March Madness
For the disciples of Dr. James Naismith, “March Madness” is the culmination of year-long research, observations and prayers. Brackets are filled, games played, fortunes and coaching careers made and lost on the inevitable upset. Hours are spent in order to improve picks, enhance chance and capture the ultimate prize – the office pool. Yes, Ohio, Florida, UCLA and Georgetown are this year’s March Madness teams. Once the champion is crowned, the pools emptied and the debates over disputed calls settled, it will be time for it to start all over again – the recruiting, the research, the prayers – all for the NCAA Basketball title. When Naismith hung two peach baskets on a ten foot rail so a soccer ball could be dribbled and shot into the basket, he had no idea of the number of lives that would be touched, columns written, telecasts broadcast, endorsements given, or billions of dollars spent on and for the sport of March Madness.
Educators, especially those teaching in the northern tier states, relate to a different form of March Madness. Starting in January and culminating in March, students and teachers are deprived of a vital ingredient for healthy living – sunshine. Oh, there may be the occasional spurts of sun – usually reflected off of six inches of new fallen snow – but in general, students get up in the dark, go to school in the dark, often return from school in the dark and miss out on the benefits of sunshine. When the sun reappears in March, the madness strikes. Spring Break may have started as a time when the children were released from school to help plant the Spring crops, but today Spring Break is a time for teachers and students to get away from each other, enjoy the sun and re-energize for the fourth quarter.
As Christians, we celebrate a different form of March Madness. This madness is not the frenzy of ten men on the basketball court, but the result of one man and His disciples walking the earth in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. This madness is not the result of sunshine, but the result of His Sonshine. This madness didn’t come about as a way to keep YMCA kids out of trouble and occupied in the winter, but the result of an intentional effort to keep souls out of hell. This madness isn’t an attempt at restoring relationships hindered by too many days in close contact in crowded school rooms, but is the only way to restore a broken relationship caused by sin.
To the world, the Gospel message of John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life – is madness. Today’s world demands personal accountability. Today’s world assumes societal accountability. Today’s world tolerates non-accountability – everyone is to blame, hence no one is to suffer. Today’s world would not elect a judge that enforced impartially the same punishment for every crime. Today’s world could not fathom a Judge that demands 100% compliance and punishes even the smallest infraction with the death penalty – with no appeal.
Yet, God demands 100% compliance. Even the smallest, inconsequential sin is punished by death and eternal separation from God. Yet God, in His infinite Mercy, has provided the One that would live the perfect life and take our punishment on Himself – His own Son. The world would call that madness – we call it Grace.
As we walk the streets of Jerusalem once again waving our palms of praise, as we stand in the garden and run from the soldiers, as we sit in the courtyard and deny, as we weep in the streets on the way to Golgotha, as we wince from the hammer blows, and as we mourn as the body is placed in the tomb, let us remember our sins. Let us enumerate them – one by one. Let us remember the punishment for each one.
“I went over the speed limit” – death
“I lied” – death
“I took a pencil from work” – death
“I cursed the driver of the car that cut me off in traffic” – death
“I stayed home from church so I could work” – death
“I dishonored my parents” – death
“I went to a Tom Cruse movie and could think of nothing but Tom Cruse” – death
“I borrowed my neighbor’s casserole dish and won’t return it because I need it and she doesn’t because she doesn’t know how to cook and it is a waste of a good dish to give it back to her” – death
With just a little time, our list is longer than a 6 year-olds Santa list. That is just the sins of commission. What if we add to our list the sins of omission?
“I didn’t forgive” – death
“I didn’t share” – death
“I didn’t speak out” – death
“I didn’t offer peace” – death
Oh, let us not forget those sins we don’t know – those rebellious acts that separate us from God that we are not even aware of – what a long list it is! We grieve over our sins – we weep repentant tears – we run – try to hide.
As we are overwhelmed in our grief – let us turn our tear stained face to the empty tomb. Jesus paid the price for each of our sins – He has won for us the riches of heaven. The world calls it madness – we call it Joy.
Let us run from the empty tomb and share the Good News – with our words – with our deeds – empowered by the Holy Spirit!
