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Jesus The Master Teacher
Not many people like to take a test. Some people can breeze through a test. Others struggle all the way through it. Therefore, most would consider it unfair how some do not sweat a test while others cannot bear the pressure.
Life gives us impromptu tests. Those tests come without “fair warning”. They enter our life unexpectedly, even though we think we are prepared and know what to do. Those tests “try” not only our patience; they try our faith, hope, courage, conviction, devotion, and love. We would all readily admit to receiving some “red marks” after the tests pass by, but will we learn from them? Are we so focused on the mistake and our imperfections that we fail to see there will be another “testing” opportunity for growth in front of us? We need to learn from Jesus, the perfect example on how to avoid the “red marks” on our next test in life.
Jesus was, is, and forever will be the master teacher. We need to continually ask Him, “Teacher, what good shall I do…?” (Matthew 19:16). With every question, the Lord has an answer. He did for those who asked Him. Then, He gave answers to those who never asked. He taught lessons about life most often in the form of parables. He taught in that manner to bring in life experiences to which we can all relate at different times in our lives. In each parable, Jesus presented a great lesson a person can apply in numerous ways to their life for years to come. One important point about His parables was not so much the beginning of the story, but the end. The emphasis of His message often fell on the last person mentioned, the last deed, or the last saying. The stress our Lord places at the last of a parable causes the listener to investigate his/her own life. Jesus anticipates the listener will respond by following Him to hear, learn, and grow more in what God wants all His followers to be.
How many lessons you learn from Jesus depends on the number of times you have practiced what He taught. A parable, command, exhortation, or principle looks good in print or by word of mouth, but its greatest influence is being actively used. This is where we are tested. Will we apply what the Teacher has taught us? This is how a lesson is learned and a test is passed. “As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6,7).
