GAME FACE

DAY 90: My son was a baseball pitcher.  He really loved the game. And of course, as a parent, I loved watching him do his thing.  It was also very instructive, as I got to see another side of him when he was in the game that I don't see any other time - complete focus.  When he steps onto the mound, nothing around him invades his world; he has on his game face. He doesn't see the crowd. He doesn't hear our cheers (or the jeers).  He is in the zone.

I will never forgot when his college team played power house Texas A&M.  If you have ever been to an Aggie sporting event you will understand when I say they have the most obnoxious fans on the planet.  I say that affectionately - after all, our other son is an Aggie. They don't just cheer for their team - they mercilessly taunt the opponent.

All around us in the stands the crowd did what they do so well - with one voice they taunted our team.  They had a cheer, or chant, or hand motion for EVERYTHING.  If we bunted, they reacted. If we hit, they reacted. If we struck out - did they EVER react!  It was practically a sport of it's own.  In addition to the group harassment, there was ample individual harassment.  A college guy sitting behind us was pompously passionate - and his favorite targets were the pitchers.

When Chase was put into the game, my protective instincts kicked in. I turned to the guy sitting inches behind me shouting out the diatribes and with a smile on my face said, "Okay, now that is my son, Chase.  I just wanted you to know that his mom is sitting in front of you, so be kind."

With a great big grin, he said, "No problem."  Then just as Chase set for his windup the oaf screamed out at the the top of his lungs, "Hey Chase, you're mommy loves you.  Are you a big mommy's boy?"

Chase never flinched.  He completed the wind up and the pitch for a strike.  The rabid fan kept up his barrage of taunts through the entire inning - as did the entire Texas A&M student body in the stands.  It was almost deafening at times. Chase never lost his game face. Afterwards, I asked him how he stayed focus with all the harassment coming his way.  He said, "I never even heard it."

That is the kind of focus that's needed when there is an important task at hand.  It is the kind of focus I saw from Jesus as I read today's passage, Luke 9:28-62.  It begins with a trek up a mountain with only three of his disciples to pray.  While they were there, a remarkable thing happened.

²⁹ As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. ³¹ They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

I've blogged before about Peter's bizarre reaction to this miracle, but something else stood out to me today - what they were talking about.  Moses and Elijah were discussing with Jesus "his departure," which we know in hindsight was by way of his execution on the cross.  Yet another reminder that it would not come as a surprise to Jesus when the time came.  In fact, He was in charge of the timing.  Just a few verses later we see Him initiating this "fulfillment."

 ⁵¹ As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

If you recall, there had been many times when Jesus had been in danger, and none more than in Jerusalem.  Yet, he RESOLUTELY set his face toward that city, the place that would fulfill his purpose.  He was focused, and would remain so no matter what happened around him.  And it didn't take long for the distractions to come:

 ⁵² And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ Then he and his disciples went to another village. 

Jesus came with the message His Father gave him - a message of salvation, not condemnation, but the rejection continued.  I can't fault the disciples for wanting to retaliate; I'm sure it's what I would want to do.  But that is not how Jesus responded. It's as if he didn't even hear them.  He just moved on.  He wasn't going to be distracted.  He set his face RESOLUTELY in one direction - following God's will.  The rejection would continue - with far worse to come.  And it would not end until He had given His very life.  Even in that moment, the taunts would echo around  Him.  But how did He do it?  How did he ignore so much ridicule and so much risk?  

I think I saw the answer today in our Sunday School passage.  We looked back at Isaiah 50 at one of the passages that foretold what Jesus would endure.

⁵ The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears;
   I have not been rebellious,
   I have not turned away.
⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me,
   my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
   from insults and spitting.
⁷ Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
   I will not be insulted.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
   and I know I will not be put to shame. 

 He knew what God had called Him to do - His ears were opened to it.  He did not turn away - even when they beat Him, insulted Him, and spat on Him. JESUS KEPT HIS GAME FACE.

I think the key is in verse 7.  "Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be insulted." God had full control.  He is sovereign.  He chose the path.  It was His opinion, AND ONLY HIS OPINION, that mattered to Jesus. It was God's purpose and only HIS PURPOSE that mattered. They could insult Jesus at the top of their lungs but He would not be insulted because He only placed value on one opinion - SOVEREIGN GOD'S.  They could snarl all they wanted, but as long as God was pleased it was just background noise- His ears were only opened to God.  His only acknowledgement of them from the cross was to pray to His Father to forgive them.

REMARKABLE.

It is so easy to be offended. It is so hard to forgive.  But for Jesus, it was hard for Him to be offended, and easy for Him to forgive. Easy, but of course costly. All because Jesus' focus was unflinchingly on His Father's purpose and His Father's opinion.

I stopped to imagine what would happen if I did the same.  Would I be offended by people who are unkind, or thoughtless, or downright insulting if I opened my ears to my Father as resolutely as Jesus?  If I unflinchingly focused on pleasing Him, would it matter if someone was snarling? Would it matter if there were risk? Would it matter if hardship was certain? I'm not sure, but I'm going to pray that God will enable me to be focused enough on Him that I am willing to find out.

The next time I feel insulted, (and I'm not at fault), or at risk, or in peril, or facing certain hardship,

I'm going to try to put my game face on - 

I will take my eyes off all around me and put my focus on God. 

If He is smiling, 

then I guess their insults won't be insulting after all.
And my hardships won't be too hard to endure.  

  

^{Day 91 of 365
Deuteronomy 18
Deuteronomy 19
Deuteronomy 20
Luke 9:28-56
Psalm 73:1-28
Proverbs 12:10}