The Game Called "Learning"

While substituting in a local middle school library a few years ago, a young female student came into the library, set down at one of several computers, and asked me, “Are there any games on these computers?” To which I replied, “To my knowledge, there is only one game on these computers.” The young lady asked, “Which game would that be?” To which I responded, “The game called learning.”

When she heard that, she immediately stood up from her chair, turned around toward the entrance to the library, and walked out never to return that day. She was more interested in playing computer games than she was in learning anything that would possibly benefit her later in life.

Christians who very rarely study their Bibles (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV), are like the young student in the above true story. They would rather “play” at being a Christian rather than make the necessary sacrifices required to learn at the feet of the Master Teacher (Luke 10:38-39; Matthew 22:16; John 3:1-2) and grow as a Christian (1 Peter 2:1-2; 2 Peter 3:18; cf. Ephesians 4:11-15).

As in the library, the Master Teacher has only one game that will help us grow into the kind of mature Christian that will give honor and glory to Him, and that game is the game called “learning” (Matthew 9:10-13 – see commentary). Unfortunately, the hypocritical Pharisees of Jesus’ day were not willing to play that game and humbly “learn” at Jesus’ feet.

Beloved, what game are we playing today?

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets