The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Page 149

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

149

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The Dignity and the Importance of the
Work of a Lutheran Day-School Teacher
in Our Missions.

The dignity of the teacher’s work is beauti-
fully summarized in the words of Jesus, “Feed My
lambs.” John, 21,15. The readers are familiar with
the setting of this precious jewel of the Bible. After
dining with several disciples on the shore of the Sea
of Tiberias upon miraculously supplied bread and
fishes, the risen Savior singled out Simon Peter and
gave him the charge, “Feed My lambs.” ‘The word
“lambs” in this connection signifies human beings.
That is the meaning the term has in a number of
other passages. For that reason the psalmist also
sings: “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Ps.23. Thus
Simon Peter was instructed to feed human beings.

Human beings are the objects of the work also of
Lutheran teachers. And that explains why theirs is
a dignified calling. Man is God’s noblest earthly
creature, for he was called into being by Him by
a special creation. Whereas the marble of the sculp-
tor, the gold of the goldsmith, the precious pearls of
the jeweler, the lilies of the field of the botanist,
were brought forth by God’s omnipotent fiat, man’s
creation alone was preceded by the divine counsel,
“Let Us make man in Our image, after Our like-
ness,” Gen. 1, 26; his body was carefully fashioned,
for “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the
ground,” Gen. 2,7; and he was endowed with right-
eousness and true holiness, for “God created man in
His own image, in the image of God created He
him,” Gen. 1,27. “What a piece of work is man!
How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in
form and moving, how express and admirable!”
(Hamlet, Act II, Sc. 2.) The crown of creation is
the material with which the teacher works. Does
that fact not impart dignity to his labor?

There is a doctrine prevalent which denies the
original exalted position of man. According to the
devotees of evolution, man has in the course of eons
evolved from a lower form of life. If that doctrine
were true, the teacher’s work would be stripped of
all dignity and dwindle down to an occupation
essentially the same as that of a wild-animal trainer.
But this doctrine flatly contradicts Scripture, and
truly great scientists are careful to say that it
is, after all, only a hypothesis, a supposition or
guess of scientists. In fact, one famous scientist,
Dr. Austin H. Clark of the United States National
Museum, recently declared “that man appeared on
earth substantially as he is to-day —to all intents
and purposes a product of special creation.”

“Feed My lambs,” says Jesus. He is speaking
of human beings, more specifically, of little children.
This fact serves to increase the dignity of a teacher’s
work. Jesus was once a child, and He has hallowed
childhood. And by the mouth of the psalmist, God
says: “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of
them,” that is, of children. Ps. 127, 5.

But just because the teacher deals with children,
his work is often underestimated. Contempt for the
teacher is largely a result of contempt for the child.
The attitude of the world toward children was sadly
illustrated some time ago when the dead bodies of
a woman and her children were found in a gas-filled
room while a pet bird was found hanging outdoors,
away from the deadly fumes. In a note written be-
fore her death the woman said: “I decided to take
my children with me because they are small and
helpless, and I was afraid no one would be kind to
them when I am gone. But,” she continued, “my
bird will find a good home because he is a good
singer.” Since the world has a warped opinion of
children and actually. places their value below
material gain, it is not amazing to find that, while
the teacher of children is frequently regarded with
a kind of pitying superior regard, the man who
handles gold, silver, and other perishable forms of
wealth is shown an undue portion of respect. How
suggestive of false standards for estimating values
are such designations as these: “merchant princes,”
“lumber kings,” “coal barons,” “lordly banker” !

Lest Christians fall into the error of esteeming
children lightly, Jesus spoke the warning: “Take
heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for
I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always
behold the face of My Father which is in heaven.”
Matt.18,10. Is it not a rare privilege, a privilege
to be desired, to work with material about which
Jesus and the angels in heaven are deeply con-
cerned ?

Moreover, Jesus says, “Feed My lambs.” They
are His. They have been redeemed unto God by His.
blood; they belong to Him by Baptism; they are:
precious possessions of Jesus. When the prophet
Nathan became the instructor of Solomon, Nathan
called the child Jedediah, “Beloved of the Lord,’”
Let teachers never forget that the children entrusted
to their care are all beloved of the Lord.

Jesus gives the charge, “Feed My lambs.” To.
work for Jesus is always a special honor. Consider
what Jesus has done for us all. “He hath borne our
griefs and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for
our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities >
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, andi