In this lesson we're going to continue our study on how the Master taught, and in so doing see if we can apply His methods to the exercise of our Gift. We'll be looking at the last four areas:

     A parable, or "parabole" (in the Greek) is a story used to drive a doctrinal point home. I have said it before and will say it again, the ordinary disciple "does not learn raw data", and "raw data does not make a student mature in Christ". As humans we learn when we can apply what is taught to our lives. The parable is an effective means of teaching. It takes an illustration from life (something the student has experienced), applies God's Word to that experience, and in so doing helps the student "identify" with the teaching.

Mark 4:2 "And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,"

     Jesus used forty-five parables (that we know of) in His teaching ministry. When the crowd He was speaking to was largely composed of farmers He tied His parables to farming:

Luke 8:4-15 "And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

     The farmer could easily identify with this parable. He understood what it meant to be a "sower", and understood that sowing seed was to cast it, by handfuls, scattered on the topsoil of the ground. The farmer was also familiar with the fact that birds, thorns, and rocks often caused broadcast seed to be non-productive, that it was only the seed that fell on fertile ground that grew into produce fit for the market. As soon as Jesus started this parable I can see all the farmers in the crowd perk up, silently saying to themselves "This man is talking about what I do for a living". Within the first few words of the parable Jesus captured the attention of the listener "by establishing rapport".

     Once rapport is established, Jesus tied the familiar elements of the story to specific Scriptural doctrines. When you mold the teaching of Scripture to the student's life it's no longer dry unrelated statistics but becomes "life changing application" that will help him to grow. Jesus tied the doctrine of Salvation to the following elements:

     The farmer had no trouble understanding and applying this parable to his life. He had seen the same things happen in his field on a regular basis. No farmer who left Jesus' teaching that day would ever look at sowing in quite the same way. This type of message "hits people where they live".

Mark 9:34-37 "But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me."

     There were times when Jesus taught, not with parables, but with "parable like illustrations". Rather than tie this illustration to the lifestyle of the listener He would use the illustration to show how the disciple had just behaved poorly.

     The disciples were all busily arguing among themselves as to who would be "greatest", who would receive the greatest fame on earth and in Heaven for their contributions to Jesus' ministry. This is a common problem among all humans, we want power, fame and fortune.

     In Jesus' day children had no rights, were not recognized as citizens nor even thinking beings until they reach the age of 30. Children had no input into the society they lived in, no impact on their local government, nor any real influence. Jesus pulled a child into the middle of this debate on greatness and, using the child for illustration, showed the disciples what constituted greatness in God's eyes. The disciples were to receive (witness unto salvation) those without status, the silent ones, those with no social power or might into the Kingdom of Heaven. By witnessing to society's rejects they would lose all social power on earth while gaining status in God's Heavenly eyes. The parable like illustration applied to the moment at hand. No disciple of Christ would ever look at a child in the same way again.

Matthew 13:34 "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."

     Jesus taught the "secret" or hidden things of God's Word in parables, just as was prophesied in Psalm 78:2. He spoke parables to communicate the hidden truths of God's Word to those who were interested, and to hide the truths of Scripture from those who were belligerent toward the Gospel. Storytelling and illustrative parables have a definite place in the teacher's tool kit.

Luke 10:29-37 "But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."

     As we mentioned earlier, both student and teacher must participate in the learning process if the disciple is going to reach spiritual maturity. The good teacher "forces" his student to participate in this process. One of the best techniques I've ever seen for forced learning was displayed by our Lord. Jesus often refused to answer the disciple's questions directly, but put the student in the position where he had to find the answer "himself".

     You can see Jesus using this teaching technique in our Luke text. This person came to Jesus not to learn, but to "justify himself". In other words, he wanted to find an excuse for his lifestyle, and thought that Jesus would provide that excuse. Rather than give that excuse Jesus immediately launched into the parable of the Good Samaritan. At the end of the parable (which was interesting enough to hold the listener's attention) Jesus asked, "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?". If the listener was paying attention (and he was), he had no excuse but to answer "He that shewed mercy on him". Jesus agreed, and told him to "Go, and do thou likewise". The lesson was learned. Now, what exactly happened here, and why was this teaching technique so effective?

