The Price Has Been Paid . . .
There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a
studious
> man who taught at a small college in the Western United States. Dr.
> Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this
> particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his
> or her freshman year regardless of his or her major. Although Dr.
> Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his
> class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as
nothing
> but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to
> take Christianity seriously. This year, Dr. Christianson had a special
> student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the
> intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was
> well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the
> starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in
the
> professor's class. One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after
class
> so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?" Steve said, "I
do
> about 200 every night." 200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson
> said." Do you think you could do 300?" Steve replied, "I don't know...
I've
> never done 300 at a time." "Do you think you could?" again asked Dr.
> Christianson. "Well, I can try," said Steve. "Can you do 300 in sets of
10?
> I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in
> sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can
> do it," said the professor. Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I
can
> do it." Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let
> me explain what I have in mind." Friday came and Steve got to class early
> and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled
> out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts,
they
> were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.
> Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and
> they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr.
> Christianson's class. Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first
> row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" Cynthia
> said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve,
would
> you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" "Sure." Steve
jumped
> down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk.
Dr.
> Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk. Dr. Christianson then went to
> Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?" Joe said,
> "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can
> have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went,
down
> the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got
> their donut. And down the second aisle, till Dr. Christianson came to
Scott.
> Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He
was
> popular and never lacking for female companionship. When the professor
> asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my
> own pushups?" Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them." Then
Scott
> said, "Well, I don't want one then." Dr. Christianson shrugged and then
> turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can
> have a donut he doesn't want?" With perfect obedience Steve started to do
> ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!" Dr. Christianson
> said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my
> donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a
donut
> on Scott's desk. Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little.
He>
> just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to
be
> getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming
out
> around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the
> students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked
Jenny,
> "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Sternly, Jenny said, "No." Then Dr.
> Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more Push-ups so Jenny
> can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten....Jenny got a
donut.
> By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were
> beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the
desks.
> Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these
> pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on
the
> floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red
because
> of the physical effort involved. Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was
the
> most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make
> sure he did the full ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to
watch
> all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over
to
> where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely. Dr.
> Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some
> students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps
along
> the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor
> realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34
students
> in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Dr.
> Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near
the
> end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot
> more time to complete each set. Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have
to
> make my nose touch on each one?" Dr. Christianson thought for a moment,
> "Well, they're your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any
way
> that you want." And Christianson went on. A few moments later, Jason, a
> recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when
all
> the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason
> didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let
> him come." Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes
in
> you will have to do ten pushups for him?" Steve said, "Yes, let him come
in.
> Give him a donut" Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get
> Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?" Jason, new
to
> the room hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."
> "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve
did
> ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was
handed
> a donut and sat down. Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, then
started
> on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking
with
> each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity.
> Sweat was profusely dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was
no
> sound except his heavy breathing, there was not a dry eye in the room. The
> very last two students in the room were two young women, both
cheerleaders,
> and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and
> asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?" Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank
> you." Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten
> push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from
the
> effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda. Then Dr. Christianson
> turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with
> tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I>
> help him?" Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has
to
> do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that
> everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When
I
> decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book.
> Steve, here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has
> failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me
> that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I
> told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the
price
> by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes. "Steve, would
> you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Steve very slowly
> finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished
> all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled
> beneath him and he fell to the floor.
>
> Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our
> Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thy hands
> commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything
that
> was required of Him, he yielded up His life. And like some of those in
this
> room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten." Two students helped
> Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a
> thin smile. "Well, done, good and faithful servant," said the professor,
> adding "Not all sermons are preached in words." Turning to his class the
> professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend
> all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the
> sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His
> Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all for the whole Church, now and
> forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has
> been paid. Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it laying on
the
> desk?" Share this with someone. It's bound to touch their heart and
> demonstrate Salvation in a very special way.
>
>