Georgia Harkness defines Christian Ethics as “a system of study of the way of life exemplified and taught by Jesus, applied to the manifold problems and decisions of human existence”. Christ is the supreme source of Christian ethics. It is he who reflects the attributes of God, who is the ultimate source of all goodness. Jesus was born to fulfil the Law and the Prophets. He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus is the greatest teacher of God’s wisdom and love. He is addressed forty-five times in the four Gospels as the teacher. He is never addressed as a preacher although he preached so often. Jesus Christ is the central character in the entire Bible. It speaks of Christ, preaches Christ and manifests him and his moral and ethical uniqueness. The four Gospels in the New Testament are not Jesus’ biography, but they are treatises on Christ. Each author portrays him as the divine Spirit who inspired them. And we find the character and nature of God reflected in the life, work and teachings of the eternal Son. Goethe remarked, “Let intellectual and spiritual culture progress and the human mind expand, as much as it will, beyond the grandeur and the moral culture of Christianity, as it sparkles and shines in the Gospels, the human mind will not advance.”

Jesus gave priority to the transformation of life of people. He stressed the inward life, the conscience of man and the morality and motives of people not only on outward action. The entire Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 teaches Jesus ethics.

The following Beatitudes that Jesus said to his followers make up the “Prologue” to his Sermon on the Mount, which is the first of the five Discourses of Jesus as recorded by Saint Matthew:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

The Sermon on the Mount constitutes the kernel of Christian ethical teaching. We can transform the world if we faithfully follow Jesus’ teaching. This is the longest and fullest discourse of Christ to his followers. Christ begins this sermon with the theme of ‘blessedness’. He came to the world to preach the good news of blessings for all people. For a really transformed life in our sin-sick world, we need to have such a high standard of moral and ethical life as Jesus taught. Jesus did not teach for a territorial kingdom, but the kingdom that he came to preach is where the rule of holy and loving God will prevail over mundane human will and rule. Blessedness that is talked about here is the ultimate well-being and spiritual joy that will be shared by all people. There will be no place for pride, selfishness, or worldliness in that realm. But humanity and all that is there in the created order will enjoy the Creator’s blessings to live in dignity and loving kindness where God’s holy name will be exalted and love and justice and peace will reign supreme. We need to love God with all our hearts, minds and strength and love others as we love and respect ourselves. This is very hard and challenging for us. But it is not impossible!

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The writer is a Christian theology teacher and Church leader