The Whipping Boy

Have you ever heard someone referred to as a "whipping boy" and wondered what the word meant? According to the dictionary, it means "someone who takes the blame for another’s mistakes."

Originally, though, it had a deeper, more sinister meaning.

In the Middle Ages, primarily in England and Europe, the sons of kings and other powerful people were taught at home by tutors.

Lessons were harsh and demanding, as was the discipline. From a very young age these boys learned to read, write, and speak not only their own language but Latin and Greek as well. They learned mathematics, astronomy, history, geography, and religion. They also learned poetry, dancing, music, riding, and hunting, and how to behave as gentlemen.

The long school days began with morning prayers while it was still dark, and the lessons lasted until evening. Whippings were administered frequently, since the people of that time thought that if a boy couldn’t or wouldn’t learn, he should be beaten until he did.

By law no one could lay a hand on the son of the king on penalty of his life. How then could he be punished if he misbehaved or refused to learn? The answer: they found someone to stand in his place and take his punishment--a "whipping boy"! A boy from a poor home would be hired to sit beside the prince during his lessons. If the prince misbehaved, the boy received the punishment. The teachers believed that when the prince saw someone else being whipped for what he had done, he would be sorry and resolve to do better.

It is shocking that parents would allow their child to be used like this, but for them it was the only means they had of seeing their child fed, sheltered, and given an education.

The shame of our society and culture is that we still have not learned that abuse is abuse. We frequently treat our children worse than we treat our house pets.

However, there is hope for our culture. Christians believe that Christ became a "whipping boy" for us by taking the punishment for our sins. The prophet Isaiah says, "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities" (Isa. 53:5). He took the punishment that we deserve in order that we might be treated as He deserves. Oh what grace!

Jesus Christ agreed to take our punishment for us--He loves us so much that He died for us and will come and take us to live with Him forever. Christ became our Hope. Do you have this Hope?