Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-08
THE GREATEST OF ALLTEAcHERs

THE GREATEST OF ALLTEAcHERs
To the Editor of The Journal:
In one of our old school readers the
story is told again concerning the young
man who came a long distance through
the night TO ask the philosopher, Plato.
how to be good.
Struck with the earnestness of one
whose desire had thus so greatly prompt
ed him, the sage replied to the effect that
such intense longing for the goodness
that is within as was evinced by his
questioner was the first and greatest
step in being good. In other words. back
of the attainment of goodness must ex-
list the all pervading desire TO be good.
This is again controlled by the great un-
derlying principle that all attainment is
based on desire.
This has always been true and was
most conciseiy stated by the man of Gal
lice when he said, Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after right
eousness for they shall be filed"
The pedagogical courses in our schools
include studies of the lives. systems and
methods of all the great teachers. as
Pestalozzie, Frobel, Rousseau and many
others. No professional instructor is ig-
norant of the principles by which Socra-
ties impressed truth.
Yet the lessons to be learned from these
truly great minds are insignificant in
their scope and manner when compared
to the marvellous methods of the Naza-
rene. The time is at hand when, from
a pedagogical standpoint we must rec
ognize Jesus as the greatest of all teach
eTs. and divorce entirely from religious
and UNCONVENTIONAL controversy. place
him first and supreme in our educational
systems. not only in regard to the truths
he taught. but the methods he employed
In presenting them.
In studying Jesus from a purely peda-
gogical point of view. Greek and Jew.
Catholic and Protestant, Pagan and skep-
tic can join without dissent.
The truths which Jesus taught are
eternal and l-4-ed to all manner and con-
ditions of men. The 'wayfaring man,
though he be a fool. can read the beat
itude concerning the hunger and thirst
for righteousness and perceiving a faint
and feeble glimmer of it's truth, be edited
thereby. But to the sage, the scholar,
II is luminous with meaning.
Not only are the sayings of Christ sim
pie to the simple and great to the great,
but they grow and expand with the flight
of centuries. The sermon on the mount
has an infinitely greater message to the
twentieth century than IT had to those
who in person listened to it.
The object lesson and the symbolic
story are two recognized methods of inn
pressing truth in modern educational
systems. Yet Jesus used them both long
ago. Let us consider Christ's work in Ihe
Office of healing.
Why did he, whose mission was spirit
ual minister to mans physical Ills? Be
cause he recognized that he who would
reach man, must not only do so through
mans need. but through need perceived
by him.
Much is said of Christ's death. Yet he
of all others lived for humanity. 1t was
his divine prerogative TO open the eyes of
the blind. not the blind whose physical
vision was defective, but the far more
wretched blind, whose stupid and unsee-
ing eyes could not see in the beauty of
the bending skies, the majesty of the
mountains, in silvery stream or delicately
tinted flower. any reflection of the glory
of God. or of His eternal truths.
He also came to unstop the ears Of the
deaf; the deaf who might indeed hear the
swish and swish of waters, the babbling
of brooks, the song of birds, the murmur
of woods, but who in all the eloquent
voices of Nature, heard no echo of the
Voice divine.
He would also cure man OF the leprosy
of sin. that dreadful disease. which. COM
ing first in some trifling offense, spread
faster and faster until the whole life was
a vile thing. spreading its contamination
everywhere.
Last of all it was his supreme triumph
to raise the dead, whose body might be
beautiful and strong, but whose spirit
lived not because of trespasses and sin.
All of these people were in the greatest
need, but they were not conscious of this
need. They said, II have need Of moth
ing" and knew not that they were
wretched and miserable and poor and
blind and naked" They must be taught
he Of
want which had appealed to their souls.
Here is a poor man, blind from his birth.
His great need is not only terribly appar-
ent to him; IT is recognized by all who see
him Jesus anoints his eyes with clay.
sends him to the pool of Sloan, where he
washes and comes back seeing. The po-
tency of this act is felt aud understood by
all; using 1t as an object lesson, Jesus
can now impress such truths as II am the
light of the world: he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall
have the light of life
Thus he prepared the ground not only
for this, but for many other beautiful
things he said about the Light.
And Lazarus of Bethany-ah, here was
earth's great dark shadow, death. When
tho only brother of Mary and Martha was
called back to life, the greatest cry OF
their hearts was satisfied; a cry not
theirs only, but one whose reverberations
reached out and out, piercing the utter
most heart in the universe. Every life
had been chilled by this terror, which
Christ here Overcame. And so in the con-
seriousness of this great need he brings
in the greater lesson, Il am the Resurrec-
ton and the Life
Thus by appealing to physical needs,
Jesus opened the hearts OF the people to
receive the more important spiritual
truths.
How great is the need of applying just
such methods to the school room is IN
adequately realized by even the profess
sional pedagogue. The greater the need
Of a community, the greater must be the
influence welded by the teacher. In
many. If not most. of our rural schools,
the majority of the children come 10 US
in great need, both of body and soul. In
q very few there is a burning realization
of this need: a few moro arc vaguely con-
scious OF II; the many are blissfully ig-
norant Of any deficiency.
The teacher who goes into back
woods" district, TO a filthy. dilapidated
school house and makes it into bower
of beauty; who is greeted by untidy, I'M
kempt children, who presently become
radiance of bright faces and a glory of
shining tresses; who transforms the list
less ewes and vacant looks of sleeping
souls into the sparkling and expressive
countenance of awakened intellect, must
ineed be filled with the spirit OF the Great
Teacher.
Many have accomplished great things
by becoming disciples of the various noted
educational teachers; but whatever light
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