T-4.II – The Devoted Teacher (paragraphs 14 to 25)
April 5, 2021
In the first part of this section, we saw the comparison drawn of the egotistical teacher and the devoted teacher. The egotistical teacher is one who fears either being exalted or rejected by his audience or pupil. The egotistical teacher is invested in his image, and the impression his image has on the audience. And yet there is no way out of conflict and fear, as either exaltation or rejection will cause separation to increase. If his teaching is well-received, he is praised. If his teaching falls on deaf ears or is found wanting, his image falls with it.
The way out of this conflict is for the teacher to acknowledge his worth was established by God (14:2). It does not falter or waiver based on impression. In fact, he is not an image at all. He is real just as God is real. The teacher is a Son of God “in whom God is well pleased” (18:1). The way this serves us is by removing all performance anxiety about our teaching. “Nothing you do or think or will or make is necessary to establish your worth” (15:1). This does not mean we do not care about the output – what we teach. Rather, accepting our worth leads to devotion. When we determine not to present a “false and unworthy picture” of ourselves to others (20:7), then God becomes inevitable to us. We secure His love as the gift of His creation, and our teaching then flows without fear. All anxiety over the impressions formed of us through our performance in the teaching role fall away.
Jesus offers to guidance and support in this process. He is like an elder brother who has “shown himself responsible” to have a child [us] left in his care (23:2). Remarkably, he offers more to us than what we normally conceive as being offered by a brother; he offers to protect our body and our ego (23:3), which are entrusted to him (24:1). We may be curious as Course students by this statement that Jesus would protect our ego. It is quite intriguing! Especially since we are told to withdraw our protection from the ego, which is an investment in fear (20:1).
I take this statement about offering protection to acknowledge that stepping in front of an audience to perform or present a teaching involves some vulnerability to our self-concept. We want to look half-way decent. We do not want to fall on our face, or be taken as a fool, and more than we want harm or embarrassment over our bodies. When he says he protects our body and our ego, it means that we can experience grace with him.
If we allow Jesus to substitute for our ego, we can gracefully come and go from teaching experiences without anxiety over performance. He will do his part to ensure we are seen in a good light. Like a true elder brother, he has our back (though he knows we are under no real threat). He has he can do this because he himself experienced temptation to believe the body and ego were important (24:2). Now he teaches us to learn their unimportance from him.
The section closes with a reminder to Bill and Helen both. Here was the original wording:
“I need devoted teachers as much as I need devoted priestesses. They both heal the mind, and that is always my own aim. The Soul is far beyond the need for your protection or mine.”
Here we can see why protection is offered to the body and the ego. The soul needs no protection being eternal and whole. Jesus needs Bill as a teacher, as he needs Helen in her priestess role. Both are being prepared for their “very lofty functions” (19:2). We should see this section as related to our own experience. We are being prepared for our teaching assignments, just as our scribes were.
When we step into this role fully prepared and uninvested in our image, then we begin to heal others. That is the goal Jesus has in mind. It is always about healing. I am reminded of the words in Second Isaiah:
“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word” (Is. 50:4).
Suggested Practice
I accept the grace that is given me by allowing Jesus to substitute for my ego.