They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes." (Mark 1.22 RSV)

Christ's teaching was warm, tender and vibrant with the love for people and compassion for their unhappy condition. Yet His words had a calm authority that carried conviction for "no man ever spoke like this man." As He spoke of things He had witnessed in the glory of that spiritual realm of which God is at once the centre and the all-in-all. Jesus spoke to the hearts of men and women and His words came with the inward power of the Holy Spirit of God.

Do our ears hang on the words of the Master in the Gospels as He spoke the principles of the Sermon on the Mount and as He drew lessons from every day stories and built up pictures of the Kingdom in His parables? No one knew what 'love' was until he told the parable of the Good Samaritan nor did they know what God was like until he showed us in the father of the prodigal.

Christians in every generation have rejoiced in our Heavenly Father's own way of imparting knowledge to mankind, knowledge not only of Himself and His Plan, but also of themselves, their relation to each other and their mutual obligations and responsibilities as fellow-citizens of the earth. But those who remain to listen are far fewer than those who turn away "to walk no more with him". Men and women would rather listen to earthly leaders, the modern media or entertainment. But the day will dawn when He will be appreciated by all when God will judge the world in righteousness. Then that gentle, insistent teaching of the stranger from Galilee will come into its rightful heritage.

We can be confident of those who have accepted the Divine principles of God's teaching and have rejected earthly policies. But let us beware of listening to those who claim our attention by right to enforce their dogmas by appeals to the intellect. Let us beware in our Christian fellowship of that spirit that makes worldly thinkers apprehensive for the future of humanity.

Our salvation is in Christ's words for He said "If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; and you will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In quiet discussion of Scriptural teaching, by the enlightening power of the Holy Spirit, the word of old will be fulfilled, "And they shall be all taught of God; and great shall be the peace of your children."