The Good News and What People Really Think

The teachings of Jesus are often called the good news.  Of course when Jesus was around there was not much good news.   Life was short and cheap.  The Roman's ruled with an iron hand.  Exorbitant taxes were waged to fund the expansion and maintenance of the Roman empire.  Crucifixion and other death sentences were used to enforce Roman control.   What beyond the common drudgery of daily life was there to live for.  These, like all people, were thoughtful and reflected on their world and obviously found joys amongst the many cruelties life brought.  

From all this a need for a better life emerged.  Undoubtedly many rose to the call of finding a path to a better life.  As the opportunities for real change were likely very small there was a movement amongst some to turn inward to that part of life which is limited only by the ability of man to control his thinking and ideas.   From that Jesus declared what his ideas of how you might direct the part of your life which you could control for the betterment of yourself and others.   Although the Bibles new testament has been rewritten many times and those words attributed to Jesus were written maybe 200 or 300 years after his death and likely are very innacurate as a result there are some common themes which come forth.  

This is my interpretation of those themes from my read of the Gospels with specific reference to

The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say? The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus, by Robert Funk.  You can click on the title to find it on Amazon or just Google it and you can find a number of sites which cover the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and yes Timothy.  Of course there are others called the Gnostic gospels which are not included in the accepted Christian bibles but none the less related stories which are said to surround Jesus' life.   I have not studies these closely so I really don't have an opinion on those. 
Below are the themes which I have gleaned as being the real message of Jesus.  I have not registered where I agree or disagree with these themes but as so many people are believers in this as a whole I must spend some time understanding this to evaluate where my beliefs fit or don't in this scheme.

1.      Worship of God
2.      Treating others as you wish to be treated
3.      Opportunity  (resurrection of the spirit can happen in you at any time)

a.       You have the right to opportunity as a human being (even Jesus – many must have considered him the bastard child of unknown father)

                          i.      You have the tools to seek opportunity

                          ii.      You can escape desperation!

b.      Forgiveness

                          i.      You have the right and responsibility to forgive and experience forgiveness

                          ii.      This right is encouraged

c.       Community

                           i.      Everyone can participate in the community

                           ii.      Anyone can enter at any time

                           iii.      Be generous

                           iv.      Be Humble

4.      The results?

a.       simplicity

b.       feeling you are a part of something bigger than self  

c.       peace