| Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. |
| —John 20:21 |
Ricky always thought he was chosen as the teacher’s pet. After the first or second day of school, the teacher pulled his desk up close to hers. He loved it there. He often had her attention with his interruptions and hijinks. “Why,” he thought, “if I had been a ‘problem student,’ she would have long ago sent me to the Principal’s Office. Right?” Not necessarily so.
Talker and all-around class clown, the other students liked Ricky. And, wherever he sat, he made friends. His teacher, Mrs. Allen, saw potential in him and sat him in the front next to her desk for reasons far beyond a mutual admiration.
In the Gospel of John, this close friend and devoted follower of Jesus referred to himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” It seems quite possible that John might have considered himself the “teacher’s pet,” too. Yes, he did share the spotlight with James and Peter. But, Jesus often chose John for special, close-up teaching.
After all, the title “disciple” has within it the same root as the word “discipline.” Ricky didn’t perceive that the teacher actually found his behavior abhorrent. She brought him close to her, so that she could more easily control and guide him to learn self-discipline, to prevent him from interfering with the learning of the other students, and to help him through individualized teaching. Indeed, individualized teaching was the key, just as Jesus used individualized teaching with Peter, James, and John.
As a result, when the first leaders of the New Testament Church were assigned, we find that Peter, James, and John came out above all the others. They had stayed close to Jesus. His nearness gave them an unforgettable glimpse into His character and His person. Part of His discipline of them involved bringing them so close to Himself that they had to see and learn from Him.
When his classmates played outside on the playground, sometimes Ricky even got the chance to sit next to the teacher during recess! I doubt that Ricky was happy with that arrangement. Yet, in the end, we know he benefitted from this special kind of love and care given by someone more wise than he.
Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us:
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
Just as we would probably find Ricky’s name at the top of Mrs. Allen’s “worry list”—forcing her to stretch her human resources of creativity and care—God has each of us at the top of His special list, too. We are, all of us, this divine Teacher’s Pet. And, He know just how to draw us close and keep us in the place where He can teach us to live as His disciples.
