Religion: Reflections on Jesus

The parables, sayings and teachings of Jesus are moving and penetrating, but if it were not for the way that Jesus died we would probably not be still reading these stories today. There were many wisdom teachers wandering about the Middle East in his day. Much of his sayings and teaching can be found in other sources. He was also not unique in being a wisdom teacher with a band of followers, though the manner in which he put the old stories together and presented them was obviously forceful. He was also a healer though even in this he was not unique. Many healers plied the land, for organized medical services were rare then and people had to rely on itinerant healers when they passed by.