Coach Jesus (The Second 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 concerning the Messiah. I try to make Jesus, who was a carpenter , real as it relates to their society. Today, I had all of my classes answer this question: 
What kind of coach would Jesus be?
 Here are some responses. All are used by permission and I allowed the students, if they chose, to pick a specific sport. These are a combination of eighth grade and high school students, with girls in pink and boys in blue. This is the second of several installments!

I think Jesus would always be recruiting new players. I think Jesus would be a track coach and volleyball coach. I don’t think he would be the best coach because He wouldn't get angry at the players. In the game or meet, I don’t think Jesus would say anything until it was all over. Even if the refs and line judges make bad calls, He wouldn't say anything. Jesus would recruit more than non-believers. His ultimate goal of the season wouldn't be to win games; it would be to convert non-Christians to Christians. Jesus wouldn't be passionate about the game and He wouldn’t be upset at players, refs, and parents.

                                -Morgan Harris

Jesus would be a good and bad coach. He would be a good coach because he wouldn't get mad at you if you were tired and couldn't go anymore. He would also be a kind,  gentle person on the court because he would not yell at the referees. He would be a good coach because He would show sportsmanship to everyone on the court and label everyone as winners. He would also be a bad coach because He would get mad if we express our feelings out on the court. We couldn't say all the things that we would usually say if we were on the court, He wouldn't yell at the players and all good coaches yell at some point in a season.

                                -Micah Flowers

I think Jesus would be a great coach for some sports but not all of them. In football and basketball and most contact sports, the coach yells when their players been fouled and the referees don’t do anything, but I don’t think Jesus would yell at them. I would find Jesus to be an annoying if He spoke parables constantly during half time. Jesus would be a good coach if you were not the best on the team and wanted to help you. Jesus would probably give good advice on how to play and how to handle how your position. Jesus would also push you to be your best in everything you do but not let the best players run the team.

                                -Sarah Wilsher

If Jesus was a coach, he would be a very good one. When you look at it, in a way, Jesus was a good coach. He coached his disciples into repelling evil and growing closer to God. Not only did his disciples benefit, but crowds of people, too. Becoming a Christian is like a spirit. It takes focus and commitment. If Jesus was able to heal the blind, crippled, and lame, I could only imagine what kind of team He could create. He would always know what to say and to do to create the most powerful players. Like with his brothers and disciples, namely Judas, He would be faced with problems just like His team. He would coach a team that would be undefeated.

                                -Bryan Edwards

I say yes, Jesus would be a good coach. I say this because His life on earth with us was like coaching lives. Let’s take basketball for example, Jesus came to the world to save us and He is trying to get everyone to know, worship and love God. There are sinners who are late to come give their lives to Christ. But Christ is patient. In basketball, Christ would be very patient with his players. Christ told his apostles to go and knock on our door, and if we don’t answer, the apostles should wipe their feet and move to another house. If Christ as a coach tries to coach us and we don’t listen, He would not continue to try, and before a game, He would choose the best players and the players who tried their hardest. This is similar to Him choosing His apostles.

                                    -Danita Akunna

It is hard to say what kind of coach Jesus would be. There are so many aspects to coaching and so many characteristics a good coach can have. I think there are two parts of coaching at a student level. One, you have to teach and know the game, but second, you have to be a good example and be a good teacher of how to become a man because coaches are the some of the biggest influences on a kid’s life. I think Jesus would be a good coach in the rough, tough areas of the sport. I don’t think Jesus could yell at a player for a mental mistake or punish them for doing something wrong like being late or doing something irreverent. I think Jesus could tell you you were doing something wrong, but it wouldn’t get through the players head because Jesus would be so soft spoken.

                                    -Jake Bedevian

Applicable quote of the day:
You can't run a popularity contest and be successful. 
Ara Parseghian (Football coach at Notre Dame)

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