27 Jul, 2011
The Royal We
From Reader's Digest Best of America...
Best Royal Family
At Free State High School in Lawrence, Kansas, every male senior gets on the ballot for homecoming king. But when Audrey Hughes and Aly Frydman looked at the ballot, they were shocked to see one name was missing: Owen Phariss. There were told that an old policy excluded special-needs students. Even mainstreamed kids like Phariss, who has Down syndrome, couldn't participate.
Hughes and Frydman objected. "He's the coolest, happiest kid in school," says Hughes. "He stands in the Commons every morning and says hello to everyone." So they collected over 800 students' signatures on a petition, persuading the principal to reverse the outdated policy. Then they launched a get-out-the-vote campaign.
Last October, at halftime on homecoming game night, the announcer's voice boomed across the stadium: "Your 2010 Free State High School homecoming king is...Owen Phariss!" As the crown was placed on his head, Phariss basked in the applause of all his loyal subjects, none more devoted than Hughes and Frydman.
"The students felt so strongly about this," says Frydman. "We didn't want our school to be a place that discriminated."
As for Phariss, he's unlikely to yield the throne soon, according to his mom, Nancy. "He often points to photos of the coronation on the refrigerator and says, 'Mom, that's me, the King of Free State. My friends voted for me.'"
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the
town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax
collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a
look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran
ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was
going to pass that way.
When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name.
“Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home
today.”
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great
excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be
the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give
half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their
taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man
has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man
came to seek and save those who are lost.”
It is clear from the Zacchaeus passage that Jesus is in the business of loving the unloveable and noticing the unnoticed.
What difference was made in Zacchaeus' life because Jesus noticed him and chose to spend time with him?
Where do you see Jesus in the story about Owen Phariss and his friends?
Think of a time someone went out of their way to notice you and care for you...
What difference did it make in your life?
How does it inspire you to notice others who might need to be cared for?
Think of someone who is considered "unnoticed" or "unloveable" at your school. It could be someone who eats alone at lunch, someone who is considered a little too nerdy, a little too weird, or a little too annoying. It could even be a brand new Freshman who doesn't know a soul...
Write down their name...
What are some ways you can show them love and "notice" them this week?
What difference might it make in their life?
How will Jesus be shared with them through your care?
Sometimes it can be tempting to avoid the "unnoticed" or unpopular kids because of reputation. Jesus was clearly unphased by the people mocking him for hanging out with a "sinner" just like Owen Phariss's friends were less than concerned about other people's opinions when they stood up for a special needs student and altered school tradition...
What might tempt you to back out of showing love to this friend? How can you overcome that temptation?
Jesus not only changed Zacchaeus' life, but also the lives of those who watched and those who received part of Zacchaeus' wealth. Likewise, not only was Owen Pharris' life was changed, but also the lives of his entire school.
How can Jesus use you to change the life of someone this week? Who knows how far-reaching the impact might be!
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