Give School A Chance

Some people brought a man to Jesus to be cured. 
The man was deaf and couldn't talk. Jesus put His 
fingers into the man's ears, then spat on them and touched the man's tongue, saying, "Open up!" Suddenly, the man could hear and talk! Everyone was amazed. "Jesus can do anything!" they said.

Some kids love school. If you're not one of them, you might be dreading the next few days, when a whole new school year starts. You're already prepared to hate it and can't wait for next summer!

This week's Gospel (Mark 7:31-37) is about preparing for the worst. Jesus has met a lot of people and done amazing things, but many still aren't buying that He's the Son of God. 

In fact, they bring a man who is deaf and mute to prove that Jesus can't cure the guy!

If you've decided you hate school, all the school supplies and new clothes in the world won't soften you up. You're already determined that this year will be another struggle.

In the Gospel story, the people Jesus is teaching have done the same thing: They decided He's not from heaven, and they're prepared to see Him fail.

Even if you believe you hate school, you still have to show up - and sometimes, meeting a teacher who seems pretty cool or finding out you're going to go bowling this year is enough to make you think, "Well, I'll give it a chance."

Jesus' followers did that. They said they didn't believe in Him, but they did bring someone for Him to cure, just in case He could really do it. They gave Him a chance.

Jesus, of course, performed a miracle, and they were shocked and happy. If something that great can happen when you trust just a little, maybe waiting a while before you decide how your school year will go is a good idea!

(09/03/09)