You Must Know Christ to Teach Christ

An important tenet in conveying a religious theme, idea, or doctrine is the visible, active relationship between the person and the religious doctrine conveyed. In other words, does the person believe in what he is presenting, or demonstrate religious living associated with the doctrine? It’s a fair question to ask anyone involved in the profession or ministry of teaching religion. When the subject matter is Jesus Christ, the unveiling of Jesus’ teaching is directly associated with the Church instituted by Christ, the Catholic Church.

There is a first instance of instruction that requires an educator to unveil and convey at the same time a reality that every single human being possesses a deistic identity, formed and made in the image and likeness of God the Father. This first engagement of faith is crucial if the message of the Word of God, i.e., the kerygma, is to be understood and embraced. By kerygma, I mean the specific message professed by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, which is the message of salvation. Kerygma is not simply the announcement of salvation; it is the initial prescription required to listen, know, understand, and live the message of salvation. The kerygma, or in its more applicable tense, the Gospel, is expressed to present the salvific actions of God through His Son, the Word made flesh, addressed to all humanity.

All this requires that the religious educator possess an active awareness of Jesus Christ in their life to convey the genuine message of salvation to their students. It’s ironic that in the story of the man with the unclean spirits, we encounter the evil spirit immediately recognizing and proclaiming who Jesus is,

And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath; and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. And in the synagogue, there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice, “Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”[1]

The significance of this passage is that those in the synagogue could not recognize Jesus as the Divine teacher. The demons, however, immediately concedes to Jesus’ authority by asking if Jesus came to destroy them. The demon further identifies Jesus as the “Holy One of God.” Another example of the demons assenting to Jesus’ authority is the healing of the Gadarene, whereupon, encountering Jesus, they identify Jesus as the Son of God.[2]

From a religious education perspective, both accounts reveal the necessity of knowing who Jesus is if you are tasked to teach about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Thus, the primary task of a religious educator is to teach Christ Crucified, not Christ the pacifist or Christ the friend. This is why the identity of Christian doctrine must be Trinitarian and Christocentric in nature and identity. The content and method of Christian doctrine must be salvific in nature and practice. This is why the religious educator must avoid the dilemma of teaching something other than Christ crucified. They are first and foremost a messenger of God before their students in the classroom, not a regurgitator of doctrinal themes that may not be associated with Jesus Christ. 

How the religious educator, or catechist, lives their faith is pivotal in the religious formation of students because students learn by what they see more than by what they hear. If the catechist expresses a joyful living of the Gospel and Christian doctrine, their witness will resonate with their students. Thus, effective catechetical instruction produces a lasting effect upon the student that compels him to both investigate Jesus Christ and also provides a desire to know Him more intimately by the authentic Christian witness of others.

Two important tenets of being a Christian witness in the classroom are the expression of two loves that must be visible with the religious educator: one, a love for Christ, and two, a love for their students. This is very important if the intention is to guide the student to know and understand that their aim is salvation with Jesus Christ. Hence, the teaching of doctrine must lead to Christ and not end with the teaching itself. There cannot be a disassociation between the content of faith and the source of the faith, God. Proper catechetical instruction addresses the human person in relation to God the Father. In what I believe to be a fitting closing reminder to all religious educators, Jesus emphasizes the importance of taking care of the little ones and avoiding leading them to sin.

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. For every one will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.[3]