The Whipping

There was a school with a class of students no teacher had

been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run

off from this school in one year by the unruly students.  A

young man, just out of college, heard about the class and he

applied to the school.  The principal asked the young man,

?Do you not know what you are asking for?  No one has been

able to handle these students.  You are just asking for a

terrible beating.?

After a few moments of silent prayer, the young man looked

at the principal and said, ?Sir, with your consent I accept

the challenge.  Just give me a trial basis.?

The next morning the young man stood before the class.  He

said to the class, ?Young people, I came here today to

conduct school.  But I realize I can?t do it by myself. I must

have your help.?  One big boy, they called Big Tom, in the

back of the room whispered to his buddies, ?I?ll not need any

help. I can lick that little bird all by myself.?

The young teacher told the class that if they were to have

school, there will have to be some rules to go by.  But he

also added that he will allow the students to make up the

rules, that he would list them on the blackboard.

This was certainly different, the students thought.

One young man suggested ?NO STEALING.?

Another one shouted ?BE ON TIME FOR CLASS.?

Pretty soon they had 10 rules listed on the board.

The teacher had then asked the class what the punishment

should be for breaking these rules.  ?Rules are no good

unless they are enforced,? he said.  Someone in the class

suggested that if the rules were broken, they should

receive 10 licks with a rod across their back with their

coat off.  The teacher thought that was pretty harsh, so he

asked the class if they would stand by this punishment.  The

class agreed.

Everything went pretty good for two or three days.  Then

Big Tom came in one day very upset.  He declared that

someone had stolen his lunch.  After talking with the

students, they came to the conclusion that little Timmy had

stolen Big Tom?s lunch.  Someone had seen little Timmy

with Big Tom?s lunch!

The teacher called little Timmy up to the front of the room.

Little Timmy admitted he had taken Big Tom?s lunch.  So the

teacher asked him, ?Do you know the punishment?  Little

Timmy nodded that he did.  ?You must remove your coat,

then,? the teacher instructed.

The little fellow had come with a great big coat on.  Little

Timmy said to the teacher, ?I am guilty and I am willing to

take my punishment, but please don?t make me take off my

coat.?  The teacher reminded little Timmy of the rules and

punishments and again told him he must remove his coat and

take his punishment like a man.  The little fellow started to

unbutton that old coat.

As he did so, the teacher saw he did not have a shirt on

under the coat.  And even worse, he saw a frail and bony

frame hidden beneath that coat.  The teacher asked little

Timmy why he had come to school without a shirt on.  Little

Timmy replied, ?My daddy?s dead and my mother is very

poor.  I don?t have but one shirt, and my mother is washing

it today.  I wore big brother?s coat so? to keep warm.?

That young teacher stood and looked at the frail back the

ribs sticking out, the spine protruding against the skin.  He

wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back and

without even a shirt on.  Still, he knew he must enforce the

punishment or the children would not obey the rules.  So he

drew back to strike little Timmy.

Just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle.  He

asked, ?Is there anything that says I can?t take little

Timmy?s whipping for him??  The teacher thought about it

and agreed.  With that Big Tom ripped his coat off and

stooped and stood over little Timmy at the desk.

Hesitatingly, the teacher began to lay the rod on that big

back.  But for some strange reason, after only five licks

that old rod just broke in half.  The young teacher buried

his face in his hands and began to sob.

He heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one

dry eye in the room.  Little Timmy had turned and grabbed

Big Tom around the neck, apologizing to him for stealing his

lunch, begging his forgiveness.  Little Timmy begged Big

Tom to forgive him.  He told Big Tom that he would love him

till the day he died for taking his whipping for him.

Aren?t you glad that Jesus took our whipping for us, that He

shed His precious blood on Calvary so that you and I can

have eternal life in Glory with Him?  We are unworthy of

the price He paid for us, but aren?t you glad He loves us

that much?

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