\u201cYears ago there was a little one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA young, inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director\nscanned him and asked: \u2018Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an\nawful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take\none.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018I will risk it,\u2019 he replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe first day of school came, and the teacher appeared for\nduty. One big fellow named Tom whispered: \u2018I won\u2019t need any help with this one.\nI can lick him myself.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe teacher said, \u2018Good morning, boys, we have come to conduct\nschool.\u2019 They yelled and made fun at the top of their voices. \u2018Now, I want a\ngood school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose\nwe have a few rules. You tell me, and I will write them on the blackboard.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne fellow yelled, \u2018No stealing!\u2019 Another yelled, \u2018On time.\u2019\nFinally, ten rules appeared on the blackboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018Now,\u2019 said the teacher, \u2018a law is not good unless there is a\npenalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,\u2019 came\nthe response from the class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure that you are ready\nto stand by it?\u2019 Another yelled, \u2018I second the motion,\u2019 and the teacher said,\n\u2018All right, we will live by them! Class, come to order!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn a day or so, \u2018Big Tom\u2019 found that his lunch had been stolen.\nThe thief was located\ufeff\u2014a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. \u2018We have\nfound the thief and he must be punished according to your rule\ufeff\u2014ten stripes\nacross the back. Jim, come up here!\u2019 the teacher said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat\nfastened up to his neck and pleaded, \u2018Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you\nlike, but please, don\u2019t take my coat off!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018Take your coat off,\u2019 the teacher said. \u2018You helped make the\nrules!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018Oh, teacher, don\u2019t make me!\u2019 He began to unbutton, and what\ndid the teacher see? The boy had no shirt on, and revealed a bony little\ncrippled body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018How can I whip this child?\u2019 he thought. \u2018But I must, I must do\nsomething if I am to keep this school.\u2019 Everything was quiet as death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018How come you aren\u2019t wearing a shirt, Jim?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe replied, \u2018My father died and my mother is very poor. I have\nonly one shirt and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother\u2019s big coat to\nkeep me warm.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then \u2018Big Tom\u2019\njumped to his feet and said, \u2018Teacher, if you don\u2019t object, I will take Jim\u2019s\nlicking for him.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2018Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a\nsubstitute for another. Are you all agreed?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOff came Tom\u2019s coat, and after five strokes the rod broke! The\nteacher bowed his head in his hands and thought, \u2018How can I finish this awful\ntask?\u2019 Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had\nreached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. \u2018Tom, I\u2019m sorry that\nI stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for\ntaking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gordon B. Hinckley shared that story in a talk years ago, expressing that while he didn\u2019t know who the original author of the story was he felt the story served as a parable of sorts and hoped it would serve as a reminder that, \u201cTo lift a phrase from this simple story, Jesus, my Redeemer, has taken \u201cmy licking for me\u201d and yours for you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My son recanted that same story to our family today as we sat around our dinner table doing our typical Sunday tradition of each sharing something that had inspired us from church today. As he shared the story it was impossible not to tear up. What a great reminder of the tremendous love Jesus has for each of us and the sacrifice he made on our behalves: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“When all is said and done, when all of history is examined, when the deepest depths of the human mind have been explored, nothing is so wonderful, so majestic, so tremendous as this act of grace when the Son of the Almighty, the Prince of His Father\u2019s royal household, He who had once spoken as Jehovah, He who had condescended to come to earth as a babe born in Bethlehem, gave His life in ignominy and pain so that all of the sons and daughters of God of all generations of time, every one of whom must die, might walk again and live eternally. He did for us what none of us could do for ourselves.\u201d – Gordon B. Hinckley<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. As you go into this new week do so remembering that you are loved tremendously. #nogreaterlove<\/p>\n\n\n\n