Docs and Jocks, or physicians and athletes
are two of America’s most prestigious professions.[i] Docs and jocks make great
sacrifices and express great satisfaction. Few athletes become physicians, but
some have, including speed skater Eric Heiden, softballer Dot Richardson and
figure skater Debi Thomas.[ii]
Transitioning from athlete to physician
is like Paul becoming “all things to all people.”[iii] Transitions require
sacrifice and self-control, traits found especially in athletes who become
physicians. As I examine Corinthians, I sandwich Paul’s words with those of a physician
and an athlete.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul
laments his lack of respect. Respect. Aretha Franklin sang about it. Rodney
Dangerfield got none of it. Paul the Apostle demanded it.
We respect physicians because of what
they do for us. My friend, Dr. Bill Katz, Professor of Medicine and Clinical
Director of Echocardiography at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, told
me that it is easy to be impressed by healing physical ailments because they
are tangible. After all, he says, “My
work as a physician is to treat a physical ailment to improve a sense of
well-being and when possible prolong someone’s life.”
Prolong someone’s life. That deserves
respect. Improve someone’s well-being. Deserves respect. Treat someone’s
physical ailments. Deserves respect.
He also believes, “Jesus is the ultimate physician who heals souls for the attainment of
eternal life. It is easier to be impressed by healing physical ailments because
they are tangible compared to forgiving someone’s sins, but which is really
more important?”
Which is more important? Do you pay more
respect to someone who prolongs your life by treating physical ailments or to
someone who forgives sins? Do you pay more respect to a physician or an
evangelist? One who delivers bad and good news or one who brings only Good
News?
In the early church, Christians
respected Apostles because they brought Good News, the Gospel, forgiveness of
sins and eternal life through Christ. Yet, Paul bemoaned those Corinthians who saw
him as the Rodney Dangerfield of the Apostles. Why? Our answer lies in chapter
9’s earlier verses.
Paul labored in Corinth for 18 months,
and God blessed his work. He planted the Word, Apollos watered, and God gave
the growth.[iv] Without a doubt, Corinthians
were Paul’s pride and joy.[v]
Yet, some divisive members questioned if
Paul was a genuine apostle. Wealthier members contended he refused financial
support because he could not receive it with a good conscience. In fact, Paul
offended those wealthy members by sacrificing his right to financial support. Offended,
they lobbied against him and gave him no respect.
As 1st century Greek
intellectuals who despised manual labor, they said, “True apostles devote themselves to their ministry full-time and do
not support themselves as tentmakers.”
Paul responded by pointing to the Pentateuch
principle that stated, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is
treading out the grain.”[vi] The text, broadly
understood, meant the worker should live in confident expectation that his
labor would be rewarded.[vii]
Peter, Apollos and others received
support, but Paul surrendered his right to financial support because he wanted the
Corinthians to be absolutely certain that the free Gospel of God’s grace was
just that – free. They could do nothing to earn or buy God’s grace. Hence, Paul
delivered Good News free of charge.[viii]
By taking no fee for the Gospel, Paul
saw himself as the Corinthians’ slave for Jesus’ sake.[ix] His humble approach aimed
to win as many as possible for the Gospel, be they Jews, those under or outside
the Law, or the weak. That was his goal.
To win as many people as possible for
the Gospel, Paul did not run aimlessly. Even if he got no respect, he ran not
to show or place, but to win.
Like a physician, Paul used a mirror to show
the Corinthians their sin (Law), and he showed them Christ who freely forgave
their sin (Gospel).
Like Paul, my doctor administers a
series of tests. She shows me my sin. I eat too much fat, sugar and salt. I do
not drink enough water or exercise vigorously. She then prescribes medication
and advice on diet and exercise. Yet, if I keep every healthy commandment, I
will not escape death, the punishment of sin. My doctor can treat my physical
ailments to improve my well-being and prolong my life, but outside of Christ, she
cannot prescribe anything for eternal life.
Employing the analogy of athletic
competition with which Corinthians were familiar, Paul prescribed they exercise
self-control.[x]
Self-control is not an exercise of the Law, but a fruit of the Spirit. Every
Christian should pray to the Holy Spirit not only for the fruit of self-control
but also that he may exercise it.[xi]
Second Peter reaffirmed this thought. We
read, “Supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and
knowledge with self-control.”[xii]
Self-control or discipline empowered the
runner to win a crown, a wreath. This perishable wreath brought prestige, fame
and fortune that inspired athletes to run with purpose. Paul encouraged
Christians to run for the crown of life, and to be faithful to Christ until
death. Paul inspired Christians to live with the self-control of athletes
pursuing a prize. His goal was to get as many people as possible to live like disciplined
athletes.
To accomplish his goal, Paul encouraged Christians
to give up whatever did not advance the Gospel. As we heard last week, Paul
instructed Christians to surrender eating certain foods if their actions wounded
the consciences of their weak brothers and sisters. Furthermore, he exhorted Christians
to place their bodies at God’s disposal as a living sacrifice devoted to winning
others for the Gospel.
Paul practiced self-control rather than
self-indulgence, which would have endangered not only others’ salvation, but
also his, because people could have said, “This
man preaches self-control but practices self-indulgence.” The implication
for the Corinthians was obvious. If they ceased to exercise self-control, they
could forfeit their salvation. But if they relied upon the power of the Holy
Spirit to restrain their sinful nature and put self-indulgence to death, they could
live for God then and in eternity.[xiii]
My brothers and sisters, if we rely upon
the power of the Spirit and live for God, we too will live in eternity. Let us
keep that in mind as I borrow a few words from an athlete.
