WORD GETS BACK TO THE TEACHER
This winter, a kindergarten teacher in Maryland installed a “tattle phone” for her students to record messages, telling on their classmates. The teacher, Laurel Bates, installed the old-style telephone to let the kids speak their mind. The phone was an instant hit and gave “an outlet [for students] to express themselves, polish their communication skills, and boost their confidence.” Bates goes on, sharing, “It’s also given me more freedom to work one-on-one with students, with minimal interruptions.” Her favorite complaint was a report that one student had two erasers in his pencil pouch. “I laughed because the student was so serious—you could tell they really felt I needed to know.”

WORD GETS BACK TO GOD
God instructs Israel to make financial dealings fair and equitable. For Israel, everyone should be “openhanded” with one another, lending to anyone who has need. If followed, God’s ways will bring blessing. God expects responsiveness to the needs of the poor. Jesus tells His followers that the Son of Man will give an unfavorable judgment to those who overlook the needs of others. The hungry, strangers without a place to stay, those without clothes and other necessities—these are the people whom Jesus elevates. Caring for these needs is also caring for Jesus.

Questions

• When have you “tattled” on someone—or when did someone tattle on you?
• In what sense does the way we treat others “get back to God”?
• What is one ramification of the idea that caring for the marginalized is in some way caring for Jesus Himself?