So you acknowledge Jesus as a wise teacher? Really?

It’s probably not the Easter message you expected, but for the sake of argument, let’s set aside miracles, repentance, heaven, hell and claims of divinity.

Countless people who reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God will nonetheless grudgingly acknowledge him as a “good man” or “wise moral teacher.”

But does modern society truly practice even the broadest principles that Jesus preached?

“Take heed and beware of covetousness,” Jesus proclaimed.

America in 2024 celebrates covetousness in myriad ways, including the time- tested “keeping up with Joneses” pursuit of the Almighty Dollar. Backstab your way up that corporate ladder! Gamble the food budget on lottery tickets! Gotta shower loved ones with more “stuff ”!

And of course, stirring up class envy enshrines covetousness on a pedestal. You can practically set your watch by politicians’ perennial “soak the rich in their magically inexhaustible pockets” schemes. ( The Empty Tomb makes us uncomfortable, but mayors and governors have unshakable confidence that they can kill the goose that laid the golden egg and bring it back to life over and over.)

“Can the blind lead the blind?” asked Jesus. “Shall they not both fall into the ditch?”

Millions are swayed by self- appointed “experts” who are skilled at nothing except latching onto the latest grift. Legislators who have never met a payroll intuitively “know” that small businesses need oodles of new rules and regulations. Bureaucrats who don’t know one end of a gun from the other lecture us on “common sense” firearms restrictions.

“But rather give alms of such things as ye have,” Jesus implored in reference to personal charity. Somehow that has metastasized into forcing someone ELSE to “donate” to your pet projects. Even collectively, we don’t actually give of what we have; we give of what we DON’T have, running up trillions of dollars of debt.

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful,” Jesus challenged. Such a concept is completely alien today. Observe the sheer giddiness when someone on “the other side” is slandered in the media, harassed in public, bankrupted or stabbed in prison.

Pro- choice advocates are swift to assert that the Gospels don’t include any sermons in which Jesus explicitly mentioned abortion; but neither did Matthew, Mark, Luke or John record anything about “trigger warnings,” “safe spaces,” “body positivity,” “toxic masculinity,” “cultural appropriation,” “follow the science,” “saving the planet,” “defund the police,” onerous voter ID requirements, saintly indigenous peoples or “systemic” anything.

Jesus spoke of truth, but somehow neglected to mention “your own truth” or “lived experience” or “you’re great just the way you are.”

He denounced the hypocrisy of his opponents without censoring them or whining about “disinformation.”

For some unfathomable reason, he urged his Jewish disciples to prepare for the future, instead of rallying them to seek reparations from the Egyptians, Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Greeks and Romans.

The wise teacher told a parable of a wise man who built his house on a firm foundation, but our culture is built on volatile emotions, shaky logic, “living documents,” unnamed sources, self- serving dignitaries, virtue signaling and faith(!) that “by golly, socialism will work next time.”

I’m not here for a “come to Jesus moment” in a religious sense. But if you’re going to admit Jesus was a wise teacher, walk the walk.

I yearn for something more eternal. In the meantime, we could have a veritable heaven on earth.

“W

Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol.com and visits to his Facebook fan page “Tyree’s Tyrades.”