Coach Jesus: The Fourth Quarter

I'm trying to get my students to flesh out how they perceive Jesus as a person based on what they see in our readings or what they believe about what they have heard about the Messiah. This week, I had all of my classes answer this question:
Would Jesus have been a good basketball coach?
 Here are some more responses in a series that began Thursday night.

There are two ways to look at Jesus as a coach. One way would be that Jesus would only keep players who fit according to His standards. Jesus could keep all the students who tried out but I think He would only keep the ones who were really dedicated to the sport. The other way I see it is that Jesus would only keep the players who were terrible because it is similar to the way He came to save us. He said it was not the righteous who needed to be saved but the sinful. The players who aren't good are the ones who need to improve so they can catch up the players who are already skilled.
-Marcos

I think Jesus would come across as a weird coach. I think He would spend practices preaching. His team would probably be like His disciples. His team would never lose and alot of people would hate Jesus and His team. If His team knew who He was, they would get upset if He did not use miracles to take the easy way out or fix problems. He would probably be very strict but also loving. The team would possibly also be persecuted and spoken badly about. At first, His team would stink just like the apostles were sinners. Overall, I think Jesus would be a good coach in the long run.
-Kelsey

I think Jesus would have been a quiet basketball coach. During the game, I don't think he would say much.He would not yell or anything. If they won or lost, I don't think much emotion would be shown. I'm not saying He wouldn't care; I actually think Jesus would push His team to do their best even when their skills are so different. Also, He might not play the best player more than the worst player to give people a chance to boost their confidence and maybe to humble the best player. I also think tryouts would be very hard. I don't think tryouts would only be based on skill but also on work ethic and character.
-Lindsay

The final segment was penned not by a student but by Russell Carr, our WCS boys' basketball coach and athletic director. Russell has achieved phenomenal success in coaching both our boys' and girls' teams who both have been nationally ranked in recent years. He brings a coach's perspective to the discussion!

I think Jesus was a great coach. He did pick a team-the 12 apostles. The best part about the team is that they were not all great players, yet they had a talent that lent them to the greater success of the message. I think Jesus would be great because he did care about winning, more than anything. He sacrificed himself for the sake of not only his present team, but the future as well. He was the ultimate competitor; he was willing to do the unthinkable for souls. I've never seen any other coach do that- Coach K, Coach Wooden, etc. He was a great coach, because gave his team the examples of servanthood, teamwork, and giving your whole-self. Jesus could see more in people than any other coach- why would he pick Judas? He was also very demanding- he made you give it all up to be on the team, and because of that the rich, young ruler who had it all could not meet the demands of the team. I would have hated to play against Jesus!

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com