The Best Teachers

Who are the best teachers? Perhaps a good answer to this question is: The best teachers are those who first teach themselves.

You may recall from earlier readings what is said of Ezra (7:10). The Bible attests that he studied the law, practiced it and then taught it to his people. That middle verb "practice" was vital to his teaching of the people. We are more credible as teachers when we first put into practice what we seek to pass on to others.

In Romans 2 Paul draws attention to this when he says in verse 21, "you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself?" Previous to this verse Paul describes people who are "sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children,..." Paul observed those who were very confident that they had something to pass on to others, but he questioned that supposition. He suggested that if they teach one thing, but live another that they are ill-suited to be teachers of anyone. If they teach against stealing, but steal themselves, is their teaching worth anything? Will it influence anyone?

The tragic reality of this point comes home in the story of Eli and his sons. Though we see Eli rebuking his sons for despising the Lord and their immorality with the women who served the tabernacle, we see that he has no effect. And why does he have no effect? Apparently, he wasn't practicing what he was preaching. He, too, was growing fat from all the choice meat he and his sons were eating. It would indeed be hard to "teach" one's children to refrain from doing something that you seem to be regularly participating in.

The Christian faith calls all of us to be teachers. We will be teaching our children, teaching our neighbors, teaching one another. We are calling on to share the Word of Christ with others as the Lord gives us utterance. But if we are to be effective as teachers, we must not forget that the best teachers are those who embody the teaching they are trying to pass on.

Jesus did this perfectly with His disciples. Everything He spoke they saw in His life. There was no disconnect. He was indeed the best of teachers.

Unfortunately, for the rest of us our modeling will be inconsistent, but we should strive, by the Spirit of Christ within us to embody His truth. That will be the greatest aid to our teaching. May God help us all live out the glorious truth we are called to teach.