“The Well Instructed Boy.”  A minister of the gospel was travelling through the wildest part of Ireland.  There he met a shepherd’s boy, not more than ten or twelve years old.  He was poorly clad, with no covering on his head, and no shoes or stockings on his feet; but he looked bright and happy.  He had a New Testament in his hand.  “Can you read, my boy?” asked the minister.

“To be sure I can.”

“And do you understand what you read?”

“A little.”

“Please turn to the third chapter of St. John, and read us a little,” said the minister.  The boy found the place directly, and in a clear distinct voice, began: 

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi.”

“What does Rabbi mean?”

“It means a master.”

“Right; go on.”

“We know thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

“What is a miracle?”

“It is a great wonder.  ’Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee.’”

“What does verily mean?”

“It means ‘indeed.’  ‘Except a man be born again.’”

“What does that mean?”

“It means a great change, a change of heart.”

“Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

“And what is that kingdom?”

He paused a moment, and with a very serious, thoughtful look, placing his hand on his bosom, he said, “It is something here;” and then, raising his eyes to heaven, added, “and something up yonder.”  This poor boy had been taking lessons from “the Great Teacher,” and he had taught him some of the most important things that we can ever learn.  Jesus may well be called “the Great Teacher,” because of his great knowledge.

But there is one other thing that Jesus has, which helps to make him “the Great Teacher,” and that is—­GREAT POWER.

Other teachers can tell us what we ought to learn, and to do, yet they have no power to help us learn, or do what they teach.  But Jesus has this power.  Let us take a single illustration from many of the same kind that occurred while he was on earth.  One day he was going about teaching in the streets of Jerusalem.  As he went on, he passed by the office of a man who was gathering taxes for the Roman government.  The persons who did this were called publicans.  This man, sitting in his office, was named Matthew.  He was busily engaged in receiving the taxes of the people.  It was a very profitable business.  The men engaged in it generally made a great deal of money.  Jesus stopped before the window or door of this office.  He beckoned to Matthew, and simply spoke these two words:—­“Follow me.”