Don’t Turn to the Last Page

At the beginning of every year in elementary school, my teacher would hand out a worksheet with a long list of instructions. She would explain that the goal of this project was the complete the task correctly by the end of the day, which was drawing near.

The first instruction on the worksheet was always the same: “Read the entire list of instructions before starting the assignment.”

I tried to follow the instructions. I would get about halfway through the list, glance at the clock, and look around at my classmates. Most of them were already working on the assignment, so I would join in, only to end the day frustrated, without a completed assignment.

It was always in those last minutes that our teacher would sigh and ask us to read the last instruction in the list. The last instruction was also always the same. It said, “Now that you have read this assignment all the way to the end, turn your paper over and sit quietly until your teacher dismisses you.”

The point of this exercise was never to complete the complicated task; it was to learn to follow the teacher’s instructions.

Eventually, I figured out that the shortcut to accomplishing any assignment was always to take a glance at the last page to ensure there weren’t any surprises before I started, but I still haven’t mastered the skill of following instructions from start to finish.

As Christians, we risk missing some significant instruction from our Savior if we skip to end of the story and metaphorically flip our paper over and wait. While there is certainly comfort in knowing we have a happy ending coming, there is more to know.

Jesus explained to the disciples in John 3,  a verse you may find familiar, that life will continue after we die. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV).

But Jesus doesn’t stop speaking with verse 16. John 3:17-21 continues:

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

Jesus is drawing a connection between our beliefs and our actions when he says, “Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” And like any good teacher, he doesn’t expect his students to figure things out on their own. He gives us instructions.

The disciples spent three years observing and participating in daily life with Jesus, listening to him preach, watching him perform miracles, asking him questions, and seeing him choose the road less traveled.

They repeatedly saw the stark differences between Jesus and the other religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees. While Jesus chose to spend his time healing people, listening to them, teaching them, and encouraging them to focus on their creator, who loves them, the Pharisees spent time questioning Jesus and wrote down what they remembered from their experiences.

In Matthew 9, the Pharisees asked Jesus why he didn’t fast. In Matthew 15 we learn of their concern for Jesus’ lack of washing his hands. In Mark 12, they question Jesus about paying taxes. These were questions meant only to distract, only to divide.

In Luke 10:25-29 we read of another encounter between Jesus and a law expert:

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’ He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’ ‘But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (NIV)

Luke 10:30 begins the parable of The Good Samaritan. If you aren’t familiar with it, I encourage you to read it. However, I want to point out a few things I think we could miss in the first section.

 

In this exchange with Jesus, he expects the law expert to have the ability to interpret the Law and affirms the correct understanding. We have the same ability today.

The law is clear and straight forward:

• Love the Lord your God with all your
  • heart
  • soul
  • strength
  • mind
• Love your neighbor as yourself

I don’t know if the man thought he was already an expert on part one of the Law, which is why he focused on the second part, or if he thought it was the easier part to accomplish. Either way, he took a simple direction and looked to qualify it for his convenience.

Because Jesus loved him, he took the time to tell a story the man would remember that emphasized the point that instruction to love your neighbor as yourself is exactly what it says.

Because I have a personal relationship with Jesus, I know my story has a great ending. I am saved by grace and grateful for that. However, it doesn’t mean I am free to toss out the rule book. It doesn’t mean my best choice is to turn right to the last page.

I’m not sure I’ll ever master the discipline of following my teacher’s instructions from start to finish, but I believe one way we sharpen this skill is by pausing before we act to look at what the Bible says, praying, and asking the Holy Spirit to help us make decisions. I don’t need to rely on other people’s interpretation of Scripture.

It’s my responsibility to ensure my personal relationship with Jesus is growing, and that includes making sure that I live by the truth as Jesus said in John 3.

Beth Walker is a football coach’s wife and mom of two energetic boys. She strives to encourage those around her to pursue their best lives in Jesus whether she is near the game field, in church, or at the local coffee shop. As a writer, Beth has been striving to find her voice through seeing Jesus in the ordinary and extraordinary of daily life. She blogs at Lessons from the Sidelines.

Photograph © Ryan Klintworth, used with permission