     The student (I will call him a student, for he did learn from this encounter) came into the classroom (Jesus' presence) with a pre-existing "mental barrier". In order for learning to be effective "all barriers", both mental and physical, must be removed from the learning environment. The greatest task that any teacher faces is removing these barriers to learning. While this barrier was in place (the barrier of "self justification", or "I'm not really such a bad person, am I? Don't others do it, too?") the student was "incapable" of learning Biblical truth. Some of the mental barriers to learning that I've seen as a teacher are:

1. "I know I'm right, and you can't tell me otherwise" - The barrier of "Pride".

2. "Others do it, so why can't I?" - The barrier of "Democracy".

3. "But there were extenuating circumstances. I was forced into it" - The barrier of "Self Justification".

4. "I have experienced it, so it must be true" - The barrier of "Sensuality".

5. "I don't care" - The barrier of "Apathy".

6. "But they hurt me" - The barrier of "self-pity".

7. "It's not exciting enough" - The barrier of "Riot".

8. "I know what you're saying, but..." - The barrier of "Selfishness".

9. "You're not a Theologian nor a Doctor..." - The barrier of "Snobbishness".

10. "I don't do like those others who..." - The barrier of "self-righteousness".

11. "Doctor X teaches..." - The barrier of "Power".

     You will more than likely see students bring all of these mental barriers to class, and while these barriers are in place you might as well be talking to a brick wall. When a student with a mental barrier comes to class the worst thing you can do is evoke direct confrontation. If Jesus had told this student, "You know full well who your neighbor is", the student would have defended his barrier and erected additional barriers by saying "I have nothing at all to do with these people. I am in no way like them (self-righteousness), and they are beneath my station. Besides, you're just that Carpenter's Son, aren't you (Snobbishness)."

     If Jesus had told the student, "The Mosaic Law teaches that your neighbor is...", he would have responded with "But Rabbi X teaches... (Power)". In either case Jesus would have gotten an argument, the student would have learned nothing, and the lesson would be in shambles.

     What Jesus did was far more unique and creative. He simply told a story and asked the student, "based on the illustrative story", to tell who the neighbor was. Jesus understood this principle and it's high time that all teachers understood the same: "no one can argue with themselves!" By forcing the student to answer his own question all arguments were averted while the learning process was promoted. Only a mental idiot will stand out, in public, and argue with himself.

Application: By allowing the student to find his own answer arguments are averted and learning is restored.

Matthew 21:23-32 "And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him."

     Another beautiful example where Jesus, by allowing the student to find his own answer, averted an argument while preserving the learning environment. In the above text the self-righteous Jews actually interrupted Jesus while He was teaching seeking to pick a fight. They came into the stable teaching environment with one goal in mind, to disrupt learning in progress while belittling the teacher. In the course of teaching I have had the "joy" of having people come to class just to prove the teacher wrong. You will have the same experience. Some students are forever unteachable because they come not to learn but to disrupt. When this happens, the teacher is responsible for skillfully maintaining the learning environment so that the "teachable" students are not robbed of their growth.

     When these self-righteous Jews walked into Jesus' classroom He could have "ignored" their remarks. Yet by ignoring them, Jesus would have been perceived by some of the "teachable" students as One who was unable to withstand these slanderers. The teachable students would have then have doubted the Lord, doubt would have erected a mental barrier, and the teachable would have become unteachable. The learning environment would be destroyed.

     When these self-righteous Jews walked into Jesus' classroom He could have "directly responded" to their remarks. Yet this would have led to a vicious circle of arguing. Back and forth argument between the teacher and the heckler halts the lesson while allowing the teachable students to start raising mental barriers. Had Jesus succumbed to this tactic some of His students would have listened to the arguments of the hecklers. Some would have even began empathizing with them, thinking "I never thought of it that way". The learning environment would be destroyed.

     Jesus refused to fall into either trap. Instead He did what the disrupters least expected: He asked them to respond to His question "first" before He would respond to theirs. His question was elegant in it's simplicity: "The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?"

     The question the Jews asked Jesus related to Heavenly Authority, so Jesus simply asked these troublemakers whether John the Baptist's ministry was authorized by Heaven or the World. Suddenly these self-righteous Priests and Elders were confronted with a dilemma. John was at the height of his popularity, and was considered by the common Jew to be a revered Prophet from God. John was the first to publicly proclaim Jesus to be Messiah (Matthew 3:11-15). If the Priests claimed that John's authority came from God, and John proclaimed Jesus to be Messiah, then Jesus would have answers "Why did ye not then believe him?". By admitting to John's Heavenly authority they would be forced into admitting Jesus' Heavenly Authority. If, on the other hand, they answered "Of men", the people would be outraged. John was "their" Prophet, God given, and they identified with his message. The Priests feared that the people, in their outrage, would tear them to pieces. Trapped by their own error the Priests answered just like all hypocrites and troublemakers always answer. They answered by "straddling the fence", "We cannot tell". Since they did not answer, Jesus refused to answer, though He took the lesson a step farther.

