Spiritual Formation Insights from Dallas Willard

This article is the fourth in a series looking at the top insights from the life and work of Dallas Willard. In this article, we look at the third insight – Jesus is the greatest genius!

• The first article was an introduction (Dallas Willard – Spiritual Formation Insights That Will Propel Your Growth).
• The second was about the four great questions of life (What did Dallas Willard Believe About Reality and the Good Life).
• The third article was about identity and death (Dallas Willard: Insight #2 – What is a human being?).

We will continue to explore additional insights in future articles.

Insight #3 – Jesus Is the Greatest Genius

What comes to mind when you think about Jesus? He was loving. He hung out with the sinners. Jesus died for our sins. Maybe you think about his moral teachings. Do to others what you would want them to do to you. There are many superlatives we can apply to Jesus. He was the most loving. He was the most holy, most religious. There are many other things we could add to this list. But do you think of Jesus as the smartest human ever to live?

The genius of Jesus may be most obvious in his moral teaching. The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 is widely regarded as one of the most profound moral teachings in history. Whether people realize it or not, much of western civilization is built on Christian values. The relationships he built and the way he related to people also stand out as a powerful example to follow. But does the genius of Jesus go beyond just being a good teacher?

Dallas Willard claims that Jesus was the greatest genius ever. He was intelligent. He knew what he was talking about. It can be easier to see how Jesus can be an authority in certain areas of life more than others. Jesus can be a trusted authority on ethics, relationships, and religious practices. It can be harder to see Jesus as an authority in math, science, computer programming, accounting, landscaping, etc. because they were not part of the context and setting of the first century Jewish culture that Jesus was in.

Why does the genius of Jesus matter?

What would it look like to view Jesus as a genius in your field? This will look different for each of us, but regardless, it will likely elevate your view of Jesus. This adds a fresh angle for awe and worship. The genius of Jesus can also broaden the impact of your faith into the smaller and less noteworthy aspects of your life. Lastly, it can also elevate the value you ascribe to these areas. What value do you think your actions would have if they were done by Jesus? Would it look different? How can you take a similar approach?

If the authority of Jesus is limited to certain spheres of your life, your journey of discipleship will be stifled. Can you really devote your whole life to following someone you think is not intelligent? Who doesn’t understand the way things really are in your present situation? It can become easier to follow Jesus in all areas of your life when you view Jesus as a leading authority in all areas of your life.