the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Daily Devotionals
Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
Many years ago, in an ill-fated move which has left them gasping for breath, the Boston Red Sox of the American League of Major League Baseball, traded a promising young pitcher to the New York Yankees for a position player. After almost seven hundred home runs and several World Series wins, the New York Yankees were grateful that they took a chance on George Herman Ruth and made that trade.
Prior to the trade of "Babe" Ruth from Boston to New York, the Red Sox had been the toast of baseball. They had won five World Series titles from 1903 to 1918. Since the trade they have won none. But, from 1918 to this present day the New York Yankees have won twenty-six, just a little over one-fourth of all World Series titles contested. No wonder the folks in "Bean Town" talk of the "Curse of the Bambino".
Over the years since the trade the Red Sox fans have endured many close calls including a ground ball which inexplicably passed between the legs of a fairly competent first baseman and lost them a game seven of a World Series. The curse in action. Now the curse hits again. Superstar shortshop, Alex Rodriguez, whom the Red Sox had pursued late last year in a trade which alienated their shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra, and their trade bate, leftfielder Manny Ramirez, has just been traded from the Texas Rangers to the, you guessed it, New York Yankees.
Ah yes, the curse. Curses are odd things. Some are real, some are simply the compilation of circumstances, some arise from ill-timed actions. Most curses assume a very strong stance that says that no matter what you do you cannot overcome them. That is why the Jewish Law was referred to as a curse. No man was able to keep the whole Law of God no matter how hard he tried. It was a curse. Until Jesus came.
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3:13, 14 Jesus lifts the curse for us through His death on the cross, opening the way for us to be pleasing to God again, through Christ.
'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' Copyright 2010 © Tom Kelley. 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each story, along with their complete bio and a link to https://www.studylight.org/ 2) 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