     In full control of His class Jesus told a parable of two sons, one claiming obedience but failing to act on it, whereas the other claimed disobedience but did what his father said. He asked the Priests to declare who truly did the will of the father, the one who rebelled but still did what was required, or the one who did not practice what he preached. These self-righteous rioters answered "The first", and by their own words Jesus condemned them. He used the "paideuo", or chastening form of teaching (see lesson one) to drive the point home to both the Priests and His students.

Matthew 16:13-16 "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

     There comes a point in the learning environment when, as a teacher, you "must evaluate" what your students have learned. Unless you know where they "are", spiritually, how will you know what to teach next? Some teachers take the approach of the college professor. They stand in front of the classroom and spout facts, never pausing to allow the student to offer feedback. Teachers like this may be good at what they do. They may be fully grounded in the Word, may even be Theologians or Doctors of Theology. But their students never learn like those who sit under a Teacher who encourages feedback. They also "lose students". The student "wants" to participate in the learning experience, "wants" to feel that he contributed to his Spiritual growth and even that of others in the class. Otherwise, he can always stay at home and listen to a television preacher.

     Jesus had been teaching His disciples for three years. Now it was time to evaluate where they were in their spiritual growth. He did this by asking two simple questions:

1. Who do men say that I am?, and,

2. Who do you say that I am?

     He got the answer He was looking for from Peter, who said "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God". Mission accomplished, they "had" been listening!

Matthew 9:10 "And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples."

     In a perfect world the teacher could go to the classroom, sit down, and students would flock to hear the Word of God expounded. After all, these are the Words of Life, vital to Spiritual growth. In a perfect world the teacher would have a full classroom every Sunday. "Wake up! We don't live in a perfect world."

     Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, studied human behavior and came up with a model that he called the "Hierarchy of Needs". Each human has these needs in their life, and seeks to satisfy them before moving on to the next tier of need satisfaction. Maslow defined the hierarchy of needs (Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper.) as follows:

1. Physiological: hunger, thirst, bodily comforts, etc.;
2. Safety/security: out of danger;
3. Belongingness and Love: affiliate with others, be accepted;
4. Esteem: to achieve, be competent, gain approval and recognition.
5. Cognitive: to know, to understand, and explore;
6. Aesthetic: symmetry, order, and beauty;
7. Self actualization: to find self-fulfillment and realize one's potential; and
8. Transcendence: to help others find self-fulfillment and realize their potential.

     Maslow theorized that once the human satisfied the first, most basic need (physiological), then he would start to satisfy the second need (safety/security), move on to the third need, satisfy it, and so on until all needs were met. If a need previously met was threatened (such as by loss of his job, need #1 was disrupted), the person would stop growth in the other areas of need satisfaction in order to correct this problem.

     Whether you believe Maslow to be right or wrong, it "is a fact" that people need to feel like they belong. If they do not feel like they belong, they will go where they can satisfy this need. Maslow recognized this as the third tier in his hierarchy. The teacher needs to realize that their students learn best in the environment where they feel they are needed and wanted.

     Jesus understood this principle. In fact, He was accused of being a "wine-bibber" (excessive drinker) by the Orthodox Jews because He made it a point to visit the "publicans and sinners". You see, Jesus took the Sunday School Outreach program to extremes! He didn't just rely on word of mouth to carry His ministry to the masses, He actually "went out" and sought converts.

     I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "I have a full time job, a family to raise, a husband to feed, (or) a wife to care for. I just don't have time to visit everyone in my class!". Well, neither does anyone else. Our lives are busy, and we're all struggling to make a living. Unlike Jesus' day, though, we "do" have alternate means of communication. We can pick up the phone and call someone. We can E-Mail believers who are on the Internet. We can drop a postcard in the Post Office. There are ways to communicate and let your students know that they belong.

     Furthermore, do you need to visit the "regular members" of your class? Members who are coming to class regularly have, by their very actions, demonstrated that their "sense of belonging" has already been met in the class. The ones you need to visit are (just as in Our Lord's case) the ones who have dropped out, the first time visitors, the sinners and the publicans. These people may need a personal visit if you ever expect them to come back to class. It may be a little effort, but the payoff is eternal life for them and a "well done, My good and faithful servant" from the Lord.

