A Few Points Off (Luke 1)

The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.  Luke 1:22

A Few Points Off
Connie L. Peters

When I was in junior high and high school, the teachers held an annual honor banquet. Students on the regular and high honor roll were invited. Every year, my grades were eligible, but being shy and having nothing nice to wear anyway, I decided I wouldn’t go until I was a senior.  

In my senior year, I had some tough classes, physics in particular. During the last nine weeks I was barely hanging in there to be qualified for the banquet. One day, I sat in study hall thinking hard about one exceptionally tough problem. I finally figured it out, finished it up and went to class. Before the teacher entered, my fellow students were discussing the problem. Apparently I was the only one who came up with the answer. But my shyness prevented me from telling anyone.  

However, the guy who sat beside me looked on my paper. He grew excited, seeing that I had understood the challenging exercise. But in the final calculation, he came up with a different answer. In the rush of the moment, I changed my answer to what he had and we turned in our homework.

When the teacher asked someone to explain their work, the student who learned from me volunteered. The teacher pointed out his error. My answer had been right. Those few points were enough to knock my grade down to a C which was enough to disqualify me for the honor banquet.  

It was a lesson both in taking the opportunity while I had it and more importantly to not be so easily persuaded by others.  

In Mark 1, the people were excited about Jesus, the way he taught, healed and performed miracles. In droves, they followed him everywhere. But when it came to the crucifixion, they went along with the Jewish leaders and the crowd.

Trust Jesus and, in confidence, love God and others in the wisdom and Spirit He provides, regardless of what the world or even what some religious leaders say.