Meet Me After Class

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s a teacher, I occasionally request to see a student after class.  There are several reasons leading to my decision to have a conference; but usually the student is encountering difficulty in one or more areas evidenced by a low grade on a test or homework assignment. I notify the student by writing a small note which reads, “See me after class.”  This usually causes some alarm on the student’s part but it always gets his/her attention and allows us to meet and to discuss the student’s performance.

The underlying cause of the student’s problem could be one of several possibilities. It might be he/she failed to understand the directions.  It might also be the case that he/she failed to study properly or studied the wrong material.  However, in all likelihood, the student is having difficulty with a certain aspect of the lesson because he/she has not learned the material.  If the student doesn’t understand the concepts being presented, he/she will not progress in the learning process because a huge obstacle has fallen across the path.  This is the reason for the conference.  It lets me understand the student’s perspective and gives me an opportunity to revisit the material and to make sure he/she understands the material so that learning can continue.

Jesus held many after-class sessions with his disciples.  On more than one occasion, he met with them to explain the meanings of the parables he used in his teaching.  The crowds who followed him were drawn and captivated by Jesus and his method of teaching.  Never had anyone explained things like him and no one had ever spoken with such authority about the kingdom of God.  Still, there were things that escaped their understanding and for those who wanted to know more, it was necessary to visit the teacher after class.

Mark 4:33-34 preserves for us one of these sessions with Jesus.  The passage reads, “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.  He did not say anything to them without using a parable.  But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.”  Do you notice the two different groups in this passage?  The first group contains all of Jesus followers as a whole.  They all heard his teaching and they all listened to his parables.  Like any good teacher, Jesus only explains as much as his students can understand.  He doesn’t overload them but gently leads them into knowledge.  However, for some of the students, namely his disciples, Jesus’ teaching leaves them hungry for more.  So Jesus sees them after class to clear up the areas of difficulty and to teach the points again in order to insure his students understand the lesson.

There is a great opportunity for us to learn from this passage of scripture.  Into which group do we fall today?  Are we in the larger group, hearing the teaching, hanging on every word, but leaving when the lesson is over?  Or are we in that inner group of students that lingers around after everyone else is dismissed so that we can learn even more?  Notice that only the second group has everything explained to them. Only they receive the full extent of Jesus’ teaching.  Only they had the privilege of being taught one-on-one by Jesus and learning directly from him.  So, do you feel the need to stay after class today?