You Are a Visual Aid
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Not too long ago I read a story about a guy who was in the construction business. He had hired some laborers outside of his regular work force in order to finish a construction job on time. One day as he was walking through the jobsite he was a particularly bothered by the fact that 3 or 4 of these hourly employees had been standing around talking and not doing any work. He walked by once - didn't say anything. He walked by again about 10 minutes later - they were still talking. He walked by a third time a full 30 minutes after he had noticed them the first time, and they were still fanning the breeze with their conversation. Finally he decided that enough was enough. So he walked over to where they were standing and without a word, took a 100 dollar bill out of his pocket, struck a match, and watched the flame consume the money. When it was gone, he said to the startled men, “That's what your standing around has cost me during just the last 30 minutes!” and he walked back into his office. You can imagine their reaction to their boss' rather dramatic object lesson. They very hurriedly got back to work. I would venture those men never forgot that illustration on cheating an employer by lingering too long at the water cooler.
Anybody that has done any teaching at all is well aware of the fact that visual aids greatly enhance a teacher's ability to get a message across to his or her students. Sometimes a student just has to see something before it sinks into the gray matter between our ears. Visual imagery just gets the point across in clearer and sometimes more powerful ways then other communication skills. Whether it is flannel graphs in kindergarten or power point during a presentation, visual aids greatly enhances a student’s ability to comprehend a subject matter.
Now I think Jesus clearly understood this teaching principle because so many times, as he was instructing his disciples, he would point to certain objects and draw out great truths from them. He would tell his followers to look at the lilies of the field or a vine and some branches and use them as visual aids for his lesson. What was the greatest visual aid Jesus ever used? It was himself. He said “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Jesus was saying to them, “I have provided you a powerful visual aid in my life to help you understand how to accomplish the most important part of your mission. You must love one another – but you must follow the example I have provided for you in my life.” You and I are to become visual aids to help others understand what the love of Christ is like. How did Jesus demonstrate His love?
He loved us enough to tell us the truth. So often Jesus would say something like, “You have heard it said … But I tell you….” And he would go on to confront dearly held cultural norms and false religious ideas that were not in line with God’s standard. And He’d do it without blinking an eye! He loved his followers too much to allow them to be misled by false teachings and misguided personal convictions. Jesus would not compromise when it came to telling the truth. To allow a person to continue believing a lie and thus suffer the inevitable consequences attached to every lie would be extremely unloving.
He loved us by serving to the point of sacrifice. Everything Jesus said – everything Jesus did – everything Jesus taught was fulfilled completely at the cross. His sacrifice was given to us to provide the only means of salvation given to man and to provide an example for us to follow. Let me tell you how you can recognize the real followers of Christ - they serve. You don't have to twist their arms. You don't have to poke them. You don't have to prod them. You don't have to go on begging and promoting. They see something that needs doing & out of love for Christ who taught them what serving is all about they jump in and do it. Out of love for others whom that same Christ loves, they look for the little ways to serve. And when they look for the little ways to serve, the big ways take care of themselves. They sacrifice their time, resource and energy because that’s what Jesus did out of love for them.
He loved us by showing unending patience. If you research what actually happened in the Upper Room during the last supper you might find a few things that are rather surprising. In the very last hours Jesus had to spend with his disciples he would have to deal with a follower who had been stealing money from the purse on a regular basis and who would betray him that very night. He would have to try to settle a childish argument over who was the greatest – he would have to convince Peter to allow him to wash his feet. All this after three years of hands on ministry by the greatest teacher who ever walked on the planet! But he never gave up on them. He showed his amazing love by patiently going over and over the fundamentals again and again.
He loved us by clothing Himself in complete humility. When they started arguing bout “who the greatest is” some of us might have stepped in it and put them in their place “Let me tell who the greatest is - I'm the greatest!” That might not have left the greatest impression but at least it would have gotten the point across! But that's not Jesus. Amazingly the Creator of all there is, by whose power all things are held together, he whom numberless angels serve - he cloths himself with humility, wraps himself in a towel - the garment of a slave, and he does the work of a servant while the people he’s going to die for sit there and bicker among themselves. “Love” Jesus says, “Rejects pride & gets down on its knees and humbly serves other people.”
