Key Terms and Discussion from The Great Omission, Chapter 3

Respecting Jesus as our Teacher (18-20) -- The theme of this chapter. If we're going to be disciples (literally, students) of Jesus, then we have to respect his intelligence. This is in contrast to the typical contemporary view of Jesus:

Far too often he is regarded as hardly conscious. He is taken as a mere icon, a wraithlike semblance of a man living on the margins of "real life" where you and I must dwell. He is perhaps fit for a role as sacrificial lamb or alienated social critic, but little more. (19)

We talked about several possible sources this view of a dumb Jesus, ranging from failing to take his humanity seriously (and thereby ascribing all of his wisdom to his divine nature) to failing to take ancient people in general seriously.

Two paragraphs later, Dallas inverts my objection to mere admirers or mere worshipers of Jesus, saying, [b]ut how, then, can we admire him? And what can devotion or worship mean if simple respect is not included in it? (19)

What Jesus can teach us about (20-22) -- Dallas points to three major areas where we need Jesus's teaching and information in our lives: identity, character, and daily life.

Identity: Jesus brings us reliable information about who we are, why we are here, and what humanly appropriate motives are for doing whatever we do. This echoes Don Miller's point in Searching for God Knows What that human beings were designed to have someone outside of themselves (specifically, God) tell them who they are and what their value is.

Character: Another one of Dallas's language tricks, here reconceptualizing information as in-formation; that is, that as Jesus re-establishes our identity, he also transforms our internal character.

Daily Life: You may be very sure that if your intent is to glorify God and bless others in your actions, and you are not motivated by unloving attitudes, you will see the hand of God move with you expectantly do your work. (22) This point anticipates the chapter on Frank Laubach later in the book.