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Friday
Tale - Push-Up Sacrifice
There was
a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson 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. 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 into 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 pushups 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. "Can you do
300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind, and I need you to do
about 300 pushups 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. 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
pushups 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 pushups so Joe can have a
donut?" Steve did ten pushups, and Joe got a donut.
And so
it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person
before they got their donut, and down the second aisle, till 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 pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't
want?" Steve did ten, and 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 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.
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 pushups 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 then started on those visitors seated
by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each pushup in a
struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was profusely
dropping off of his face and, by this time, 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 pushups 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 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 when a player messes up in football practice, he must do pushups. I
told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price
by doing your pushups. He and I made a deal for your
sakes. Steve,
would you do ten pushups 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, pled 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 for us
all, 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 laying on the
desk?"
~ from Jim Gentil’s e-newsletter
For by one offering
He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
~ Hebrews 10:14
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