The Message of Jesus

Jesus said: Verily I am a servant of Allah. He has given me the Book, and has made me a prophet, and has made me blessed wherever I may be. And He has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. (Quran 19: 30-31)

It is the birthday of Jesus the Spirit of God, Word of God, Prophet of God, Messenger of God, Servant of God and the Messiah. What can we present to him? Take a glance at his life, listen carefully to his message, do what he wants you to do, only this will give him happiness. This will be his present. Pay close attention to his commands. Obey him with your soul, your wealth and your actions. Jesus said, "Who will be my helper unto the Lord?" The disciples replied, "We are your helpers, we will follow you". This voice of Jesus asking, "Who is my helper?" is still echoing from thousands of years. Are we saying yes to his call? Let us consider what Jesus wants, what is his message:

1. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17)

2. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)

3. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew7:12)

4. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. (Matthew 11: 37-42)

5. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23: 11-12)

6. Whoever does God's will is my brother, sister, and mother. (Mark 3: 35)

7. For whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. (Mark 9: 40-41)

8. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your mother and father.' (Mark 10: 19)

9. For even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

10. The most important commandment is this: 'Hear O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. (Mark 12: 29-31)

11. But I tell you who hear me: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners', expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6: 27-36)

12. Why do you call me, ' Lord, Lord', and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me, hears my words, and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete. (Luke 6: 46-49)

13. I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8: 12)

14. If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8: 31-32)

15. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I too will love him and show myself to him. (John 14: 21)

16. Put to death, therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming, on those who are disobedient. (Colossians 3: 5-6).

17. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. (Colossians 3: 8)

18. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. (Colossians 3: 18-21)

19. Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. (Colossians 4: 1)

20. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4: 5-6)

The Message of Jesus through Muslim Tradition

1. Jesus said to the disciples, "Be satisfied with a little of the world, while your religion is safe, likewise the people of this world are satisfied with a little of religion, while their world is safe; love Allah by being far from them, and make Allah satisfied by being angry with them." The disciples said, "O spirit of Allah, so with whom should we keep company?" He said, "He the spirit of whom reminds you of Allah, his speech increases your knowledge, and his action makes you desirous of the other world". (Uddatul-Daee, 121)

2. Jesus was asked about the best of people. He said, "One whose speech is the mention of Allah, whose silence is contemplation, and whose vision is admonition". (Majmu'ah Warram,1, 250)

3. Verily, Jesus passed by three people. Their bodies had become thin and their colours had changed. Then he said, "What has brought you to what I see?" They said, "Fear of the Fire". He said, "It is the duty of Allah to give security to those who fear Him." Then he passed from them to three other men. He was surprised to find them even thinner and more changed. Then he said, "What has brought you to what I see?" They said, "Yearning for the Garden". He said, "It is the duty of Allah to give to him who has hope in Him". Then he passed to three others. He was surprised to find them even thinner and their faces were shining like mirrors. Then he said, "What has brought you to what I see?" They said, "Love of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent". Three times, he said, "You are those who are close to Allah". (Sharh Nahjul Balagh, 10, 156)

4. The disciples said to Jesus the son of Mary, "O teacher of the good! Teach us what is the most severe of things". Then he said, "The most severe of things is the wrath of Allah". They said, "Then what prevents the wrath of Allah?" He said, "That you not be wrathful". They said, "What is the source of wrath?" He said, "Pride, haughtiness and contempt for the people". (Bihar, 14, 287,9)

5. Allah revealed to Jesus, the son of Mary, "O Jesus! I do not forget those who forget Me, so how could I forget those who remember Me! I am not stingy with those who disobey Me, so how could I be stingy with those who obey Me". (Jami' al-Akbar, 1, 180)

6. It is reported that among what was revealed to Jesus is: "Do not be deceived by those who are disobedient to Me, who eat what I provide for them, but worship other than Me, then they call Me when they are worried, so I answer them, then they go back to what they did. Do they disobey Me or want to anger Me? (I swear) by Myself. I will take them in such a way that there is no deliverance from it and there is no refuge but Me. Where can they flee from My sky and My earth?" (Uddatul Daee, 212)

7. Allah revealed to Jesus, "Be to the people like the earth below in meekness, like the flowing water in generosity, and like the sun and the moon in mercy, which shine on the good and sinner alike". (Bihar 14, 3)

8. Allah revealed to Jesus, "O Jesus! Grant me the tears of your eyes, and the humility of your heart, and stand beside the tombs of the dead, and call to them aloud that you may be advised by them, and say, 'I will join those who join you'." (Bihar 79, 178)

9. Allah revealed to Jesus, "O Jesus! Be merciful with great mercy, and behave in such a way that you wish others to treat you, and increase your remembrance of death, and departing from your household, and avoid wasting your time, for wasting time corrupts one, and do not be heedless, for he who is heedless of Me is far away from Me. And remember Me by doing righteous acts so that I will remember you". (Kafi, 8, 131)

10. Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "Verily the evil doer is infectious and the associate of the wicked is brought down. So beware of those with whom you associate". (Kafi,2, 640)

11. And Jesus was saying, "O assembly of Apostles, love Allah by hatred of the disobedient, and approach Allah by distancing (yourselves) from them, and request His contentment by their discontentment". (Bihar, 14, 330)

12. Jesus said to his companions, "Verily, sleeping on a dunghill and eating barley bread is a great good, with a sound religion". (Adab ul Nafs, 1, 223)

13. When Jesus passed by a house the family of which had died and was replaced by others, he said, "Woe to your owners who inherited you! How they have learned no lesson from their late brothers". (Bihar, 14, 329)

14. Jesus said, "Do not worry about your livelihood for tomorrow. If tomorrow is a part of your life, your livelihood will come along with your life, and if it is not part of your life, then do not worry about the livelihood of others". (Majmu'ah Warram, 1, 278)

15. Jesus said, "O Children of Israel! Are you not ashamed before Allah? Not one of you would drink something until you made it free of any speck of dirt, but you are not disturbed at the acquisition of something prohibited though it be the size of an elephant. Have you not heard what has been said to you in the Torah? 'Visit your relations and recompense them.' And I say to you: Visit those who have cut themselves off from you, and give to those who would not help you, and do good to those who have done evil to you, and offer greetings of peace to those who curse you. And be fair with those who have shown enmity towards you. Forgive those who have oppressed you, as you like to be forgiven for your misdeeds". (Tuhaf ul Uqul, 501)

16. Jesus said, "In truth I say to you, whoever looks at a snake that intends to strike his brother and does not warn until it kills him, he will not be secure from partnership in his murder. Likewise, whoever looks at his brother doing something wrong, and does not warn him of its consequences until it encompasses him, he will not be secure from partnership in his sin. Whoever has the power to change an oppressor but does not change him, he is like an angel (of oppression). How can the oppressor be frightened when he is safe among you and he is neither prohibited, nor changed, nor are his hands restrained? Why should the oppressors then give up? How should they not become arrogant? It is enough that one of you say, 'I shall not oppress, but whoever wants to oppress, go ahead' and he sees oppression but does not change it. If it were as you say, why are you punished with the oppressors, though you do not commit their deeds, when the chastisement descends upon them in this world?" (Tuhaf ul Uqul, 501)

17. Jesus, the son of Mary, said to his companions, "O children of Adam! Free yourselves from this world, escaping to Allah, and take your hearts out of it (this world). Verily, you are not suitable for it (this world) and it is not suitable for you, and you do not remain in it and it does not remain for you. It is an insatiable deceiver. He who has emigrated to it is misled. He who relies on it has been duped. He who loves it and desires it is destroyed. So repent to your Lord and fear your Lord, and beware a day when no father can compensate for his child and no child can be the compensation for his father. Where are your fathers? Where are your mothers? Where are your brothers? Where are your sisters? Where are your children? They were called and they answered, said farewell to the earth, joined the dead, and they came among the destroyed. They exit the world and separate from their loved ones, and are in need of what they sent ahead and needless of what they left behind. How much you have been advised and how much you have been prohibited, but you are frivolous and inattentive".

18. ( Bihar, 14, 228)

19. Jesus, the son of Mary, said to his companions, "Your likeness in this world is like of beasts. Your zeal is for the inside of your belly and for your private parts. Do you not answer Him who created you, while He threatened the disobedient with the Fire, and you are not able to cope with the Fire, and He promised the obedient the Garden and being near to Him in the high heaven? So compete for it and be deserving of it, and be fair to yourselves, and be kind to the weak and needy among you. And repent to Allah sincerely, and be righteous servants, and do not be oppressive kings or inordinate Pharaohs who conquers those who rebel against him by death. (And repent to) the Almighty of the mighty, Lord of the heavens and the earth, of the first and the last, Possessor of the Day of Judgement, Severe in punishment, Whose chastisement is painful. No oppressor is saved from Him, and nothing escapes Him. Nothing slips past Him, and nothing disappears from His sight. His knowledge encompasses all things, and He sends down to each according to his stations the Garden or the Fore. O weak son of Adam! Where would you run from Him Who seeks you in the dark of your night and the brightness of your day, and in every state in which you may be. One who advised delivered his advice; and one who has listened to the advice is saved". ( Bihar, 14, 228)

20. Jesus, the son of Mary said, "Hardening of the heart is from drying of the eyes, and drying of the eyes is from accumulating sins, and accumulating sins is from loving the world, and loving the world is the head of all error". (Mustadrak ul- Wasail, 12, 39)

21. The Messiah said to the apostles, "Small sins and those considered paltry are among the deceptions of Satan. He makes them seem paltry to you and makes them small in your eyes, so they will be gathered and increased and will surround you". (Bihar, 1, 145)