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The visual aid has been provided. Now the challenge is to pass it on to others. How will the world come to know the love of Christ? By the Church providing a visual aid that clearly demonstrates it for them. May God enable us all to fulfill our calling. “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15)
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
Not too long ago I read a story about a guy who was in the construction business. He had hired some laborers outside of his regular work force in order to finish a construction job on time. One day as he was walking through the jobsite he was a particularly bothered by the fact that 3 or 4 of these hourly employees had been standing around talking and not doing any work. He walked by once - didn't say anything. He walked by again about 10 minutes later - they were still talking. He walked by a third time a full 30 minutes after he had noticed them the first time, and they were still fanning the breeze with their conversation. Finally he decided that enough was enough. So he walked over to where they were standing and without a word, took a 100 dollar bill out of his pocket, struck a match, and watched the flame consume the money. When it was gone, he said to the startled men, “That's what your standing around has cost me during just the last 30 minutes!” and he walked back into his office. You can imagine their reaction to their boss' rather dramatic object lesson. They very hurriedly got back to work. I would venture those men never forgot that illustration on cheating an employer by lingering too long at the water cooler.
Anybody that has done any teaching at all is well aware of the fact that visual aids greatly enhance a teacher's ability to get a message across to his or her students. Sometimes a student just has to see something before it sinks into the gray matter between our ears. Visual imagery just gets the point across in clearer and sometimes more powerful ways then other communication skills. Whether it is flannel graphs in kindergarten or power point during a presentation, visual aids greatly enhances a student’s ability to comprehend a subject matter.
Now I think Jesus clearly understood this teaching principle because so many times, as he was instructing his disciples, he would point to certain objects and draw out great truths from them. He would tell his followers to look at the lilies of the field or a vine and some branches and use them as visual aids for his lesson. What was the greatest visual aid Jesus ever used? It was himself. He said “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Jesus was saying to them, “I have provided you a powerful visual aid in my life to help you understand how to accomplish the most important part of your mission. You must love one another – but you must follow the example I have provided for you in my life.” You and I are to become visual aids to help others understand what the love of Christ is like. How did Jesus demonstrate His love?
He loved us enough to tell us the truth. So often Jesus would say something like, “You have heard it said … But I tell you….” And he would go on to confront dearly held cultural norms and false religious ideas that were not in line with God’s standard. And He’d do it without blinking an eye! He loved his followers too much to allow them to be misled by false teachings and misguided personal convictions. Jesus would not compromise when it came to telling the truth. To allow a person to continue believing a lie and thus suffer the inevitable consequences attached to every lie would be extremely unloving.
He loved us by serving to the point of sacrifice. Everything Jesus said – everything Jesus did – everything Jesus taught was fulfilled completely at the cross. His sacrifice was given to us to provide the only means of salvation given to man and to provide an example for us to follow. Let me tell you how you can recognize the real followers of Christ - they serve. You don't have to twist their arms. You don't have to poke them. You don't have to prod them. You don't have to go on begging and promoting. They see something that needs doing & out of love for Christ who taught them what serving is all about they jump in and do it. Out of love for others whom that same Christ loves, they look for the little ways to serve. And when they look for the little ways to serve, the big ways take care of themselves. They sacrifice their time, resource and energy because that’s what Jesus did out of love for them.
He loved us by showing unending patience. If you research what actually happened in the Upper Room during the last supper you might find a few things that are rather surprising. In the very last hours Jesus had to spend with his disciples he would have to deal with a follower who had been stealing money from the purse on a regular basis and who would betray him that very night. He would have to try to settle a childish argument over who was the greatest – he would have to convince Peter to allow him to wash his feet. All this after three years of hands on ministry by the greatest teacher who ever walked on the planet! But he never gave up on them. He showed his amazing love by patiently going over and over the fundamentals again and again.
He loved us by clothing Himself in complete humility. When they started arguing bout “who the greatest is” some of us might have stepped in it and put them in their place “Let me tell who the greatest is - I'm the greatest!” That might not have left the greatest impression but at least it would have gotten the point across! But that's not Jesus. Amazingly the Creator of all there is, by whose power all things are held together, he whom numberless angels serve - he cloths himself with humility, wraps himself in a towel - the garment of a slave, and he does the work of a servant while the people he’s going to die for sit there and bicker among themselves. “Love” Jesus says, “Rejects pride & gets down on its knees and humbly serves other people.”
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The visual aid has been provided. Now the challenge is to pass it on to others. How will the world come to know the love of Christ? By the Church providing a visual aid that clearly demonstrates it for them. May God enable us all to fulfill our calling. “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15)
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 2:49 PM
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