For the disciples of Dr. James Naismith, “March Madness” is the culmination of year-long research, observations and prayers. Brackets are filled, games played, fortunes and coaching careers made and lost on the inevitable upset. Hours are spent in order to improve picks, enhance chance and capture the ultimate prize – the office pool. Yes, Ohio, Florida, UCLA and Georgetown are this year’s March Madness teams. Once the champion is crowned, the pools emptied and the debates over disputed calls settled, it will be time for it to start all over again – the recruiting, the research, the prayers – all for the NCAA Basketball title. When Naismith hung two peach baskets on a ten foot rail so a soccer ball could be dribbled and shot into the basket, he had no idea of the number of lives that would be touched, columns written, telecasts broadcast, endorsements given, or billions of dollars spent on and for the sport of March Madness.
Educators, especially those teaching in the northern tier states, relate to a different form of March Madness. Starting in January and culminating in March, students and teachers are deprived of a vital ingredient for healthy living – sunshine. Oh, there may be the occasional spurts of sun – usually reflected off of six inches of new fallen snow – but in general, students get up in the dark, go to school in the dark, often return from school in the dark and miss out on the benefits of sunshine. When the sun reappears in March, the madness strikes. Spring Break may have started as a time when the children were released from school to help plant the Spring crops, but today Spring Break is a time for teachers and students to get away from each other, enjoy the sun and re-energize for the fourth quarter.
As Christians, we celebrate a different form of March Madness. This madness is not the frenzy of ten men on the basketball court, but the result of one man and His disciples walking the earth in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. This madness is not the result of sunshine, but the result of His Sonshine. This madness didn’t come about as a way to keep YMCA kids out of trouble and occupied in the winter, but the result of an intentional effort to keep souls out of hell. This madness isn’t an attempt at restoring relationships hindered by too many days in close contact in crowded school rooms, but is the only way to restore a broken relationship caused by sin.
To the world, the Gospel message of John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life – is madness. Today’s world demands personal accountability. Today’s world assumes societal accountability. Today’s world tolerates non-accountability – everyone is to blame, hence no one is to suffer. Today’s world would not elect a judge that enforced impartially the same punishment for every crime. Today’s world could not fathom a Judge that demands 100% compliance and punishes even the smallest infraction with the death penalty – with no appeal.
Yet, God demands 100% compliance. Even the smallest, inconsequential sin is punished by death and eternal separation from God. Yet God, in His infinite Mercy, has provided the One that would live the perfect life and take our punishment on Himself – His own Son. The world would call that madness – we call it Grace.
As we walk the streets of Jerusalem once again waving our palms of praise, as we stand in the garden and run from the soldiers, as we sit in the courtyard and deny, as we weep in the streets on the way to Golgotha, as we wince from the hammer blows, and as we mourn as the body is placed in the tomb, let us remember our sins. Let us enumerate them – one by one. Let us remember the punishment for each one.
“I went over the speed limit” – death
“I lied” – death
“I took a pencil from work” – death
“I cursed the driver of the car that cut me off in traffic” – death
“I stayed home from church so I could work” – death
“I dishonored my parents” – death
“I went to a Tom Cruse movie and could think of nothing but Tom Cruse” – death
“I borrowed my neighbor’s casserole dish and won’t return it because I need it and she doesn’t because she doesn’t know how to cook and it is a waste of a good dish to give it back to her” – death
With just a little time, our list is longer than a 6 year-olds Santa list. That is just the sins of commission. What if we add to our list the sins of omission?
“I didn’t forgive” – death
“I didn’t share” – death
“I didn’t speak out” – death
“I didn’t offer peace” – death
Oh, let us not forget those sins we don’t know – those rebellious acts that separate us from God that we are not even aware of – what a long list it is! We grieve over our sins – we weep repentant tears – we run – try to hide.
As we are overwhelmed in our grief – let us turn our tear stained face to the empty tomb. Jesus paid the price for each of our sins – He has won for us the riches of heaven. The world calls it madness – we call it Joy.
Let us run from the empty tomb and share the Good News – with our words – with our deeds – empowered by the Holy Spirit!
