The Teacher of Calculus

Jaime Escalante was a teacher of calculus. He believed that low income students were capable of learning this higher math. He instructed the students that were to come to the class that they had to be dressed in a white shirt, a dress code demonstrates a seriousness to learn.

One young man came to the first class without a white shirt. He was dismissed from the class for this infraction. He begged the teachers promising to return next time with the white shirt. Mr. Escalante ignored his begging and told him to leave the class.

That class was one of the most successful classes in the Los Angeles area, all the students did very well.

The lesson behind this scenario is that strong rules and self discipline are the necessary elements for learning and accomplishment.

Setting the example for standards in the class were established in the very first class with the one disobedient student who thought there was no need to follow the rules.

One lax and disobedient student had the potential to bring down the standards for the entire rest of the class. While making the disobedient student leave might have made some people angry, thinking he should have another chance, it was the right decision to set the tone of self discipline for the entire rest of the term in that class.

Galatians 5:9 "9 A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. "

We don't have to look very far to see what happens when sin is allowed to continue in the church or in the culture. The churches as a whole have tolerated and winked at sin for the past 40 years and now we have people in them who are angry when anyone is disciplined if it ever happens. Those who point out sin are accused of judging as though something was wrong with that.

The lack of discipline and the lack of understanding of the seriousness of sin shows the climate of our culture as a whole. Sin has become blatant without any sense of shame.

Jeremiah 6:14-15 "…14"They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace. 15"Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD. "

Our culture attempts to heal people superficially through the softening of standards to spare hurt feelings, in so doing they have managed to cause sin to grow and fester beyond cure.

Proverbs 27:5
"Better is open rebuke than hidden love."