Title: The Teacher of Our Time
Contents
3rd week of May (Teacher's Sunday)
The teacher of our time
Nehemiah 5:14-19
The hope of the future of mankind is education. However, the reality of education now is that it is unfortunate that students do not know their teachers. Today's school education is not just about character education that builds up children's right outlook on life, but about delivering knowledge. High scores, a good college, and a good job are the only goals. The church is not responsible for all aspects of such immorality. However, we must not forget that we must pray for relief from the serious reality.
Where is the last hope for the right education today? Is only the university, or is only knowledge the best? Can schools and academies be held responsible? That is the church. A church that teaches faith education does not teach knowledge. It is a place where the living Word of God is taught. Who will teach good and evil? You can teach in the Word. True church education must also teach the living Word, not the knowledge and history of the Bible. Prayers come out of the mouths of little children, tongues flow, and change must occur. Biblical knowledge should focus on learning the characters of the Bible and trying to teach them to change like them.
A master does not need many words from his disciples. You just have to set an example. It demands consistency in words and actions. Nehemiah in the text! He is a man of high rank in Vasa. He felt sorry for the state of Israel. And it does not receive its own ‘rust’. That amount is equivalent to about 15 million won in Korean money, even for a month's worth. All this back to Israel. He gave up what he had for the suffering of the people and returned that ‘rust’ for them.
A master must instill dreams in his disciples. The great people of Israel in the days of Nehemiah lost their sense of choice and forgot to worship. But the amazing thing is that they change and dream. Nehemiah did this. And he gives all his wealth to the people. People see it and begin to change. When that trust is restored, strong proclamations of the Sabbath and tithing are made. People's lives begin to change into people of God. They change their minds, repent and begin to re-establish their relationship with God.
The change of one man Nehemiah brings about a revival of the nation of Israel. The people also do not reject Nehemiah's proclamation. True change is confessed through prayer, but it is practiced in the body. Nehemiah lived his life standing before God. So I lived an unchanging, unbreakable life. I hope that we and the teachers of our time will also live a life before God. And I pray that you will live a life that does not fall under the demands of the world.