rusty on Star Wars, a Jedi master was not only a skillful teacher, but he was also a great warrior. He had not only “book learning” but also “street smarts.” And to change slightly Galileo’s famous dictum about the Bible, a teacher, a rabbi, “not only explains how the heavens go, but also how to go to heaven.” A teacher conveys much more than mere information; he teaches wisdom, and in Jesus’ case it was eternal wisdom.

                That’s why when the rich young man asks Jesus a question, Our Lord’s answer is another question: “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.” In other words, do you realize what Teacher you are speaking to? This is not any old school teacher, but the Teacher of angels and the Teacher of the ages. Obviously, Jesus did not have a small opinion about teachers; indeed, he believed teaching was a cornerstone of his identity and mission. Jesus invites that rich young man to abandon his ambition and his possessions – like More advised Richard – and follow Jesus in being a teacher, but the young man, like Richard, went away sad. He didn’t think much of being a teacher. After all, “who would know it?”

               My friends, do not underestimate the power and influence of being a teacher. The first teachers we all have are our own parents, and children are their students. Our moms and dads shape our minds and hearts, and our personalities. One friend said, “We are our parent’s unfinished homework.” We spend our lives learning the lessons that our parents should have taught us as children. Children are the products of the proficient or poor teaching of their parents.  In the seminary we were taught that the first role of priests is to teach the faith, preach the Word of God. Why? Well, because when someone knows the faith better they are better disposed to receive the grace of the sacraments. When people understand the Mass, they enter more deeply into the mystery, and only then are they transformed. Of course, we are all teachers by the example we give to the world. Friends talk about “people watching,” and in a sense they are “teacher watching,” watching and learning from the example we see in others, and others see in us. And finally seek Jesus as your Teacher, not merely to learn facts but to gain wisdom, and ultimately to enter into an apprenticeship under the tutelage of a Jedi Master, He who alone is the way, the truth and the life.

             “Why not be a teacher? You’d be a fine teacher, perhaps a great one.” “If I was, who would know it?” “You; your pupils; your friends; God. Not a bad public that.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!