Luke 7:36-48 "And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven."

     Jesus often visited at the request of His students, but never allowed an opportunity to teach slip away. When Simon invited Jesus to his house to eat he didn't believe he was inviting the Messiah, nor even a Prophet, to dine with him. He thought that he was inviting an "interesting man", perhaps even a celebrity. Simon already had certain mental blocks in place that hindered him from learning from the Master. I am sure that Jesus knew (or sensed) that Simon wanted Him to visit in order to prove (to himself) that the Messiah was little more than a good Teacher. This not withstanding, Jesus still responded to Simon's invitation.

     As teachers you will often have students that come to your class with no other thought in mind but to discredit you. If these students can't discredit you (and in so doing, hinder your effectiveness as a teacher) in public, they will sometimes seek to find a chink in your armor in private. Should you be concerned about this? No, not if you are a God called teacher grounded in His Word. Private moments with the disruptive student can often open avenues of rapport that you were not able to establish in the classroom environment. Do as Jesus did: visit the disruptive student. Seek to establish rapport. In so doing you may reach a soul for Christ.

     When Simon saw the prostitute minister to Jesus he "spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet".... When Jesus walked through his door Simon started looking for something that would support his own self justification, his own self-righteousness. This situation was, in his mind, made to order. "Jesus has a whore washing his feet. Surely He can't be Messiah, much less a Prophet!".

     Jesus sensed what was on Simon's mind. Did He "read" Simon's mind? No, I don't think so. The good teacher watches the posture, the eyes, and the overall demeanor of his students. I believe Jesus saw Simon acting uncomfortable, watched how he looked at the prostitute, and watched how he winced when the woman touched Him. While Simon was looking for an opportunity to discredit Jesus, Our Lord was looking for an opportunity to open Simon's eyes to the Word. Jesus then did something radical. Rather than immediately chastise Simon for his self-righteousness He told him a parable, and at the end of the parable asked him to "come to a conclusion".

     Simon was ready, with mental barriers fully raised, to judge and argue with the Lord of All. He wasn't, however, ready to argue with himself. "Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?" By asking Simon to judge which debtor would love the creditor most (a simple question), Simon was "forced" to turn from judging the Lord and "caused" to think about the lesson. Simon answered "I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most". With these words Simon began to participate in the learning process. Jesus responded: "Thou hast rightly judged". With these words Jesus acknowledged that Simon had entered the learning process. If we were to compare what Jesus did against Maslow's Hierarchy we'd see that the fourth level of needs, "esteem", was being satisfied. Jesus "affirmed" this need, and in His next breath (using negative reinforcement) rocked Simon by comparing his actions as host to that of the prostitute.

     Simon, so self assured and self-righteous, suddenly saw that the prostitute had greater qualities of spirituality than he had. He was "forced" to acknowledge this to himself, for by his very words "to whom he forgave most" Simon created the environment that he was now learning in. As only a fool will argue with himself Simon had to lay aside those mental barriers and look at Jesus' teaching while applying it to his life. "The visit was successful!"

Luke 19:2-10 "And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

     Why visit your students? Why go out of your way to visit the "undesirable" among mankind? You'll find the answer to your questions in the story of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a lonely man, a man without friends, a man with no sense of belonging. First of all, Zacchaeus was "little of stature" . As a child he watched as his acquaintances grew tall and strong while he reached a certain height and stopped growing. If modern times are reflective of ancient times (and I'm sure they are), Zacchaeus was picked on at school for being different. He was probably the target of every class bully there ever was. This caused him to work hard to build up esteem among his peers when he was an adult. He worked hard, pushed and shoved, and did everything he could do to attain power and wealth. He fought to the top of his chosen profession and became "the chief among the publicans", the head of the bartenders union so to speak. He attained his wealth. Even with all of this, he was a lonely man, a man with no sense of belonging.

     Zacchaeus probably had been tagging along with the Lord, hidden in the fringes of the crowd that constantly followed His ministry. He was so small he was easily shoved to the side. He could hear the Lord teaching, but pitifully he couldn't see the Messiah. Zacchaeus' drive to "belong" was so great that he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up in a tree. I can almost hear him thinking, "They can't push me out of the way here. They can't keep me from seeing Jesus while I'm in this tree." The best that Zacchaeus expected was to "see" the Master. Little did he know that Jesus would look up and say, "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house".

