I love teaching except for two things. Number one is grading papers and number two is disciplining a student. Fortunately I am teaching grad classes and I never have to do the discipline thing. But I still need to grade papers and grading grad work is primarily subjectively grading essays and other written papers. That’s the part I don’t like. I actually enjoy reading the papers but then to put a grade on them isn’t pleasant. I use a rubric, which helps, but it is still subjective. Just how is one paper an A and another an A-?
I used to wonder about God giving us grades for behavior and good deeds. Will there be different rewards in heaven? Will some people get bigger mansions than others because they were super good? I used to worry about my living in an outhouse for eternity. What would be the criteria for a twenty room home as opposed to a twenty-two room home? Does God have favorites? Will some people live in the fancy part of the New Jerusalem while some of us live across the tracks? Oops – I guess there will not be trains.
Clearly the above paragraph is nonsense. We are all sinners and all saved by grace. No one earned anything. God is our Father and all good fathers give to each of their children what fits their interests and needs. Each of us will be rewarded as His child, not a favored child, there is no such thing. Peter says in Acts 10:34, “God is not a respecter of people.” That was a tough lesson for Peter to learn. Originally Peter thought Gentiles were a lower form of human life. But he learned better. Your goodness and my goodness are just the same.
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 19, 2015
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org