Seeing the crowds, he [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:1-12 ESV).
My good friend, Truman Oakley, is a science teacher at Eustace High School in Texas. He has been using a wonderful technique involving the students in incredible hands-on experiences in what has been named “Bulldog Woods.” The High School is located near some acreage that is partially wooded. Being in a relatively rural setting, it is teaming with various wild animals. He has set up trail cameras to capture photos and videos of the various comings and goings of the critters. It also has a pond where he has taken the students on a regular “field trip” (it is only a ten-minute walk from the classroom). They found some tadpoles and brought them back to the classroom to place them in various aquariums to watch their metamorphoses. The lessons he teaches are incredibly powerful for these students. He is what I would qualify as a “master teacher.”
Today we begin a series looking at THE Master Teacher of all time. Jesus was renowned as a teacher. His closest followers called him Rabbi, which means teacher. His memorable stories caused people to apply their faith in new ways. Jesus’ sermon on the mount (found in Matthew 5-7) contains some of Christianity’s most powerful teachings. Jesus also asked really good questions. Jesus posed more than 300 recorded questions during his teaching ministry, and during this month’s series of devotions we will look at 31 of them. Jesus asked questions that were profound, curious, open-ended, and challenging. Jesus wanted us to think carefully about living for and serving God in this world. And he directly answered only a handful of his own questions. My hope is that these devotionals will spur us on to live faithfully for the Lord who came so that we can have a truly abundant life.
[By the way, should you desire to follow the adventures of the Bulldog Woods, you can follow Truman on Face Book. You won’t be disappointed with his insightful records of he and his students.]