The Parable of the Push-Ups

There was a boy by the name of Jim who was attending school in Utah. There,

Seminary classes are held as part of the curriculum. At this particular school, Brother

Christianson taught Seminary. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student

that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules.

Jim had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went

into Brother Christianson's Seminary class. Jim was told that he couldn't be late, so he

would come in just seconds before the bell rang, and he would sit in the very back of the

room. Predictably, he would be the first to leave after the class was over.

One day, Brother Christianson asked Jim to stay after class so he could talk with him.

After the others had left, Brother Christianson pulled Jim aside and said, "You think

you're pretty tough, don't you?"

Jim's answer was, "Yeah, I do."

Jim said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Jim." Brother Christianson said, "Do you think you might be

able to do 300?"

Jim replied, "I don't know. I've never done 300 at a time."

"Do you think you could?" Brother Christianson asked again.

"Well, I can try," said Jim.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can

you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it." Brother Christianson said.

Jim said, "Well, I think I can. Yeah, I can do it!"

Brother Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday." Friday came and

Jim got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Brother

Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren't the normal kinds of donuts.

These were the extra-fancy big kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was

pretty excited, for it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an

extra early start on the weekend.

Brother Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you

want a donut?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Brother Christianson then turned to Jim and asked, "Jim, would you do ten push-ups so

that Cynthia can have a donut?"

Jim said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Jim sat back

in his desk. Brother Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Brother Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a

donut?"

Joe said, "Yes."

Brother Christianson asked, "Jim would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Jim did ten push-ups; Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle. Jim did ten

push-ups for every person before they got their donut. This continued down the second

aisle, until Brother Christianson came to Scott.

Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very

popular and never lacking for female companionship. When Brother Christianson asked

Scott if he wanted a donut, Scott replied, "Yes, but I can do my own push-ups."

Brother Christianson said, "No, Jim has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Brother Christianson then turned to Jim and asked, "Jim, would you do ten push-ups so

Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?" Jim started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Brother Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my students, my desks, and my

donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it," and he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Jim had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between

sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down, and a little perspiration

appeared around his brow.

Brother Christianson started down the third row. By now, the students were beginning

to get a little angry. Brother Christianson asked, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Jenny said, "No!"

Then Brother Christianson asked, "Jim, would you do ten push-ups so Jenny can have a

donut that she doesn't want?" Jim did ten; Jenny got a donut. By now, most of the students

were beginning to say "No" when asked, and there were all these uneaten donuts on the

desks. Jim was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these push-ups done for

each student. A small pool of sweat formed on the floor beneath his face, and his arms and

brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved. Brother

Christianson asked Robert to watch Jim to make sure he did ten push-ups in a set, because

he couldn't bear to watch all of Jim's work for every person in the class. Robert began to

watch Jim closely.

Brother Christianson started down the fourth row. However, during his demonstration,

some students had wandered in and sat on the heaters along the side of the room. When

Brother Christianson realized this, he did a quick count and saw that there were now 34

students in the room. He started to wonder if Jim would be able to make it. Brother

Christianson went on to the next person, the next, and the next. Near the end of that row,

Jim was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Jim asked Brother Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Brother Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You can do

them any way that you want." And Brother Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to enter when all the

students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on.

Jim picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Brother Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten

push-ups for him."

Jim said, "Yes, let him come in."

Brother Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now.

Jason, do you want a donut?"

"Yes."

"Jim, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?" Jim did ten push-ups

very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Brother Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the

heaters. Jim's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift him against

the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off his face, and by this time, there was not a dry

eye in the room.

The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Brother

Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a donut?"

Linda, too choked up to talk, just shook her head from side to side.

Brother Christianson asked, "Jim, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a

donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Jim did ten very slow push-ups for

Linda. Then Brother Christianson turned to the last girl.

"Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Brother Christianson, can I help him?"

you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Jim very slowly finished his last pushup,

with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having

done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him, and he fell to the floor.

Brother Christianson then said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, with the

understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, collapsed on the

cross and died — even for those that didn't want His gift."

Author Unknown

along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left.

And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,

When he had said this, he breathed his last.

"Surely this was a righteous man."

Luke 23:33-47 NIV

Scriptural References

mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

eternal life.

criminals--one on his right, the other on his left.

divided up his clothes by casting lots.

others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

yourself and us!"

the same sentence?

done nothing wrong."

hour,

he had said this, he breathed his last.

righteous man."