The Book of Jesus?

Ive often wondered why Jesus himself never wrote a book. He had so much knowledge, love and wisdom, that writing a book would be an invaluable tool. I have found some really valid reasons for the lack of his authorship, but not enough to fully appease my curiosity. For instance, writing back then, was a laborious task. It took a long time, usually dictating to a scribe, and I suppose Jesus had more humanitarian things to do.

When I examined the culture back then, a few things made sense to me. We, in our modern life, put a lot more importance in the written word. Back then, the literacy rate was very low, and oral communication was by far, the most common form of communication. Still others could read, but not write. In the Jewish culture, the reading, and understanding of the Torah was very important, this was another reason to get some kind of education. I believe Jesus was a very learned person, he quoted from the Torah many, many times, and argued theology in the temple. This leads me to believe he could at least read.

Still other arguments I have ran across, make some good points. Perhaps doing deeds, and teaching were far more important things to do. Perhaps it seems self serving for the Messiah to write about himself. Perhaps we should read less, and do more, don’t worry about theology, and worry about how he lived his life. Healing people, praying, loving his neighbor.

My issue with that , is some things were very important to him. He knew scripture well, so he must have placed some value to it. I Matthew, Jesus has this to say :

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Here, the Law, is the Torah, and the prophets, is the rest of the Tenach. He continues in Luke :

Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Luk 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

The way I see it, the writings were very important to him. Obviously, he was a practicing Jew, so he would have heard the teachings every Sabbath, and it showed. Perhaps, they were so important, that the thought of writing, never crossed his mind. Perhaps everything one would ever need to read, was already written? After all, he knew he was going to die, and wasn’t going to be around very long. If there were something to add, something important, would he not have seen to it, that it was done before he was crucified?

This is not to say, that anything written after the prophets writings were not important. After all, the New Testament writings are all to important for all of us. I just wonder, if they are as important, than the writings Jesus himself talked about in those verses above. Hmmm… the over-thinking continues….