You Call Me Teacher

As clear and detailed as if it was yesterday, I see my Granny standing at the kitchen, helping with dishes, singing one of her many gospel hymns. From the heart, she would sing of her Savior, Jesus. In bed at night, she would gently turn the pages of her Bible. I am sure she had read it cover to cover many times, but she never tired of reading God’s message of love. As she closed her Bible, prayers began in her raspy yet beautiful cadence. She could pray for hours for family and friends. Granny Parker was my first glimpse of a life dedicated to Jesus – prayer warrior, Sunday School teacher, believer. I had many years with her, but our time was much shorter than I wanted. My teacher was gone.

Just as the disciples, Jesus’ time with them was coming to an end. For three years, they were taught by Him, watched Him do miracles and knew they were chosen for a special encounter. Though they did not fully understand what was to come, they knew this was where God wanted them to be. Jesus was preparing them to carry on the message.

“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.” John 13:13

A teacher has a place and time in our lives. And when they are gone, what are we to do? Take what you learned and go. That was what Jesus was preparing the disciples to do. The time had come for His death. He was preparing them for the task at hand and they journey ahead. To share the gospel message, first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles.

On the eve of their last time alone with Him, they hung on His every word, trying to understand how their time together was at an end. Or was it? He did come back just as He promised and was with them one last time. “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15. And so they did.

That is my command too – not only from Jesus’ Holy Word but from the spiritual teachers who have poured into my life. Take what I have learned and go. Go to wherever God leads me. How about you?

God, show me where to go to share your message.