Jesus: The Master Teacher Series

Illus. Teacher’s Appreciation day. Daughter of Florist. Son of Candy Store. Son of owner of Liquor Store. “Is it wine?” “Champagne?” I give up you’ll have to tell me.” “It’s a puppy!”

How many of you remember a teacher who was deserving of that kind of gift? A Teacher who impacted your life in a positive way? Made a difference in your life?

I had a first grade teacher by the name of Mrs. Shark. I had an image of a great white teacher with a mouth full of teeth! She just happened to be one of the best teachers I ever had. And taught me a great deal!

Teachers are called upon to do much more than simply pass on information…aren’t they?

“A good teacher inspires a thirst for learning that lasts a lifetime.” Bill Clinton said that on August 5, 1993 during a ceremony honoring inductees into the teacher’s Hall of Fame.

Henry Brooks Adams said, “Teachers affect eternity, they can never know the full range of their influence.”

Good teachers see potential and inspire potential. They make achievers out of ordinary people.

You would think that such an honorable profession, given the charge of shaping the minds of our future leaders, the profession that teaches and trains all other professions, would receive compensation equal to their responsibilities.

But in our culture we reward the athlete who can throw, kick or shoot a ball, or skate or handle a puck, or can run or swim faster than others, above the teacher.

We reward actors and actresses who amuse and entertain us above the teacher.

It was Tom Brokaw who reminded us, “It’s easy to make a buck. It’s much harder to make a difference.”

And so, because you are drastically underpaid, and continually under-appreciated, we honor you today. Teachers, Educators.

I was thinking about how difficult it must be to be a teacher today, but after some thought I came up with 3 great reasons to be a teacher…They are June, July and August.

Another reason we honor you today is because your professional efforts truly affect the fate of this earth.

You possess the ability to shape and mold minds, you can create mindsets, encourage attitudes and widen perspectives.

I was thinking about teachers who have had a great or profound impact on the world. These are people most of you are going to recognize. May be one or two will be new to you, but I think you will recognize their contributions to humankind.

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Confucius: (slide) He was born in the Chinese state of Lu. He began teaching at 20 years of age. His theories and principles were spread throughout China, and many people learned from his wise sayings.

“They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.”

“It is not possible for one to teach others who cannot teach his own family.”

“The one who knows right principles is not equal to the one who loves them.”

Many of the Chinese Proverbs we often hear can be traced back to the wise teachings of Confucius.

He was a teacher of great wisdom.

Galileo: (slide) In 1589 Galileo became professor of Mathematics at Pisa. It was Galileo who proved that light objects dropped from a height would hit the ground at exactly the same time As a heavier weight dropped at the same time, from the same height.

In 1609 Galileo used his skill to improve on the spyglass, and created the telescope. Later that year he became the first person to study the surface of the moon using a telescope.

As Galileo continued studying the moon, Saturn, Venus and the sun he observed that Copernicus’s theory that the earth, and all the other planets revolved around the sun, and not the other way around as most believed.

This observation shook the established church and their belief that earth, and humanity, were at the center of creation. The church called Galileo’s theory heresy. After a trial, Galileo was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Because of his age and poor health he was eventually allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. He died 9 years later.

Galileo’s contribution to humanity, was more than his discoveries, but his persistence to teach truth in the face of adversity and great personal costs.

He was a teacher of the strongest convictions.

Sir Isaac Newton (slide) (invented the fig Newton) No! He was the Father of the laws of motion and gravity that were foundational to later inventions such as flight, and even space travel. He saw beyond what others could see.

He was a teacher possessing great vision.

Albert Einstein: (slide) Professor in many outstanding institutions in Prague, Zurich, Berlin, and Princeton. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. It took great effort for Einstein to be able to communicate with people of lesser minds. He had to stoop low to help others understand what was basic for Him.