Jesus' Student Ratings

 Jesus’ student ratings

By Bobby Neal Winters

Every once in a while, a meme comes around regarding Jesus’ student ratings.  “The Algorithm” (blessed be its name) brings it around to me perhaps more often than it does you because It knows I am a teacher. This is something that I appreciate because it emphasizes that Jesus was a teacher too.

But it also highlights the fact that he may have very well gotten some--at least one--bad student rating from his disciples.  Those of us who read student ratings know they sometimes say more about the student than the teacher, but all of this being said, those of us who strive to be Jesus’ students might wish on occasion that he’d gone more into detail.

Jesus said to love your enemy.

“Jesus,” I might ask, “have you met some of my enemies?” (Read that with an ! after the first word, and it’s something I may have actually said out loud.)

But he said it.  We have a choice either to dismiss it as nonsense or to believe it and press it until we find the answer: How, how do I love my enemies?

The first objection to this teaching is to say that emotions are not something we can control.  We can’t just press a button and feel love.

If we cling to Jesus’ command, we might come to the conclusion that Love, as he was speaking of it, is not an emotion, it is something else, and having it for someone implies that we desire what is best for them.  We desire good things to happen to them.

If they are our enemies because they are vile people, we certainly wish they cease being vile people.  

We not only desire that good things happen for them, but we act so that good things happen for them.  We don’t respond to their vile behavior with vile behavior, but we model behavior as to how people should be treated.

Now, I have met some vile people.  And I know that what I’ve said can be really really hard.  There are some people so vile that we don’t want to spend any time around them.  In that case, we can still do something.  We can pray for them.

Praying is a good thing.  Praying can be done anywhere, any time: it can be done before, during, and after exams.  It can be done silently in the presence of other people.  It can be done alone.

And--this is very important--it can be done at a distance.  One need not be in the line-of-sight or even within earshot of someone to pray for them. It can be done at a distance. One can even pray for someone when there is an entire planet between you.

And they don’t even have to know you are doing it.  Indeed, it is better--if they are your enemy--that they don’t know it.  We are only human, and it is so easy to get the tone wrong when you say, “I am praying for you,” to an enemy.  You know that thing Jesus said about putting your pearls before swine?  Apply it here.

Pray for them.

Not only can it have an effect on them, it can have an effect on you.

You can begin to see that he is a child of God just as you are.  He is struggling to find his way, just as you are.  Just as a wounded animal slashes away at everyone, he does the same.

And before anyone gets the wrong impression, I’ve not yet got the perfect grip on this.  Loving your enemy is like cutting dovetails: You can try really hard and still get it wrong.  You deal with it using the spiritual equivalent of sandpaper and glue, whatever those are for you.  That might just be asking a friend to pray for you.

Being a great teacher, Jesus taught in more ways than just telling.  His life was a lesson.  While those who walked the earth with him got to see the example directly, we, in our age, are not as lucky.  We must use other means.

One way is to read the Gospels.  It is tried and true.

Another way is to look for Jesus in those who seek to follow Him.

This might very well be a terrifying and sobering thought for anyone who attempts to be a Christian.  I know that it terrifies me to put it in writing.

Because I am going to make mistakes.

That does not mean that I shouldn’t try.

Another meme I saw, “We didn’t do this because it was easy: We did this because we thought it would be easy.”

No, don’t think that.  Love your neighbor.  Love your enemy. Pray.

Bobby Winters, a native of Harden City, Oklahoma, blogs at redneckmath.blogspot.com and okieinexile.blogspot.com. He invites you to “like'' the National Association of Lawn Mowers on Facebook. Search for him by name on YouTube. )