My 3rd class teacher, Mr Ambrose, was truly an expert with the cane. So many people these days wouldn't know what the cane was, but Mr Ambrose certainly did. The cane was just what it said it was, a bamboo cane, around almost 5 feet long, or 148 centimetres maybe.
All of 8 years old, most of us were destined to have Mr Ambrose teach us in the first year of Primary school.
I was thoroughly terrified! If you got anything wrong in any sort of strange alignment in Mr Ambrose's program for the day, or in any sort of misdemeanor, you copped it - Yes! he whacked you with that cane, and it was, not only once but six whacks of the best on your hands. Thanks, Mr Ambrose. Something I never ever forgot.
If it was your turn to ring the bell of recess and you didn't ring it loud enough or quick enough, you got the cane; if you talked in class you got the cane; if you didn't get your homework correct, you got the cane; if you couldn't say your maths time tables in front of the class in double quick time, you got the cane; and so it went on and on, As I said I was truly a frightened little character. My family was astounded.
A miracle of miracles happened just a week before Father's Day (of all days). We were told to draw our Dad, and so we did. It was fun - unusual for our class! There were a few of us who drew moustaches on our dads, even though our dads didn't have moustaches. Mr Ambrose just strode around the class and then stood up front and told us to come out the front, those of us who drew moustaches on our dads.
Out the front we went, then he told us that those of us whose dad really had a moustache were to sit down - not one of us sat down. There were quite a lot of us boys all doing the same.
He then told us that the next morning, before school started, we were to line up all together on the line at the back of the playground. He then said that in front of the whole school, he would give us all six of the best of the cane for telling lies about our fathers.
I didn't sleep at all that night - I was petrified. The next morning, my mum could immediately notice a huge difference in her 8-year-old - I was crying and sweating, and wouldn't eat, and she could tell I hadn't slept at all. She got it out of me what had happened, and she told me to do exactly what Mr Ambrose told us all to do.
That morning, I did what mum told me to do. Suddenly, she was there and so was Mr Ambrose, and suddenly we were all told to move away from the line and go to classes.
Mr Ambrose never said anything in the class that day, and none of us ever got the cane again for the remainder of that year - extraordinary! That's what all the guys thought - But I basically knew it was all about Hilda May. Thanks, Mum!
In Luke 10: 30-37 in the Message Bible, Jesus told this story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way, he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him, he angled across to the other side. Then, a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.
A Samaritan travelling the road came upon him. When he saw the man's condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning, he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill - I'll pay you on my way back.'
What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbour to the man attacked by robbers?"
"The one who treated him kindly," a religious scholar responded. Jesus said. "Go and do the same."
That is probably one of the best known stories of Jesus that he told one of the most religious leaders of the day, when the leader stood up and wanted to test Jesus and said, "Hey Teacher, what do I do to get eternal life? Jesus quickly fired back at the guy and said, "What's written in the law of God and how do you interpret it?"
The guy thought - this is pretty good - I'll trap this Jesus and replied: "That you love the Lord your God with all passion, prayer, muscle and intelligence and also that you love your neighbour as you do yourself." Good answer, said Jesus - Go and do it!
Looking for a loophole to catch Jesus, the teacher said, "And just would you define neighbour?" Hmmm, got him, I reckon the teacher thought!
It was then that Jesus told the above story of the Samaritan who actually saved the Jewish guy from dying there on the road. We must remember that in those days, the Samaritans and the Jews were completely estranged from one another and never ever communicated. So the story that got through to this 'religious' young fellow really taught him a lesson, considering it was a Samaritan who actually saved the young Jewish man on the road that day.
The young guy who was trying to put Jesus on the spot would have been really shocked when it was a Samaritan man who saved the Jewish man - something he would never have done. Especially when at the end of the story, Jesus told the young teacher, "Go and do the same".
Jesus said again, and to all of us really, to love our neighbors as ourselves. In my episode with that teacher all those years ago, I certainly didn't love the guy who was going to give me six of the best cuts of the cane for drawing a moustache on the dad's picture, but here is Jesus saying as true followers of Jesus we must do just that.
Loving others and actually putting them above ourselves sounds incredibly hard to do, but when you make Jesus king of your life, putting him first in everything, it suddenly becomes clear, and everything else just falls into place so easily.
When I think of that episode in my 3rd class all those years ago, it's the one year I have never ever forgotten. Obviously, Mr Ambrose and my mum had a huge effect on my life. Whether it was a good example or not, it has been a huge learning curve when I take the time to look back over the events of that year.
So many times I was beside myself the mornings I was to go to school, and so many times I was petrified that he would have me out the front saying my maths tables. Actually, I did, and I have accomplished so much since then. I have never forgotten my maths tables, which, when I look back, were probably among the only things I can remember from that year.
Loving others and putting them above us is exactly what Jesus did, and what he got through to us. Even when he was dying so cruelly on the cross, he prayed that our sins would be forgiven and that he didn't blame anyone for the immense cruelty and horrendous ending of his life here on earth.
It was amazing when he rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion and appeared to his disciples more than once. His great love for everyone is such a huge example for all of us.
He paid for our sins, and his whole aim here on earth was to bring people to the steps of salvation, forgiveness, and acceptance of our Lord God as ruler, and to become 1st place in our lives. Unlike my teacher, Mr Ambrose, whose whole life was aimed at being one of authority. In such a way, he was a good teacher, one I have never forgotten, and he really taught me a lot. I probably needed the stern authority,
Authority can be good, and we are often in employment when authority is absolutely necessary, but authority doesn't mean absolutely and completely in control of whatever everyone says and does.
Forgiveness is also such a beautiful thing to happen in our lives after we give our lives to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We can't expect others to forgive us, but we can certainly forgive others. That is something I have learned to do over the years, and it is something that really gives you such an amazing turnaround in your life. Forgiveness for things that have happened years before can also bring your complete and utter love for our lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I thank him continually for saving me, and if you have never given your life to Christ, then please consider what you have certainly to gain by doing so.
Where are you in your walk with Christ? Do you consider him at all in anything? Does he just mean a little scant knowledge, and that's it? If that's where you are at the moment, then you really need to seriously consider who Jesus Christ really is and what he did for you personally when he was here on earth.
All you have to do is come to a point in your life where you ask him to take control, hand your life to him, and make him first in every single thing and place you do and go.
God's blessings to you this week, and I really do hope to see you next time.
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