Matthew 22:37
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
I take second place to no one in my love for sports, especially those games I can still play in this my 8th decade of life. But I also have a great love for football and baseball. I used to do chapel services for my beloved Cleveland Browns before they were unceremoniously hied away to Baltimore. To sit in old Lakefront Stadium in December, with the winds howling outrageously off Lake Erie, indicates that one truly is a supporter of the team.
But some fans cross the line of sanity! Take for example the fellow who follows a professional football team (whose name I shall not indicate here) who decided to have his bald head tattooed to match the helmets worn by the players. He had his hairless pate painstakingly (underline “pain”) turned into a facsimile of his team’s helmets, including the quarterback’s jersey number stenciled onto the back of his neck. Little children, upon seeing this apparition, will run for their mothers! So why did he do this? In his own words “I’m a fan!”
Not long ago, 72,000 fans sat in an outdoor, uncovered football stadium where the temperature at kickoff time was -4 degrees with winds at 20 mph! Now if people came to church in that kind of weather, critics would say, “Those people are crazy!” Depends upon where your heart is, doesn’t it? Why, I know some professing believers who are ashamed to say grace before meals in restaurants.
Isn’t it sad that some folks don’t seem to love Jesus as much as some fans love football? I wonder if that doesn’t break His heart.
Prayer: O God, may I never – never! – give any indication of being ashamed of You or the Good News bought at such dreadful price! May I ever be a true “fan” – a follower of Him Who redeemed me! Amen.