Koro Sensei: Teachable Moments

Ever had an amazing teacher that moved you to tears? I have found one in nerd culture and his name is Koro Sensei. This yellow, octopus-shaped fellow is not just strange for his appearance, but also for the fact that he is a master assassin who is teaching a junior high class (the lowest in academic standing).  Did I mention that his class is tasked with assassinating him within a year or the world will be destroyed? You may ask, why I would recommend watching this extremely unorthodox anime? Two words; Koro Sensei.  Koro Sensei takes any and every opportunity to invest in his students. His attention to his students' growth is not just for academics or assassination skills, but in their personal lives, often speaking into who they are and what they can become. During this series, I had a lot of misty eyed moments (it was soooooo good), just from the times of direct investment Koro Sensei had with his students.

So how do we go from yellow, octo-teacher to Jesus? Well Jesus was titled as Rabbi (teacher in Hebrew), but it was more than the tile of a teacher, people were following Him to glean every bit of knowledge/wisdom He would give.  Jesus' 12 disciples were his core students, not just learning basic knowledge, but what was the reasoning for Jesus' teachings and lifestyle.  He would take the opportunity to teach from what was around him through parables and to see who was listening (see Perception Check blog).  Throughout Jesus' ministry He did not miss out on a teachable moment. Whether it was correcting James and John on perspective (Luke 9:54-55), pushing Peter to go further (Matthew 14:25-32), or showing His core three who He really was (Matthew 17:1-8); Jesus took the time to invest in His students. In all of that the students needed to be willing to learn.  I love Proverbs for this reason: it is wisdom literature, but it is only useful if you are looking for it, if you are trying to find those teachable moments (Proverbs 2:1-8).

How are you intentionally taking time to learn from Koro Sensei/Rabbi Jesus today? Where do you hear His voice of guidance, correction, and assurance in your life and how are you using it to invest in others?

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