Knowledge and Arrogance

Derick had always been at odds with his friend, Nathan. Since junior high school, they knew each other. Nathan was a know-it-all. He got straight A’s and was the best basketball player at school. Derick was moderate at such things.

One thing Derick wanted was to best his friend at something.

One day in class, Derick sat racking his mind to find something he could out do Nathan. He stared at the ceiling with his fist supporting his chin.

The bell rang and the students filed out of the room. Derick walked down the hall, and Nathan went to Derick’s side.

“How are you doing with the assignment?”

Derick frowned. “Okay, I guess.”

“Hey, do you want to come with to the movies?”

“I have a youth group meeting at church tonight.”

“Oh, okay. How about tomorrow?”

“Sounds good.”

The two rode to the bus stop and Nathan gave Derick a fist bump. “See yah tomorrow!” Nathan ran off toward home.

When Derick had walked home, he took a short nap. Later, his mother woke him.

“Son, it’s time.”

Derick grabbed his Bible and entered the car. After fifteen minutes’ , they arrived at the church and he walked to the youth room. Thirteen teenagers were there.

The youth pastor, Thomas, addressed the room. “Who can quote John chapter one verses one and three?”

Derick raised his hand.

“Derick,” said Thomas.

Derick recited the scriptures perfectly. At the end he sat with a confident grin.

“Very good, Derick,” said Thomas.

The remainder of the time, Thomas, explicated the latter half of John chapter one. At the end, the group was told to memorize any verse for next week. The teenagers left and Thomas approached Derick. “May I speak to you, before your mom comes?”

Derick nodded.

“I have never met such an astute and focused mind. God has given you a gift for learning scripture. If I were to ask you to teach a class, would you accept?”

Derick looked down nervously.

“It is a request. Think about it.”

Derick ran outside and his mom was there to take him home. Dinner was served and soon after, Derick went to his bed. Once again, he brooded over something he could excel at with Nathan. Next, his mind went to his scripture verse. With his gifted mind, he chose also to explain the passages.

A notion hit his head. “The Bible! I know way more about it than Nathan ever could!” he said out loud.

The ecstatic boy went to bed with a coy grin.

The next morning, Derick gobbled up breakfast.

Sitting at the table was his little sister. “Mom, today is National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day!”

“Is that so?”

Derick slid off his seat and grabbed his backpack and dashed out the door. When he was halfway down the street, Nathan came to his side. “Hey! What’s up bro!”

“Are good with trivia?”

Nathan smiled. “I’m familiar with most things.”

Derick stopped walking. He turned to Nathan. “Did you know today is National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day?”

“Let me Google it.” Nathan took out his phone and did a Google search “So it is. What is your point?”

“I have a proposition for you. Let’s make wager. I have a contest to propose. If you win a contest I offer, you can splash water on me on a puddle.”

Derick knew how proud Nathan was and had no idea what was coming.

“Come with me to my bible class tomorrow. I will explain everything then.”

“Umm…okay, sure.”

During school, Derick was fixated and had trouble focusing.

At the end of the day, Nathan came home with Derick.

“I am glad you are going, Nathan, you will be very happy when you attend it,” said Derick’s mom.

The time came and the two friends were taken to the youth group. Derick introduced Nathan to the teenagers.

So not to embarrass Nathan, Derick would wait until after the study finished.

Nathan listened attentively.

When it ended, Derick took Nathan aside to speak with Thomas. “Would you mind, giving my friend and I a short Bible trivia?”

“Why? Are guys trying to compete?”

“Indeed. Ask us ten questions and whoever gets the most right, wins.”

“As you wish.”

“Who was the longest person to ever to live?”

“Methuselah,” said Nathan.

Derick was lived. How could he know?

“At what age did Jesus start his ministry?” said Thomas.

“Thirty!” said Derick.

Question three: What was Jesus’ first miracle?”

“Turning water into wine,” said Nathan.

Derick had a knot in his stomach. How could this kid know all these things!

“Question four: How old was Moses when God spoke to him in the burning bush?”

Both friends looked down, searching for the answer.

“Eighty!” said Nathan.

“Correct, Nathan!” said Thomas.

“Question five: Who were the two people to never die?”

“Enoch and Elijah,” said Nathan.

“One more correct answer from Nathan and he wins. According to the book of Revelation, how long is the tribulation?”

“Seven years!” Nathan blurted out.

Derick rose and hit the wall.

“Chill, Derick!” said Nathan.

“How did you know all this!”

“I have watched Mysteries of the Bible. Then I did some freelance study.”

Derick hung his head. “Let’s get this over with.”

“I choose not to.”

Derick shook his head. “No, I want you to.”

“Fine, then.”

“I am surprised that anyone could know more about the Bible than you, Derick,” said Thomas.

“Let’s go Nathan.”

When they exited the building, a moister filled the air. And in the clouds was a rainbow.

“It just rained,” said Derick. “It’s like God Himself is against me.”

They walked to the side of a sidewalk where a puddle was, and Derick stood on the side of it.

Nathan picked up a handful of water and splashed it on Derick. He looked at his drenched clothes.

Nathan laughed under his breath.

Derick sighed. “I guess there are things that don’t change.”