When Jesus proclaimed the great charter of the kingdom of heaven in the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7), He said: “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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). The teachings and commands of Jesus are the most crucial foundation for understanding and living out the essence of the entire Bible, for Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill its true meaning. Therefore, within the community of the kingdom of heaven, the ministry of teaching is of utmost importance and it is a solemn task. God calls those who love His word to pass on the truth they have learned and to share with brothers and sisters their experiences of living out that truth. Those who teach the truth do not elevate themselves but instead teach with humility and sincerity, experiencing God in their practice and bearing witness to His word. These are the ones whom God honors.

       In recent years, social media and online video platforms have thoroughly permeated our daily lives, bringing revolutionary changes to traditional modes of learning the truth. The rising wave of artificial intelligence applications is also poised to reshape people’s attitudes toward learning and their preferred modes of learning. Clearly, there would be bias either to praise or to criticize these changes outright. When it comes to the use of technology and media, the vigilance we need is this: in our use of these tools, have we allowed the replacement of elements that should not be replaced? In the context of learning within the Christian faith community, one of the most common pitfalls is the mistaken belief that listening to various kinds of knowledge or attending courses by well-known speakers means spiritual growth. But in truth, have we been listening to God while listening to these lessons? Have we used the truth we have heard to examine our own lives? If such attentive listening and reflection are important, what efforts are we willing to make to reach this goal? For those entrusted with the responsibility of teaching, if they hold this goal in mind, how would they prepare their teaching content and the media and methods they employ?

       Recently, a counselor led the parents’ fellowship group of the Community Witness Department in a warm-up activity. He invited the women to take turns removing wooden blocks from a Jenga tower. With each block they removed, they were asked to say a phrase they often use to criticize their children. After about three minutes of one negative comment after another, the Jenga tower suddenly collapsed with a loud “crash!” Through this exercise, the counsellor hoped to help the parents understand how a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence are dismantled under the weight of adults’ negative words. Following this activity, the parents opened up and began learning methods of positive parenting. The counsellor later shared that this way to spark motivation for learning was truly a God given, “Spirit-inspired” idea.

       As the ancient saying goes: “A good singer inspires others to continue the singing; a good teacher inspires others to carry on the teaching.” To all brothers and sisters who serve in the ministry of teaching: you are irreplaceable!