Jesus was just twelve years old when He began teaching, something He was peacefully doing while His parents frantically searched for Him for three days. In fact, He wasn’t just teaching, He was teaching the teachers!
“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers [ . . . ] and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers” (Luke 2:46-47).
I love that the English word “astounded” is used here in this translation! It comes from the Latin word extonare meaning “to leave someone thunderstruck.” Jesus was leaving all those around Him thunderstruck!
This has me imagining my four-year-old walking into a mini “thunderstorm” each morning as she walks through the front doors of her preschool. With her heart and mind open and curious to the world, I imagine there are many times throughout her day that she learns something new that shifts her perspective. Something that points her to a truer and fuller understanding of the world. The image of ignorance as darkness and the truth as light is a common one in the tradition, and part of education children is leading them to this light.
The excellent teachers that help draw people into the light of truth are not working a typical nine-to-five. The ones I know consider their classroom and their students long before they are assigned a room or their first day of class begins. While summertime might be considered their vacation, it is also a time of intention and pondering on how to best engage their students. Many of the teachers I know use their personal money to purchase books and decorations for their rooms, and they do so with a desire to bring awe and wonder into the lives of their students. Creating a warm classroom is something that brings joy to them.
Then, when the leaves start falling and the air feels crisp, these teachers do eventually meet the students brought under their instruction. They greet them, memorize their faces and names, learn about their families, and think about them well past their drive home at the end of the day. They even pray for them.
Saint John Bosco wrote much on helping his students open their hearts to learning and to God.
Good teachers are there because they want to touch hearts and minds, but in order for one’s heart and mind to be touched, they have to be open to receive.
In the coffee shop I am sitting in right now, there are about ten laptops open. For those who aren’t staring at a screen, they are reading a hard copy of something, like a newspaper or a book.
This makes me reflect on my college years, and the many hours I spent behind a screen studying my notes for an upcoming exam or clicking away, writing a final paper. How often was I open to receiving the wealth of knowledge that was laid out before me?
I remember cramming for an astronomy exam, and the class that I thought would be an easy A, turned out to be one of the most challenging classes I ever took. Turns out learning about stars and black holes has a lot more to do with trigonometry, algorithms, and lab work and less to do with pondering the beauty of the night sky.
As I vented to my dad about my struggle with the course material, he said to me, “Make sure that you are studying to learn, not studying to pass an exam. If you are studying to learn, you might actually get something out of it that you will remember even after the course is over.”
These words of wisdom have stuck with me for over a decade. While I am no longer in the classroom, they challenge me to ask myself if I am reading a book just to check it off my list or if I am actually reading deeply, opening my mind to the thoughts stirred up from the author’s words.
Or, going back to the Gospel of Luke, when I hear Jesus speak, do I open myself up to being astounded by His teachings? Will I slow down enough to place myself at His feet, putting myself in the posture to receive?
Reflecting on the idea of slowing down and being quiet gives me a much greater appreciation for my daughter’s preschool teacher, and the patience she must have as she waits for her little students to still themselves to listen and learn. It also reminds me how the Lord is incredibly patient with me as I struggle to quiet my soul in His presence. So I am thankful that His grace is new every morning, and just as a good teacher, He always desires to touch my heart and bring me into His light.
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Susanna Parent is a regular contributor to the BIS blog, speaker and a freelance writer. While a Wisconsin native, she now begins her mornings brewing French press coffee in the home she shares with her husband and children in the Twin Cities. When the sun sets, you’ll find her with friends enjoying a glass of red wine, preferably outside underneath twinkly lights. When not exploring all that the Twin Cities has to offer, she is indulging her wanderlust spirit by brainstorming their family's next new adventure. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Susanna's posts here.
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