There
was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious
man who taught at a small college in the western United States.
Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at
this particular institution. Every student was required to take this
course his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.
Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the
gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the
course as nothing but required drudgery.
Despite his best
efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously. This
year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve.
Steve was only a freshman but was studying with the
intent of going into the seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular,
he was well-liked and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now
the starting center on the school football team, and was the
best student in the Professor's class. One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.
"How many push-ups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200? That's pretty good Steve," Dr. Christianson said, "Do you think you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know. I've never done 300 at a time."
"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson "Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I
need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of 10 for this to work. Can
you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it!" said the Professor.
Steve said, "Well, I think I can. Yeah, I can
do it."
Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room.When class started, the Professor pulled
out a big box of doughnuts. No, these
weren't the normal kinds of doughnuts;
they were the extra fancy BIG kind with
cream centers and frosting swirls.
Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day,
and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in
Dr. Christianson's
class.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these doughnuts?"
Cynthia said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups
so that Cynthia can have a doughnut."
"Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk
to do a quick ten.
Then Steve again sat in the desk. Dr. Christianson then put a doughnut on Cynthia's desk.
Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a doughnut?"
Joe said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a doughnut."
Steve did ten push-ups; Joe got a doughnut. And so it went, down the
first aisle. Steve did ten push-ups for everyperson before they got
their doughnut.
Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson
came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good
condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacked for female
companionship. When the Professor asked, "Scott, do you want a
doughnut?"
Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own
push-ups?"
Dr. Christianson said, "No. Steve has to do
them"
Then Scott replied, "No, I don't want one
then."
Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve,
would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a doughnut he doesn't want."
With perfect obedience, Steve started to do ten push-ups. Scott said, "Hey! I said I didn't want one!"
Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desk
and these are my doughnuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want
it." And he put a doughnut on Scott's desk.
Now, by this time, Steve had begun to
slow down a little. He just stayed on the
floor between sets because it took too
much effort to be getting up and down.
You could start to see a little perspiration
coming out around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row.
Now, the students were beginning to get
a little angry.
Dr. Christianson asked
Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a doughnut?"
Sternly, Jenny said, "NO!"
Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve
would you do ten more push-ups so that
Jenny can have a doughnut she doesn't
want."
Steve did ten; Jenny got the
doughnut. By now, a growing sense of uneasiness
filled the room. The students were beginning to say "No"
and there were all these uneaten
doughnuts on the desks.
Steve also had to
really put forth a lot of extra effort to get
these push-ups done for each doughnut.
There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms
and brow were beginning to get red
because of the physical effort involved.
Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was
the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to
watch Steve do each push-up to make
sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set
because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's
work for all those uneaten doughnuts. He
sent Robert over to where Steve was so
Robert could count the set and watch
Steve closely.
Dr. Christianson started
down the fourth row.During his class, however, some students from other
classes had wandered in and sat down on
the steps along the radiators that ran
down the sides of the room. When the
Professor realized this, he did a quick
count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry
if Steve would be able to make it.
Dr. Christianson went on to the next
person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really
having a rough time. He was taking a lot
more time to complete each set. Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to
make my nose touch on each one?"
Dr. Christianson thought for a moment,
"Well, they're your push-ups. You're in charge now. You can do them
any way you want." And Dr. Christianson
went on.
A few moments later, Jason, a recent
transfer student came to the room and
was about to come in when all the
students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't
come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on.
Steve picked up his head and said, "No.
Let him come in."
Professor Christianson said, "You realize
that if Jason comes in, you will have to do
ten push-ups for him."
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him
a doughnut."
Dr. Christianson said, "Okay Steve, I'll let
you get Jason's out of the way right now.
Jason, do you want a doughnut?"
Jason, new to the room, hardly knew
what was going on. "Yes," he said, "Give
me a doughnut."
"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that
Jason can have a doughnut?" Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and
with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was
handed a doughnut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row
and then started on those visitors seated
by the heaters. Steve's arms were now
shaking with each push-up in a struggle
to lift himself against the force of gravity.
By this time, sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no
sound except his heavy breathing; there
was not a dry eye in the room. The very last two students in the room
were two young women, both
cheerleaders, and very popular.
Dr.
Christianson went to Linda, the second to
last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a
doughnut?"
Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."
Professor Christianson quietly asked,
"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so
Linda can have a doughnut that she
doesn't want." Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten
very slow push-ups for Linda.
Then, Dr. Christianson turned to the last
girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a
doughnut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face,
began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I
help him?"
Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own,
said, "No, Steve has to do it alone. I have
given him this task and he is in charge of
seeing that everyone has an opportunity
for a doughnut whether they want it or
not. When I decided to have a party this last
day of class, I looked at my grade book.
Steve here is the only student with a
perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped
class, or offered me inferior work. Steve
told me that in football practice, when a
player messes up he must do push-ups. I
told Steve that none of you could come to
my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for
your sakes."
"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so
Susan can have a doughnut."
As Steve very slowly finished his last push-
up, with the understanding that he had
accomplished all that was required of
him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms
buckled beneath him and he fell to the
floor.
Dr. Christianson turned to the room and
said,
"And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus
Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father,
'into Thy hands I commend my spirit.'
with the understanding that he had done
everything that was required of Him, He yielded up his life. And, like some of
those in this room, many of us leave the
gift on the desk uneaten."
Two students helped Steve up off the
floor and to a seat, physically exhausted,
but wearing a thin smile.
"Well done,
good and faithful servant," said the
Professor, adding, "Not all sermons are
preached in words."
Turning to his class, the Professor said,
"My wish is that you might understand
and fully comprehend all the riches of
grace and mercy that have been given to
you through the sacrifice of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all,
for everyone, now and forever.
Whether or not we choose to accept His
gift to us, the price has been paid by His blood on the cross.
"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful
to leave it lying on the desk?"
