Don't Leave it on the Desk
There
was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious
man who taught at a small college in the western United
States.
Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at
this particular institution. Every student was required to
take
this course his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.
Although
Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in
his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as
nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most
students refused to take Christianity seriously.
This year,
Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was
only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto
seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well
liked,
and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the
starting
center on the school football team, and was the best student in the
professor's class. One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after
class so he could talk with him.
"How many push-ups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night"
"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do
you think you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a
time."
"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.
"Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can
you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you
to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can
you
do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.
Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."
Dr. Christianson said, "Good. I need you to do this on
Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."
Friday
came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room.
When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of
donuts.
No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy
BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone
was
pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were
going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr.
Christianson's class.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked,
"Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"
Cynthia said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do
ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"
"Sure."
Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve
again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on
Cynthia's
desk.
Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do
you want a donut?"
Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten
push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"
Steve
did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the
first
aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their
donut.
Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to
Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good
condition
as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for
female
companionship.
When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"
Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"
Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."
Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."
Dr.
Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would
you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?" With
perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups.
Scott said, "Hey, I said I didn't want one"
Dr.
Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and
these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't
want
it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.
Now by this time,
Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the
floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and
down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out
around his brow.
Dr. Christianson started down the third
row. Now the students were beginning to get a little
angry.
Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"
Sternly, Jenny said, "No."
Then
Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so
Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten....Jenny
got a donut.
By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the
room. The students were beginning to say "No" and there were
all
these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve also had to really put forth a
lot of extra effort to get these pushups done for each donut.
There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face,
his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical
effort involved.
Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the
most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to
make sure he did the full ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear
to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts.
He
sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and
watch Steve closely.
Dr. Christianson started down the fourth
row. During his class, however, some students from other
classes
had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran
down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this,
he
did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the
room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
Dr.
Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near
the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He
was
taking a lot more time to complete each set.
Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each
one?"
Dr.
Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You are
in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And
Dr.
Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason, a recent
transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all
the students yelled in one voice, "NO, don't come in Stay out!"
Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head
and said, "No, let him come."
Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you
will have to do ten pushups for him?"
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."
Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of
the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"
Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes,"
he said, "give me a donut."
"Steve,
will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten
pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered,
was
handed a donut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the
fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the
heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a
struggle to lift himself against the force of
gravity. By
this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no
sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.
The
very last two students in the room were two young women, both
cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to
Linda,
the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"
Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."
Professor
Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that
Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort,
Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.
Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan,
do you want a donut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr.
Christianson, why can't I help him?"
Dr.
Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it
alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that
everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or
not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I
looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect
grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or
offered
me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice,
when a
player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none
of
you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push
ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."
"Steve, would
you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Steve very slowly
finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had
accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his
arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Dr.
Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was,
that
our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thy
hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done
everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life.
And
like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk,
uneaten."
Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically
exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.
"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding,
"Not all sermons are preached in words."
Turning
to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand
and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been
given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. God spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up
for
us all, for the whole world, now and forever. Whether or not
we
choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."
"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"
Share this with someone. It's bound to touch their heart and
demonstrate salvation in a very special way.
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