Did Jesus Practice What He Preached?

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24

One of our common sayings is that a person should practice what he preaches. We might ask if Jesus did that. Did he live out his own sayings and teachings?

Jesus, for example, taught that we should not pray to be seen by others. Rather, we should pray in secret, knowing our heavenly Father sees us. Did Jesus do this? He did. The Gospel of Mark records that Jesus arose early in the morning to go pray by himself (Mark 1:35). The gospels also record many times when Jesus prayed all night (Matthew 14:23, Luke 6:12). Jesus also taught that people need not heap up empty phrases in their prayers. Jesus modeled this when he gave the disciples a perfect example of prayer in the short but meaningful Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

Jesus encouraged people not to be anxious but focus only on the troubles of the day. He modeled this perfectly, always living in the present, even though he had many things over which he might have worried. Jesus warned against anger, lust, and foolish oaths. His life showed itself to be free of all these.

Jesus warned the disciples that persecutions would come, and he endured his own patiently. Jesus spoke about how the Sabbath was made for humans, not humans for the Sabbath. He modeled what this meant by healing on the Sabbath, instead of following the etiquette of the Pharisees.

When teaching, Jesus said that we should not cast our pearls before pigs lest they turn and trample us. Jesus did this in relation to the hypocritical religious leaders, sometimes refusing to answer questions that were insincere (Matthew 21:23-27). Jesus talked to the disciples about how faith can move mountains. He demonstrated such faith when he calmed the wind and the waves (Matthew 8:23-27).

Jesus claimed the power to forgive sins, then raised up a paralyzed man to demonstrate his authority (Matthew 9:1-8). The heart, said Jesus, is the place from which come defiling actions. In his life Jesus demonstrated a perfectly pure and sinless heart.

Jesus said that if we sought first the kingdom of God, whatever else we needed would be given to us. He illustrated this for the people when he fed the 5,000 hungry people who had come from great distances to hear him. Jesus said that when giving, we should not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. He demonstrated this by not calling attention to his miracles; indeed, he made an effort to do many of them in private.

On the cross Jesus perfectly lived out the Beatitudes. He showed mercy by his love, purity and hunger for the will of God by his obedience, and meekness in his refusal to use his power to escape. He was poor in spirit, disdaining all worldly comfort for the agony of the cross. He embraced his persecution and disdained all worldly honor for the shame of the cross. He was the perfect peacemaker by giving himself for the sins of the world.

What an example we have in Jesus Christ. He preached both grace and truth. His life lived out his teachings perfectly.