Why is Jesus called “the Good Teacher”?

Our beneficent Messiah transforms what seems to us to be evil into what is for our good and our benefit. In possessing Him, we possess goodness itself. St. Ambrose says, “in adding ‘Good Master’, the ruler is making out our Lord to be only partially good, and not totally good. For only God is totally good, while humankind is but partially good. This explains why the Lord says: ‘why do you call me good, you who deny that I am God. Why call me good when only God is good?’ He is not denying that He is good, but He is pointing out that He is God … And if the Father is good, He who received all from the Father (cf. John 17:10) is most certainly good.”⁷⁵⁴

751 St. Maximius of Turin, The Sermons of St. Maximus of Turin 73.1 (ACW 50:178). 752

St. Augustine of Hippo, Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 85.3 (NPNF I/7:352) amended.

753 St. Ambrose of Milan, Commentary of St. Ambrose on the Gospel according to Saint Luke , trans., Ide M.

Ni Riain (Dublin: Halcyon Press, 2001) 7.210: p. 258.

754 St. Ambrose of Milan, Commentary of St. Ambrose on the Gospel according to Saint Luke , trans., Ide M.

Ni Riain (Dublin: Halcyon Press, 2001) 8.65, 66: pp. 293.