I can still remember from my school days occasions when the teacher would leave us as a class to get on with work he had assigned us to do; while he attended to urgent business elsewhere.

 

The whole leaving us alone concept was built on the presumption that we would do what we were asked to do.  Not only that but we would do it without getting distracted or get up to any mischief.  I suppose it was possible; just not likely.

 

Silence would last for about 30-40 seconds.  One or two boys would begin to talk.  Then three or four and within a matter of minutes free flowing conversations across the room were being conducted at playground volume.  But talking was never enough we always got into some sort of war throwing stuff at each other.  The larger the object the funnier it seemed to be.  Chaos descended within a matter of 5-10 minutes.

 

Of course everyone joined in because we all wanted to be seen as part of the crowd.   That was at least until the teacher reappeared.  Then everyone tried to convince the teacher that they were not part of that same crowd.  No one wanted to have a starring role in the consequences that inevitably followed. 

 

We were all innocent of course and the code of silence was unbreakable much to the teacher’s frustration.  But he had one trick the smarter students knew and the less gifted never picked up.  To sort out the issue he would check to see if you had at least done what he had asked.  So the idea was- do the work first and you were safe.  Of course not actually being caught throwing the over ripe orange across the room helped a lot too.

 

Jesus is no schoolmaster and we are not school children. 

 

Nevertheless thinking about my story reminds us of a very sobering aspect of our walk with God.  He will be very interested in whether we actually did what we were asked to do. 

 

Our love for Jesus is measured by whether we do what He asks not whether He does what we ask.  How are you doing?

Steve and Chris Green  

Pastors