(April 8, 2025)
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”—Matthew 18:21-22
For the proficient teacher every moment of the day has the potential to develop into a teaching moment. A good and aware teacher doesn’t need to be in the physical classroom, but this great big world and their immediate environment can become their classroom and become a lesson to teach the students.
A teachable moment is a moment in which a student is most ready to learn about a topic; it’s the perfect moment to teach something. Often, a teachable moment occurs on accident. It can be an unexpected event that happens in the day-to-day operations of the class that makes a student curious. Teachable moments can develop out of natural curiosity about a topic. They can happen as a student has an epiphany. The term was popularized by psychologist, chemist, educator, expert on human development and physicist Robert Havighurst in 1952.
The understanding came to Dr. Havighurst while he was in the process of writing his book on human development.
Jesus didn’t need a book or study on human development to convince Him about recognizing and taking advantage of teachable moments. He was an expert on the subject. Whether it was feeding 5,000, or 4,000 thousand people, spending time with a hurting woman by a well, going off the beaten path to heal a sick child, turning water into fabulous wine for a wedding feast, defending a young woman who just wanted to learn at his feet, or stilling raging winds on the sea, Jesus used every day events to teach his disciples about himself. The disciples were always learning something, there was never a wasted day.
When we read the Gospels, we can identify at least eight teachable moments Jesus used:
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
Parable like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23)
The Commandment of Love (Matt. 22:37-39)
Forgiveness and Reconciliation (Matt. 18:21-22)
Humility and Service (John 13:1-17)
Faith and Trust in God (Matt. 17:20)
Lessons on Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13)
And the Importance of Truth and Integrity (Matt. 23) to name a few.
Jesus timeless lessons remain relevant, offering wisdom that can transform individuals, families, and communities. As we reflect on His teachings, we can strive to incorporate them into our daily lives. Jesus lessons are limited to Sunday morning but can happen at any time, on any given day. Even our losses, sickness, painful experiences, and sorrows can teach us valuable lessons about our Lord’s power and show the many ways He demonstrates His love for frail humans.
Jesus, thank You for spotting and shaping a teachable moment in my life. I’m always blessed through them. Amen