Jesus about Poverty, Violence, Prayer, Love and Adultery - Essay Example

Poverty no doubt is one of the elements that is widespread in society. Jesus took the initiative to address the issue of poverty. Before Christianity people had different standards that defined poverty. Poverty was considered obviously to be bad and saw a person in poverty as insignificant one. However, Jesus took a different approach to poverty. Jesus saw this as a test and said “Blessed are the poor in spirit”. Clearly, Jesus is emphasizing the fact that the poor will reach salvation and have strong faith.

Moreover, Jesus goes on to say that being physically poor is completely different from being spiritually deprived. There may be a man who is deprived of nutrition, exhausted, and fatigued but can still possess ego and arrogance. However, a person with humbleness and a poor soul is modest and will be forgiven for any minor sins. Spiritual poverty was a concept that was heavily emphasized in this sermon, and Jesus constantly persuaded his followers to be humble, modest, and to be compassionate.

Jesus was a huge advocate of prayer. This could be perfectly illustrated through his statement in which he states, “If he prays, his prayer will not be compulsory, but a declaration of love which expresses the inner feelings that come from the heart and not from the lips.” In essence, Jesus is saying that prayers are necessary to reach spiritual salvation. With prayer, a human can repent and communicate with God. The man, who has a strong desire to meet God, should satisfy that feeling with prayer. 

Moreover, Jesus propagated the need to go to Church and one should make it a habit. No doubt poverty and prayer were important issues that were addressed in this sermon. However, the concept of love was also heavily discussed. Love was something that Jesus not only preached but clearly showed through his sacrifice, which is the basic foundation of Christianity himself. One instance of true love is mentioned in which the Lord showed genuine love and self-sacrifice for the sake of humanity.

In this particular situation, the Lord’s blood was shed on a mountain as he was crucified on the cross. His self-sacrifice goes beyond that as he forgave those who betrayed him. He showed love, compassion, and mercy to all human beings. Even though Jesus was harsh against adultery, he was so compassionate and merciful that he saves a woman from being stoned. The Bible mentions this as Jesus states, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more" (John 8:11) as he catches a woman who was caught in the act of adultery.

Instead of punishing her brutally, Jesus chose to save her life. However, he condoned adultery in every aspect and laid out strict guidelines for fulfilling the desire for procreation through marriage. Lastly, Jesus’s actions influenced other biblical figures too, which can be seen through the actions of Joseph. Joseph refused to commit adultery with a married woman even though she seduced him and obliterated his reputation. Joseph was banished from his occupation and thrown in jail and wrongfully punished. Jesus admires his perseverance and his willpower to do the righteous deed as he states, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness" (Genesis 39).