the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Daily Devotionals
Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
A newspaper that is curculated in the Louisville, Kentucky area ran a story on Kentucky basketball in this week's rag. They tied the idea of "passion" into it, which, in and of itself, was not a problem. However, the front cover showed Jesus holding a basketball with the story's caption emblazoned in print reminiscent of the move, "The Passion of the Christ", just below the picture of Jesus.
The owner of the paper said that he was not mocking the Lord in any way. One of his deliverers saw it differently. David Wine refused to deliver the paper saying it was, indeed, a mockery of the Christ. On into the paper was another depiction of Jesus, this time with one of those multicolor wigs and a parody of John 3:16 based on basketball. But the owner was not mocking or making fun of Jesus, His purpose, or our faith.
I think he was...intentionally. Here's why. I love my wife. I chose her to be my life partner more than thirty years ago. She is my best friend, my lover, my confidante. Would I feel that a newspaper had defamed my marriage if they showed a picture of my wife in her wedding dress holding a photograph of Bill Clinton with the caption, "True Love," underneath? If it were your wife, would you?
The sanctity of purpose is inviolate. My wife and I are one. We are together because we have chosen to be so. That is our purpose in life...to be one together. God sent Jesus into the world for a purpose. That purpose was not to choose a sport. Like it or not, Jesus was not a fisherman, though He hung out with such. That purpose was not to be a carpenter, though He was raised by one. What He was and, praise the Lord, still is, is the sacrificial lamb.
"But He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:5,6 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21 That's the Passion.
'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.