     The unbeliever who visits your class "came to class" because he's seeking. Somewhere in his heart of hearts he knows that he needs more from this life than he has, he wants to grow into something better. Though he may not admit it publicly, he needs the message of the Gospel that the teacher can provide through the Word of God.

     Why should you visit those who visit your class? Why did Jesus visit Zacchaeus? Because the spark of Salvation was there. Jesus knew that if He went to Zacchaeus' house the visit would fan that spark into the flame of Eternal Life. The first time visitor, though he is seeking, is a little insecure.

     You see, he's in an unfamiliar surrounding ("My, this place is big") meeting new people ("Do I look all right? Wonder what they think of me?"). Some of the concepts you introduce during the lesson may be unfamiliar to him ("What in the world is he talking about?"). Sure, we shake their hands, and invite them to come back next week. We make all the right "sincere" noises that are expected of the teacher - host. The fact of the matter is, this person is just plain "uncomfortable". You see, he's not at home where he is. Unless you make some effort to visit him the following week "where he is comfortable", that is, at home, you'll probably never see him again.

     When you meet the student at home you show him that you're really sincere, not just mouthing the vain catechisms of your Church visitation program. This establishes rapport between the student and the teacher. All people are comfortable in their familiar home surroundings. This adds to the rapport your visit started, and on this rapport you can introduce the Gospel message (if he's unsaved) or encourage him to return to Church the next Sunday.

     Does visiting work? Well, look at Zacchaeus. When Jesus came into his house, he told the Lord: "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold" . The murmurers stood outside the house, erecting mental blocks of self-righteousness against Jesus. "How dare He enter the house of a sinner? What kind of teacher is this Jesus anyway?" Jesus, just as all teachers, was not concerned about His appearance or reputation before the people. He wasn't concerned as to whether His actions appeared "dignified" or not. He was concerned for the soul of His student. His response: "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham" . Mission accomplished! If visiting the student worked for Our Lord, I can't think of one reason why it won't work for us.

Matthew 20:17-19 "And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again."

     There are two instances that stand out as we approach this section, Separating the unteachable from the teachable. These instances can impact your teaching ministry and show you that, hard as you might try through the Filling of the Spirit, fully prepared in the Word, there will be times when students will come to class completely unteachable.

     Some years ago a retired pastor was offered the opportunity to teach in a small Baptist church. During the course of the lesson he expounded Isaiah 64:6, which reads:

Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

     He focused on the words "filthy rags", the Hebrew 'ed beged. God specifically chose these words for Isaiah to show how disgusted He is with our own silly human righteousness, to show how far our feeble attempts at "being good" fall short of salvation.

     You see, in biblical times people didn't have to conveniences that we have today. When women came into their monthly menstrual cycle (which God knows all about. After all, He created women with this cycle) they used "beged" for protection. At the end of the day the "beged" was, naturally, soiled, so they were disposed of as 'ed beged. While the woman was in her cycle levitical Law (Leviticus 15:19-30) specified that she was unclean for seven days. Her husband could not touch her, lest he also become unclean. She was to be totally unto herself until the issue of blood passed, after that she was clean. God used 'ed beged to emphasize that our righteousness is unclean, totally unacceptable to Him.

     The pastor taught this lesson delicately, used exact statements out of the King James, and was as careful as he could be to avoid offending anyone while getting God's point across. All of the students but one understood the message, applied the message, and grew as believers. One student, however, smiled through the entire lesson, nodded his head at all the right spots, and outwardly showed that he was in agreement. His hypocrisy became evident a few months later when the pastor found out (through the Elders of the Church) that the student had approached the Elders immediately after the lesson and accused the pastor of heresy.

     The student claimed that the visiting pastor "made up" this doctrine, was heathen in his approach to the Scripture, and inferred that the visiting pastor was unsaved. Regardless as to his unwarranted attacks, "the student continued to come to the visiting pastors Bible classes faithfully every Sunday morning", even after the pastor discovered his attempts at back stabbing the teacher. He did not come to learn, but came with the intention of "getting evidence" sufficient to expel the visiting pastor from the Church. The man was totally unteachable.

     In the second instance, the same retired pastor was teaching a series out of Daniel chapter 5 during the evening service at another church. He reached the lesson in Daniel 5:25-28 where Daniel interpreted the "writing on the wall" and he quoted from Daniel 5:25, which reads:

Daniel 5:25 "And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN."

