The Whipping

by David Robinson

 

There was a school with a class of students that no teacher had been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run out of this school in one year by the unruly students.

 

A young man, just out of college, heard that there was a vacancy and he applied to the school. The principal asked him, 'Do you know what you are asking for? No one else has been able to handle these students. You're just asking for terrible headaches.'

 

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, 'Young people, I came here today to conduct school. But I can't do it by myself. I need your help.'

 

One boy, they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered to his buddies, 'I won't need any help. I can handle that little bird all by myself.'

 

The young teacher told the class that if they were to have school, there would have to be some rules to go by, and he said that he would allow the students to make the rules and 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 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 this was pretty harsh, so he asked the class if they would stand by this punishment. They agreed.

 

Everything went along pretty good for two or three days. Then Big Tom came in one day very upset; someone had stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they came to the conclusion that Timmy had stolen Big Tom's lunch. Someone had seen him with it. The teacher called Tim up to the front of the room, and he admitted that he'd taken Big Tom's Lunch.

So the teacher asked him, 'Do you know the punishment? Tim nodded.

 

'You must remove your coat,' the teacher instructed. The little fellow had come with a great big coat on and he said, 'I'm guilty and I'm willing to take my punishment, but please don't make me take off my coat.'

 

The teacher reminded the boy 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 didn't have a shirt on under the coat. And even worse, he saw a frail and bony frame hidden beneath that coat.

 

'Why have you come to school without a shirt on?' the teacher asked.

'My Daddy's dead and my Mother is very poor. I have only one shirt, and my mother is washing it today. I wore my big brother's coat so that I could keep warm.'

 

There was his back with the spine protruding against the skin, and his ribs sticking out. The teacher 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.

But just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle. He asked, 'Is there anything that says that I can't take Tim's whipping for him?' The there wasn't, so Big Tom ripped his coat off and stooped and stood over Tim at the desk.And the teacher began to lay the rod on his big back. But 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 commotion and looked up to find there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Tim had turned and grabbed Big Tom around the neck, apologizing to him for stealing his lunch.He begged him to forgive him, and told him 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?