In our culture, respect
for athletes and physicians runs so deep that many parents encourage their sons
and daughters to enter these professions. When they see a glimmer of athletic
prowess, they offer encouragement, enroll them in clinics, hire private
coaches, and spend countless hours and dollars to win a perishable crown hoping
their offspring will gain fame and fortune.
My stepdaughter, Jennifer
Gregg, once a champion athlete and now a successful corporate attorney in Chicago,
disciplined herself to win a championship. Back in the day, she was Jen
Gardner, a member of the UCLA Bruins that won an NCAA Softball Championship. I
asked Jen to comment on discipline and dedication in order to win that
championship. She writes:
Dedication in sports has many components. To be dedicated
to your sport means to be 100% committed to the sport, but also everything that
you do outside the sport. … I had to be dedicated at school. If I didn't pass
my classes, I couldn't play my sport. I had to be dedicated to my body. I had
to do stretching and strength training and take care of my body so I wouldn't
get hurt.
When you are committed to a sport, you sacrifice and
dedicate your time. In high school, I didn't participate in a lot of social
activities, such as going to the prom or parties; instead, I studied or
practiced.
The time commitment in college sports was incredible. I
had strength training from 6-7:15am, class from 8-12, practice from 1:30-4:30,
study hall from 6-8pm – every day of the week in the off-season. Plus, we'd squeeze in conditioning a few
days a week.
Then there’s the physical and mental exhaustion of
dealing with that rigorous schedule. During the season, we left campus on
Wednesday or Thursday and returned on Sunday. I'd study in the hotel, take
tests on the road, and miss a lot of classes.
As an athlete, if you're not giving 100% of your effort,
100% of the time, you're not truly dedicated. This doesn't mean you are always
expected to go all out, every time. If I'm sick, and only have 60% of myself to
give, then I better make sure I'm giving 100% of my 60%.
My parents spent hours driving me to practice, working
with me on skills, traveling to my games, and so on. Their commitment of time
and money in order to allow me to play on the most competitive teams year-long
was incredible. They sacrificed vacations, trips, camping and more for me to
practice and play softball every weekend of the year. I don't think they saw
this as a sacrifice because it was something they enjoyed and loved being a
part of.
I ask you: Are you willing
to sacrifice vacations, trips, and more so that your son, daughter or
grandchildren can win an athletic scholarship? Are you willing to sacrifice
your social life, activities and body to win a championship? Are you willing to
spend thousands of dollars and countless hours on coaching and clinics to gain
fame, fortune and a perishable crown? I believe you are … That’s not a bad
thing. I applaud parents and individuals who choose to succeed as athletes or
physicians. I wish you success and happiness.
On the greater plane,
I pray for your salvation through Jesus Christ. Again, I ask: Are you willing
to sacrifice vacations, trips, and more so that your son, daughter or
grandchildren can win the crown of life? Are you willing to sacrifice your
social life, activities and body to win as many as possible for the Gospel? Are
you willing to spend thousands of dollars and countless hours in prayer and
self-sacrificing acts of loving kindness to gain unbelievers for Christ? I hope
you are.
When people win
championships and perishable crowns, they feel exuberant. They cannot even
describe their feelings. Imagine the indescribable feeling you will experience
when you run and win for Christ!
Dedicate as much time
and energy to the Gospel as Jen did to softball. Give 100% to God and
neighbor 100% of the time. Express your faith through love. If
necessary, suffer for the Gospel. Emulate Paul who practiced self-control for
the sake of the Gospel.
I close with a quote
from my friend, Dr. Katz. “Ironically,
Jesus healed us by allowing his body to be given up on the cross. This makes no
sense to the nonbelievers of this world. Jesus’ passion and dying on the cross
leads to the forgiveness of our sins and our salvation for eternity. What we
have to do is come to Him with our broken bodies and souls and he will heal us.”
Friends, offer God
your broken bodies and souls. Christ will heal you through his broken body on
the cross. Pray to the Holy Spirit for the grace to exercise self-control, and
God will give you what you need. Dedicate yourself to winning as many people as
possible for Christ. … When you do that,
the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will keep your heart and mind
in Christ Jesus.[xiv]
Amen.
[i] Doctors,
Military Officers, Firefighters, and Scientists Seen as Among America's Most Prestigious
Occupations (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/mid/1508/articleId/1490/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/Default.aspx);
Top 10: Most Respected Professions (http://www.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/top-10-most-respected-professions.html)
[ii]
Ray E. Aquitania MD, Jock-Docs: World-Class Athletes Wearing White Coats.
Bradenton, FL: Booklocker (2010).
[iii]
1 Corinthians 9:22
[iv] 1
Corinthians 3:6
[v]
Gregory J. Lockwood, 1 Corinthians. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House
(2000), 293.
[vi]
Deuteronomy 25:4.
[vii]
Lockwood, 301. See also 1 Timothy 5:17-18.
[viii]
Lockwood, 301.
[ix] 2
Corinthians 4:5
[x] 1
Corinthians 9:25
[xi]
Lockwood, 318. See Galatians 5:22-26.
[xii]
2 Peter 1:5
[xiii]
Lockwood, 319-320.
[xiv]
Philippians 4:7
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