YEA Lesson Library

The Lesson

Chad’s parents are divorcing. The custody battle for him and his little brother grew nastier by the day. Kelli was the only person who could take Chad’s mind off his parents’ unrelenting fight. He and Kelli lingered in the school cafeteria after finishing their lunch. The need for approval and some kind of reassurance almost overwhelmed Chad. So he got the courage to ask Kelli what she liked about him. Kelli didn’t hesitate to let him know that she liked the way he made her laugh. Chad had cultivated a good sense of humor and had prided himself on being a comedian. His quips and retorts kept Kelli in stitches.

They made their way down the hall of the first floor as Tall Tim approached. “Gonna slam dunk a bunch of balls tonight, Tim?” Chad asked. “Yeah man,” Tall Tim replied. “I see you can’t stay away from ‘Big Nose.’ Has she learned how to stay out of the ditch yet?” Ever since Chad had been dating Kelli, he and Tim had a private joke about her generous nose.

Tears began to flow as Kelli quickly turned on her heels and began running in the opposite direction. “How dare you tell my secrets,” she screamed back at Chad. He was the only person she had told about running into a ditch, and he promised faithfully never to tell a soul. Learning that Chad had been calling her “Big Nose” to his friends added insult to injury and was more than she could take.

This was the last thing Chad wanted or needed. He was depressed more than ever now. He’d messed up badly and Kelli was gone. He wandered around in a daze toward his one o’clock class. “Fat Betsy,” as he called her to Kelli, jabbed him in the ribs. “Better climb that next flight of stairs in a hurry, smart guy. I’m going to the second floor.” So. . . Kelli had told Betsy what he had said about her being so fat that she’d come through the second floor of the school building. Okay, so Kelli didn’t keep his secret either. Then how can she think she’s better than I am, Chad thought?

It’s interesting how the tongue weighs such a small amount, but how few people are able to control it. Have you ever wondered why? In this short story we’ve seen several people who hurt others because they didn’t control their tongue. But what’s at the root of this hurtful behavior? They judged by appearances and without mercy.

One day Simon, a Pharisee, invited Jesus to dinner. A sinful woman came and brought an alabaster jar of expensive, good smelling perfume. She knelt weeping while she washed Jesus’ feet with her tears. Her long hair fell over her shoulder and she used her silky strands to dry Jesus’ feet. Simon was critical of what he saw. “How can you let this sinful woman even touch you, let alone wash your feet with her tears?” He asked.

Jesus answered with this story. “‘A man loaned money to two people – $5,000 to one and $500 to the other. But neither of them could pay him back, so he kindly forgave them both, letting them keep the money! Which do you suppose loved him most after that?’ ‘I suppose the one who had owed him the most,’ Simon answered” ( TLB). He turned toward the woman and told Simon that he hadn’t even given Him water to wash His feet. But the sinful woman washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. She kissed His feet and put perfume on them. Jesus said her many sins were forgiven because she loved much.

What Simon did by focusing on the woman’s sin rather than his own judgmental heart is not uncommon. Chad focused on Betsy being fat and Kelli’s big nose. Kelli was angry because Chad had broken his promise, yet she had done the same thing. Kelli had higher expectations of Chad than she had for herself. It’s so much easier to focus on the faults of others rather than our own weak- nesses. It’s much easier to correct our siblings or friends than to make a course correction in ourselves. It’s easier to place heavier expectations on others than what we place on ourselves.

What does your memory verse say? Others will treat you as you treat them. Have you felt that someone has done you dirty? Have you been misjudged? Then look at your track record, what does it tell you? It seems so hard for us to treat others the way we want to be treated – especially those whom we view to be a threat or inferior to us.

The woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears was not as righteous as He was, she was a sinner. Jesus is our example to follow. He wants us to treat others with the same respect, the same courtesy, the same mercy that we would like for them to use when they think and act toward us. This even includes our enemies.

Often we don’t know what kind of problems other people have on their plate. Just like the lady who washed Jesus’ feet, Chad had made some mistakes too. But they both needed love, approval and acceptance.

One reason God hates divorce is because of what it does to the children in the family. Doubt- less, Chad’s quips and retorts were hurtful. But Kelli and Betsy were given the opportunity to show mercy as Jesus did to the woman. But did they? How often do we act more like Simon than like Jesus?

To overcome our weaknesses, we must first admit that we don’t treat friends or enemies the way we would like to be treated. Second, we must ask God in fervent prayer for His forgiveness and strength to be more merciful. Third, we must change our behavior. If we ask and don’t do anything, we are asking amiss as it says in James 4:3.