A Teacher Affects Eternity"

 “A Teacher Affects Eternity”

Matthew 25:31-46

            The majority of my professional life has been spent in education.  For over fifty years I “labored in the vineyard” of classrooms at every level from early elementary school through graduate college courses.  I still teach, though now within a church setting.  I’m told my sermons are educational.  I guess I can’t help it.  I also lead a Bible study every week.  I say lead rather than teach, since my goal is to have every member participate in the teaching.  Perhaps even that approach is educational.

            The following story comes from a source entitled Apples and Chalkdust, compiled by Vicky Caruana.  This collection is part of a larger one by Richard Carlson, Ph.D.  I want to give credit to those whose work inspires others.

            “A teacher affects eternity; he [she] can never tell where his [her] influence stops.” (Henry Adams)

            Maggie pulled her four-year-old son’s hand a little harder as she hurried him up the sidewalk.  A black pickup truck had slowed alongside them.

            “Who’s that, Mommy?”

            “Let’s keep walking, Maggie said.  Not recognizing the truck, she picked up the pace.

            Just then her son tripped on a stray branch and pulled on Maggie to wait.  As she stopped, the dark glass of the passenger window rolled down and a young man with sunglasses leaned over to get a better look at the sidewalk couple.

            “Mrs. Jensen, is that you?”  Maggie looked up, responding with caution to the distantly familiar voice.  She scooped up her son and took a cautious step back from the street.

            The driver stopped the truck, put it in park, and excitedly ran around to meet her.  Taking off his sunglasses so Maggie could see him better, he said with a touch of disappointment, “You don’t remember me, do you?”

            Apprehension turned to delight as Maggie finally recognized her former student.  “Of course, I do, Jay.  You’re a hard one to forget.”

            “I never forgot you, Mrs. Jensen.  You’re the only one who gave me a chance.”

            Looking at him she could still see the twelve-year-old who fought the system.  As the big, black truck rolled away, Maggie smiled as she read his business card, “Jay Getz, Architect.”

            Even if the results of your labor aren’t immediately apparent, take joy in the fact that your influence reaches further than you know.

            As a parent (although my “children” are now in their fifties), I understand this woman’s apprehension.  We hear of instances where situations like this develop into serious problems for those being followed.

            As a teacher, I know how much I appreciate hearing from a former student about the influence of my teaching.  It always warms my heart.

            As a Christian, I realize that if we take Henry Adams’ statement, and substituted Christian for teacher, we see the relationship of his words to Matthew 25. 

Whenever I contemplate this passage I try to focus on the first half—the positive half.  Still, when I read the second half I have to ask myself, “How much is enough?”  When I think about the life of Jesus Christ, I realize I can never do enough.  There is always room for me to do more to affect eternity, both mine and those I seek to help.