Today is National Teacher Day.

What difference can a teacher make in someone’s life? Well, according to a study undertaken by John Hopkins University researchers, all the difference in the world. Several years ago, graduate students at the university interviewed 200 young men, ages 12 to 16. The assignment was to predict the young men’s future.

The students went into the inner city of Baltimore to find the boys. Based on their research, they concluded that 90 percent of those boys interviewed would spend time in jail. Some 25 years later, the researchers were sent back to the inner city to discover how close their predictions were. They found 180 of the original 200 young men. And what they discovered amazed them: only four had ever been to jail. When asked what changed their life, the researchers began to get the same answer, “Well there was this teacher . . .”

So the researchers tracked down the teacher, now living in a retirement home, and asked about her remarkable influence over these young men. She really could not think of any reason why she would have this kind of influence, except that “I truly loved my students.”

What is the difference between a good teacher and great teacher? One word: Love!

Among the many titles given to Jesus is Teacher. He is our rabboni, meaning “my lord, my master,” the most elevated title given to a teacher. And as our lord, Jesus instructs us out of his great love for us and the example that he has given to us: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34).

Knowing Jesus and learning from him can make all the difference in your life.

Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it” (John 3:2, The Message).

To Do

Write a note to your favorite teacher today. Share with that teacher how he or she has made a difference in your life.

Also on this day . . .

1789—The first Presidential Inaugural Ball was held in New York City.

1840—Russian composer Tchaikovsky was born.

1934—The world’s largest pearl (6.4 kg.) was discovered in the Philippines.

1975—President Ford declared an end to the Vietnam War.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.