A Big Bully

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:38-44

Thatcher quickly stepped into his classroom when he saw Julian coming down the hall at school. He’s a big bully, Thatcher thought. He’s always so mean to me!

Thatcher was right. One day Julian had teased him about his haircut. “You look like a shaggy dog!” The next day it was Thatcher’s shirt. “I wore shirts like that too—when I was a baby.” He even made fun of Thatcher’s lunch. “Aw, your mommy put teddy bear cookies in your lunch. How cute.” Thatcher tried to ignore him, but it was hard to do. Maybe I should tell Mom how mean Julian is, he thought. She’d probably know what to do. He decided to talk to his mom about Julian that evening.

Later that afternoon, Thatcher and Julian were paired together to work on a history assignment. Thatcher wished he could run away and hide. He glanced over at Julian. To his surprise, Julian looked nervous too. What’s his problem? Thatcher wondered as he picked up his history book and walked to Julian’s desk.

“First, take turns reading the paragraphs on page 172 out loud,” their teacher told the class. “Then answer the questions on your worksheet.”

Thatcher read the first paragraph, which talked about the fishing industry. When it was Julian’s turn to read, his face flushed, and he glanced nervously at the teacher standing a few feet away. Thatcher’s eyes widened as Julian started to read. “The f-f-f,” he began. He stopped and started over. “The f-f-f-st . . .” Julian stopped again, and Thatcher grinned. Payback time! he thought. I didn’t know Julian couldn’t read! As Julian continued to stumble over the word, Thatcher opened his mouth to tease him, but then something he learned at church came to mind: Jesus tells us to love our enemies and those who hurt us—because He died to save them too. As Julian struggled to read words, he didn’t look mean or scary. He looked how Thatcher had been feeling himself lately—scared.

“Sound it out, Julian,” Thatcher said quietly. “Keep the ‘f’ sound, and then make the ‘sh’ sound instead of ‘st.’ I’ll help you sound out the words.” Thatcher couldn’t believe what happened next. Julian looked up at him—and smiled! -Michael Lichty

How About You?

Have you had a difficult time getting along with someone at school? If someone is bullying you, tell a trusted adult right away so they can help. But don’t forget that Jesus says to love your enemies and to pray for them. He died to save them from sin too, just like He did for you. Don’t look for ways to get even. Instead, look for opportunities to share Jesus’ love.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good.

Today’s Key Thought:

Be kind to everyone