Jones: Going back to school
By Lynn Jones
A teacher was asked, “Why did you enter the teaching profession?” She responded, “There were three major reasons: June, July, and August.” Because of the expanded school year, a teacher could give only two reasons: June and July. On the other hand, this week across our area, hundreds of bright, happy faces are turning toward school. These are the faces of mothers who are dropping their children off at school.
Going back to school is a ritual that is centuries old. In the New Testament, Paul said that he was born in the city of Tarsus, but then he added that he was brought up in the city of Jerusalem “at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3). He was a student of Gamaliel. It may have been that Paul showed such promise as a student that his family arranged for him to go to Jerusalem for the purpose of becoming the student of Gamaliel.
You can imagine how Paul must have felt on the first day of school in Jerusalem. He had spent the first years of his life in Tarsus. Some of the students in Jerusalem probably looked down on anyone from such a distant, Greek-dominated city. Paul was undoubtedly apprehensive about how he would fit in here. It was a new teacher, a new city, and a new course of study. He came in and sat down at the feet of the great teacher for the first day of school. Learning is important. It was so important that Paul and his parents made great sacrifices so he would have the best education possible.
When James Sanders published his book, God Has a Story Too, he dedicated it in an unusual way. On the dedication page are these words: “For Sisters Agnes and Iris and my sister, Nell, women who told me the tomb was empty, and for Ruth and Joe Brown Love, who told me my head need not be.” We can have trusting hearts and trained minds. The two go together. We need to work to develop them both.
Education helps us be good stewards of the gifts that God has given us. Paul was a gifted student. Not everyone is as gifted as Paul was. What is needed is for each of us to be as faithful with the gifts that God has given us as we can be. He has designed us to fill many different positions in the kingdom and in the world. That includes preparing ourselves through education in order to use these gifts from Him.
You may not be going back to school this year, but in some way you ought to be involved in education. Education is not something you’ve got. It is something you’re always getting. Keep your eyes open and your antennae up. God has something to teach you today!
Lynn Jones is a retired pastor who lives in Oxford. He does supply preaching for churches in his area and often serves as an interim pastor. Jones is also an author, has written two books and writes a weekly newspaper column. He may be contacted at: kljones45@yahoo.com.
