The old schoolmaster had done his job. He had instilled fear in his student, Marco. It was a healthy fear, a fear that caused him to be careful, to be cautious of his thoughts and actions. Marco had paid attention during instruction, learned his lessons well and now lived in a quiet confidence that no longer focused on fear.
It was time to move on to a different schoolmaster, one who
had a different lesson to teach, a lesson about faith and love and willing
obedience.
The old schoolmaster, a Mr. Law, knew that his was just one
step in a series of lessons, all building on each other. If he didn’t do his job well his pupils would
build their knowledge on a crooked foundation and eventually come to ruin as a
result. His wasn’t the most glamorous
lesson to teach, and his work often went unappreciated, but he played a crucial
role nonetheless.
Mr. Law had to train Marco in preparation for another
schoolmaster, also named Mr. Law, and they worked well together. Mr. Law #1 had a longer name – Mr. Law-of-Sin-and-Death, and Mr. Law #2’s full name
was Mr. Law-of-Spirit -of-Life-in-Christ-Jesus. They both taught at the corner of Romans
8 and 2.
I met Marco while he was on an extended break between the
two schoolmasters. It was that period of
time described by Superintendent Paul at the corner of Galatians 3 and 23. There he wrote: “But before faith came, we
were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be
revealed.”
We talked on a quiet Saturday afternoon, quiet compared to
lessons of the dark and stormy Friday before and quiet before the bright Sunday
morning to come.
I was impressed by Marco because, more than anyone I’ve
talked to in a long time, he seemed to have learned his lessons well from Mr.
Law-of-Sin-and-Death. He had a healthy
fear of God that gave him a quiet humility and confidence that no longer
focused on fear.
I believed him to be ready to learn from Mr. Law-of-Spirit
-of-Life-in-Christ-Jesus. It was time to
continue on to the corner of Galatians 3 and 24, where we read: “Wherefore the
law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by
faith.”
My conversation with Marco might be the first of many
lessons used by Mr. Law-of-Spirit -of-Life-in-Christ-Jesus. It was very new to him, and might have left
him with more questions than answers.
But because Mr. Law-of-Sin-and-Death had taught him well, I trust Marco
will continue on until he receives everything Mr. Law-of-Spirit-of-Life-in-Christ-Jesus
has for him to learn.
(Hope this wasn’t too confusing. Just thought I’d try out a creative way to
convey some Gospel truths. This was
based on a conversation I had with Marco, which can be seen HERE)
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