Cover Story

Jesus’ Teachings -  Swami Ranganathananda

Trials and tribulations began to confront Jesus. Various attempts were made by the priests to entangle him in some remark of treason or blasphemy. But his intelligence and ready wit baffled their attempts. A group of priests brought a Roman coin and asked him whether it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not; on his asking whose image and superscription the coin bore, the priests answered that it was of Caesar. Then he answered, to the amazement of the clever priests: ‘Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things are God’s’ – (Matthew, XXII. 21).

Then a lawyer came forward to entangle him with a clever question, as to what constituted the great commandment in the law; and the world got in the answer of Jesus a compressed statement of spirituality and social ethics.

‘Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets’ (ibid. XXII. 37-40).

© `The Christ We Adore’ by Swami Ranganathananda, published (1998) by Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, Champawat, Himalayas. Reprinted with permission.

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