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| Dr. Bruce Shelley |
Bruce Shelley taught my college Sunday School class and was my church history professor in seminary. He was the best teacher I've ever had. He died in 2010 at age 82.
I learned a lot more from Dr. Shelley than church history. He
was a scholar who cared passionately about the truth. He showed me that academics
and conviction could go together. As a speaker and writer, he was eloquent but
plain-spoken, and he made me want to be both.
The longer I follow Jesus, the more I admire Him as a teacher. He is simply the best of the best. His stories (like the Prodigal Son or the Good Samaritan) and His parables (like the Soils or the Persistent Widow) effortlessly combine Old Testament imagery, contemporary culture, and timeless truth to teach lessons that have captured people's imaginations for over 20 centuries.
Sometimes Christ's critics try to reduce His life and mission to His teaching--like He's just a good teacher. Even that is a backhanded compliment. They can't deny His brilliance, though they are blind to the authority that lies behind it.
I realized the other day that I've been pondering Jesus' lessons all my adult life. I know I still don't understand all the layers and subtleties of them. His teachings are simple and memorable, while at the same time being nuanced and mysterious.
Thirty-five years as a pastor, attempting to teach His word myself, have convinced me that there is only one Master Teacher among us. How grateful we must be that He gave us His word until we get to hear Him in person.