     An old gentleman, sitting in the back of the church, suddenly perked up. The pastor had kept his eyes on him the whole service, trying his best to reach him with the lesson. Up until now he was inattentive, often thumbing through the song books or his Bible. Now that the pastor had his attention he repeated the last four words of Daniel 5:25 and moved on in the lesson.

     At the end of the service the old man shook the pastors hand, said he enjoyed it, and left. The next day one of the Elders of the Church approached the retired pastor and started to rebuke him. The Elder said that it was reported to him that the pastor had "spoken tongues in Church without an interpreter present". The pastor was, mildly put, completely astonished. First of all, though the retired pastor was saved in the Charismatic Church, his position on speaking in Tongues was quite well known. He himself no longer spoke nor attempt to speak in Tongues, and was know to caution all believers against such practices.

     On further questioning the pastor discovered the instance the Elder was referring to was "when the pastor quoted" Daniel 5:25. You see, the old Gentleman (or hypocrite: you choose) wasn't paying attention to the lesson. When the pastor quoted Daniel 5:25 suddenly, here's something exciting! The speaker is using Tongues in a Baptist Church! Through the remainder of the lesson (which he ignored) he couldn't wait to get out of the service so he could go "spread the dirt" on the pastor. Until the pastor explained what happened to the Elder, the Elder had already erected a mental block against the pastor's teaching ministry. This old Gentleman was totally unteachable.

     What seems to take teachers years to learn Jesus knew from the beginning. Though vast crowds followed Him as He taught (often upwards of 5000), He often left the crowds behind and focused on His twelve disciples. He weeded out those who followed the message because it was the "in" thing. The 4988 were left to their own devices while He prepared the twelve "teachable" disciples for their upcoming ministries. (By the way, He kept Judas with Him because Judas, prophetically, would have to betray Christ in order that the Cross be fulfilled)

Mark 10:32-34 "And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again."

     Separate the teachable from the unteachable. Separate those "more" teachable from those "less" teachable. What do we mean by this? Should you weed out your class, and throw those who are clearly uninterested in the message out of the room while keeping only the best and brightest students? "Absolutely not! Absolutely not!!" Those who sit, disinterested and apathetic, may one day exhibit the spark of salvation that you can fan into the flame of eternal life. Don't throw them out. But let me ask you this: Do you have any students that you have noticed are growing? Do you have students that are starting to exhibit the spiritual Gifts so necessary for the growth of the Body? If so, make a special time and focus on them apart from the regular Sunday mob. Spend a little quality time with the learners. The reason that the Church is so woefully short of teachers is because so few acting teachers reach out and encourage those who are starting to exhibit the qualities of the teacher. We all seem to be too busy to encourage one another in growth. How sad, and how disastrous for the Church!

Matthew 17:1-2 "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

     Look at the formula that Jesus used. He spent ample time in the public eye, teaching all who would listen. Yet He took the time to lead "auxiliary classes" for the twelve disciples (all but one would later become Apostles to the Church). He saw the seed of growth in the twelve (perhaps with the exception of Judas) and spent time nourishing that growth. He saw "exceptional growth" in three of the disciples (Peter, James, and John), and drew them apart from the other nine for further teaching and encouragement.

     These three would later become the pillars that all the other Apostles looked to for leadership. Let's apply this to your teaching environment. If you have (hypothetically speaking) thirty students each Sunday, watch and see which of these students consistently pay attention to the lesson:

• How many raise their hands to answer questions?
• How many are quick to stand forward to serve?
• How many show the propensity for Christian leadership?

     What would happen to these learners if you started an informal "by invitation only" Saturday morning Bible study? They would accelerate in their growth, that's what would happen. Of the ones who attend the informal Bible study, how many have shown forth the first fruits of the teacher? Could you spend a little private time with just these few? If you did, and if you encouraged them in their Gift, next year the Church wouldn't have to go around begging for teachers. Think about it.

John 6:66 "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve."

As one pastor said:

     "Though I love teaching all people, and though I love to teach for the joy of the Cross, I would rather my Gift promote servant leaders for the Church. Though it would satisfy my inner sinful man to teach and be acclaimed as a teacher of God by thousands, I would rather teach ten or eleven who will heed God's Word, grow, and become the leaders of our Church tomorrow."

     The teacher's job is to nourish the flock, to promote Christian growth, and to enable (as God permits and empowers) the leaders of tomorrow. Are you effective as a teacher? Are you striving with all of your Gift to perform that which God has commissioned you to do? God help you to follow the examples that Jesus left as you serve Him in this great Work of God.

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Last modified: 11/21/2002