ave
you every had to sit next to some you did not know or liked? You where not
sure how to talk with them? Maybe they did not dressed nice or smelt funny and
you did not like being with them? May be you had to share a your favorite toy
with them even though you wanted to play with it. Well today I would like to
tell you a story of a boy named Ted who had a problem and how Lord Jesus
showed him how special everyone was.
Like most boys and girls Ted went to school and did his
very best to get good grades and write the neatest he could. Ted always seemed
to get along with all the children in his class and liked to talk with them.
There were times when even the class bully would talk to him and be his
friend.
One day as the school bell rang to start the new day, Ted
and the other children in his class settled in their seats to start, when all
of a sudden there was a knock at the classroom door. The teacher went to see
who was there and after spending some time outside talking, she came back
inside with a new person they had never seen before. The teacher introduced
the new boy to the class and told them that he was their new classmate and to
please make him feel welcome. His name was Mike and even though he was new to
the school, he sure did not look new! The clothes he had on where old and he
was not the neatest looking of all the children in the class.
Mike went to go sit down and who do you think he decided to
sit next to? Yup - you guessed it Ted. Ted was really uncomfortable with Mike
sitting next to him, he was not sure how to make Mike feel better seeing as
though it was his first day. Well the teacher started class for the morning
and Mike realized he did not seem to have all the pens, pencils and rulers he
needed to do the work. So Mike asked if Ted would mind sharing his stuff with
him.
Ted was not sure about this, you see he did not know Mike
and he was worried that Mike would do what some of the other children in the
past did when they had asked to use some of his stuff. They had either broken
them or had never given back what they had lent like they promised they would.
Well Ted knew there was no way Mike could do the work if he did not lend him
the stuff, so Ted agreed to share and so the day went on.
The days went by and it seemed Mike never had anything he
needed, he was forever asking Ted to use his things. Ted always let Mike use
his things but it would make him really mad inside, he was forever waiting to
use his stuff while Mike was using it or something like that. Ted was so cross
with Mike that he did not want to be his friend. If Mike was using all his
stuff now and they where not Friends, what would he be like if they where
friends? Well what would you do if you where in a situation like Ted?
Something had to be done, but Ted was not sure what to do.
That night as Ted was in his room getting ready for bed, he
was thinking hard on what he was going to do about Mike. He decided to ask his
Mommy about it and see what she would say. As she came to tuck him into bed he
told her the whole story and asked how he could stop Mike from always taking
his things and how he did not want to be Mikes friend because then Mike would
probably take even more things.
Ted's mommy listened as he told her the whole story and
when he was finished she went to the bookshelf and took out Ted's Bible and
read him the Story of Jesus and a man named Zaccheus. You see Jesus was in the
city of Jericho and the people where all around him trying to see him and to
hear him preach. Now Zaccheus was a short little man and when he was standing
among all the people, he was too short to see Jesus over their heads. He
decided to run ahead of the people and climbed into a tree so that he could
see Jesus when he came walking past.
Well Jesus did just that, and came walking right under
where Zaccheus was, but do you know what? Jesus did not walk passed him, but
stopped when He got under Zaccheus and told him to come down for the tree he
was in. Jesus also told Zaccheus to take Him to his house because Jesus wanted
to stay in Zaccheus' house that night.
The people were very cross with Jesus because Zaccheus was
not a nice person. It was his job to collect money from all the people for
taxes, but what Zaccheus would do is cheat the people. He would tell them to
give him more money than what the people had to pay and take the rest of the
money for himself! He would steal the money and the people could not do
anything about it. If they did not pay, he could get them into trouble. He was
a bad person and now Jesus was going to stay in his house?! What would you
have done if you where Jesus? Would you have stayed at that bad mans house,
who stole from everyone?
Well Lord Jesus is such a special person that he could see
the real Zaccheus’ heart inside and not the Zaccheus who was stealing money
from the people. He was a scared little man that needed someone to love him
and to care for him. So Jesus chose not to act like the other people and went
to Zaccheus' house and give him a chance to become a good man. And that is
what happened, Zaccheus realized he was being bad and gave double the money he
stole from all the people back to them. He was so happy inside that Jesus
showed him love and care that he gave his money to the poor people that did
not have money.
Do you know that Jesus did something very similar for us?
He loved us so much that He looked passed all our bad things and gave up His
own life and died on the cross so He could be with us in our hearts forever
and loves us all the time. He did it for every person that lives in the world,
He died for the good people and the bad people too. You see we all need to de
loved and to know that someone really cares for us no matter how bad we are.
There was just one person who could do it and he came to earth and showed us
while he walk on the earth and now he lives inside us. And His name was -
Jesus, God's only son!
Ted was feeling bad inside, he was being ugly to Mike just
because he was different and used his things all the time. He had not taken
the time, like Jesus did, to see the real Mike in his heart, but had let
Mike's clothes and other things tell him what kind of person Mike was. Mike
had never broken any of his stuff or stole them. He had always asked really
nicely and always made sure to give them back right away. It was then that Ted
decided to rather do it Jesus’ way from now on and to love even if it was
hard to and ask Jesus to help him see the real person in their heart. So He
prayed a prayer right there that went like this:
"Lord Jesus please
forgive me for being such an ugly person and not sharing my stuff!
I did not look passed the outside and at Mike’s heart and what you see in
him!
I want to see people like you do and to be more like you Jesus.
Thank you for loving me so much that you gave up your life for me
Thank you that you love everyone in the world.
Thank you that you will never stop loving them no matter how bad they are.
Thank you for being such a special person
In Jesus Name,
Amen!"
Straightaway Ted felt something leave him and he felt a lot
lighter. He was not all cross inside when he thought of Mike the knot of anger
in his tummy was all got and instead was happiness. In fact he saw what it
must be like to have to ask for the things you need all the time. Ted
remembered the day when he left his pencil box at home, how hard it was that
day at school. Not only did none of the children want to lend him anything but
he had to first build up the courage to ask. So Ted went to the cupboard where
his mommy had spare school stuff and put together a pencil box just for Mike.
It had all the things Mike always needed and a few extras.
The next Morning as Mike came into class and sat down at
the desk, Ted told him he was very sorry for not being very nice to him and
gave him the pencil box he had made for Mike. He told him of the story he had
read and how he wanted to be Mike’s friend. It was then that Mike told Ted
that this was the best thing anyone had ever done for him. You see Mike did
not have a daddy and that meant that his mommy had to work extra hard and do
everything for both of them. She did not make enough money to buy stuff like
pens and pencils. That is why he was always asking even though he always felt
very bad having to ask. He had no choice.
From that day on Ted and Mike shared everything together
and became the best of friends. In fact they even spent times at each others
house over weekends and school holidays. Ted found out that even though Mike
was very different to him in how he dressed and how he lived. Mike was a very
special friend that Lord Jesus had brought into his life. He was different to
all the other friends Ted had, but Mike was by far the best out of them all.
He had learnt a very important lesson that he never forgot - always ask Jesus
to show you what the persons heart is like on the inside and not to ever judge
the person by what they look like on the outside!
Do you have a problem like Ted had with Mike? Do you know
someone that is different and you are battling to be nice to them? Maybe you
have an older brother or sister that is always being ugly to you and taking
your things? Why not let Lord Jesus show you the special person they are in
their hearts? He made them and knows every thing about them. He knows what is
making their heart sore and what would make them happy. So why not show them
how special Lord Jesus is by doing some thing special for them? Lord Jesus
loves us all, so why not show that love!
The End.
