I attended school from 1st grade to 8th grade at Hickman Elementary School, Hickman Ky. The time period was from 1958 to 1966. Totally different educational era than today. The American Flag was still honored, the Bible was read at the start of each day, and discipline was a part of the educational experience. Yes, there were some things wrong with our country back then also. Some of the kids I played with in the summertime, on the farm, were not allowed to come to my school nor did they go to church with me nor could they go in and eat a hamburger after school or church with me at any of the local restaurants. Those things have changed. But that is not the topic today.
We had a fifth grade teacher feared by just about every student. "Miss Katie" had a reputation of being very strict. None of the students wanted to be in her class. When I was in the second grade we were having a party and my mother was helping. My younger brother, Randy, was there with mother that day. Mother and my teacher stepped out of the room for something. Randy was being Randy when I saw Miss Katie coming down the hall. I quickly grabbed my brother, trying to get him to sit still and be quiet. Too late. Miss Katie saw me and immediately scolded me. I told her, Randy was my brother and she said, "I don't care if he is your father, leave him alone." She then went on my "Please don't let me get her for a teacher", list.
Guess who was one of my fifth grade teachers. Yep. I got "Miss Katie", the most feared teacher Hickman Elementary had at that time. The day came when I was in Miss Katie's sights again. I thought, this is going to be bad. Of all times not to have my homework, she called on me. Terror filled my heart. I knew I had to tell the truth as painfully as it was going to be. I said, " I do not know the answer, because I did not do my homework". I braced for the storm. She immediately asked, "Why?". My thought was, I am doomed. I must tell the truth. Gathering all the courage I could find, and hoping for compassion from her, I said, "I didn't do my homework, because I stayed up and watched the Andy Griffith Show last night." The wait for her anticipated rebuke produced a moment of silence in the classroom. I had trouble controlling my bladder when I was in first grade. Evidently, I had overcome it, because this was a great opportunity for it to let go of all of its contents.
Then came her unexpected reply. "Well, you just take it home tonight and bring it to me in the morning." What? "Miss Katie" understands a 10 year old, frightened, little boy. She is giving me a second chance? You cannot imagine my relief.
The next morning when I turned in my homework, "Miss Katie" said, "You are a good student. I just want you to do all you are capable of doing". I loved "Miss Katie" from that day forward. Not only was she my teacher, she was my friend. I would even visit her at her home years later. I am glad I didn't do my homework that day and also told her the truth. If not, I never would have known the real heart of the feared "Miss Katie".
In Jesus' time the Pharisees where concerned with outside appearance and rituals, such as hand washing for one. Jesus told them they cleansed the outside of the cup but the inside was dirty. Meaning they gave the appearance of being righteous, but on the inside their heart was not right. He was talking about there need for obtaining a pure heart. Jesus said clean the inside of the cup and that the outside of the cup may be clean also. He described them as the whitewashed tombs were beautiful on the outside, but inside were full of dead men's bones.
Jesus says in Matthew 15:19, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (NKJV) We can have the appearance of a clean outside, of a cup, and the inside the cup, the heart, still be dirty. David in his prayer of repentance ask God to create in him a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within him. David wanted a right heart before God. (Psalm51:10)
We can remove symbols of hate from the outside, but the hate still remains on the inside. Have you ever drank coffee from what appeared a clean cup on the outside, but your last sip revealed the filth in the bottom of the cup? Symbols worn on the outside whether good or bad cannot change the heart.
We do our best to remove hate from our country, but ironically we allowed a few in government to remove the one and only thing that can teach us to replace that hate with love. And that one and only thing is God's word, the Holy Bible.
Focusing on changing the inside of the cup (heart) instead of making the outside look as we would have it, (removing symbols of hate as some call them) would get to the root of our problems.
Please read for this week's reading Psalm 53, Matthew 15 and Luke 11:39-40.
Like "Miss Katie" we sometimes need to get to know people and the inside of their cup before we put labels on them.
The blood of Christ is the only cleaner that can make the inside of our cups (hearts) clean. When we learn to clean our hearts, the filth (all evil) will be replaced by love. It can be done by cleaning one cup at a time.
Thanks for reading. Any comments or words of encouragement would be appreciated. You can send comments to www.rhepler52@gmail.com or like and share on Facebook.
You know as I think about it, I was lucky. All of my teachers were good and good to me.
Rick
