Study 22: 6th - 12th August 2007

Reading – John Chapter Ch 8: 48-59.

God, Life and Golf?

Jesus replied to the Jews; “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, that person will never see death”. At this the Jews exclaimed, “Now we know you are demon possessed. Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say if anyone keeps your word that person will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so do the prophets. Who do you think you are?”. _____ “I tell you the truth”, Jesus answered, “Before Abraham was born, I am.” John Chapter 8: verse 51-53, 58 (NIV).

It is common among golfers to hope that golf will be played in heaven and at a higher level than the one experienced here on earth. I hear so many jokes about golf and heaven that makes me curious about the association.
Golf can be a very addictive game like most sports and interests that people have. It is not unusual for keen golfers with the time, to play 3 to 4 times a week.
We often joke that winning in sport is bigger than life itself. One hopes that it is only a joke, because we know that as important as sport is to us, it is only a game after all. To give it any more credence is to mistake the icing for the cake. Perhaps the athlete who earns more than $1,000,000 a year to perform sees it as more than icing.
The connection between life and sport is a close one. Since professionalism and the opportunity for more leisure, we take our sport and golf seriously.

It has been said that sport can take the place of God and religion, that sport is a religion. We can sense this is true for some of us.
What I find attractive about golf is the test of my ability and performance. The idea is to use your skills to be able to place the ball on the fairway onto the green and into the hole in as few shots as possible. The frustration is it never quite works out and you end up in trouble. However, the potential is there and when you break your handicap, you come away feeling a rare victory over the course. What makes it even more enjoyable is to be able to play in the company of friends.
This is very similar to the aspirations we have about life. We were created to be able to work and prosper, to use our gifts to be able to think, sing, or to create something with our hands. When we are to be able to share this with friends, it gives tremendous meaning to life.

The connection between sport and Jesus is this; that both claim our attention about what is important in life.
Jesus says; if anyone keeps my word, that person will never see death. Jesus and the Jewish leaders in our reading this week conclude a tense debate about who Jesus is and the meaning of his life. Jesus claims to exist before Abraham who lived over 1000 years before Jesus’ life on earth. We have already noted in other studies that Jesus claims to be the bread of life, the light of the world and promises eternal life to all who believe in him.
Jesus makes these amazing claims about himself and life; saying he is the “I Am”, Jesus claims to represent the one who gave us life; God.
Jesus invites us to see in his life, the good things that life can consist of. Jesus says elsewhere “I come that you might have life; life in all its fullness” John Chapter 10 verse 10).

What saddens me among many Australians is the lack of passion and heart when it comes to God that I see in golf and sport in general. The day will come when we will have to put our clubs away for good, at least in this life. What I love about Jesus is the victory he won on the cross to secure eternal life for all who believe. That’s worth being passionate about, worth living for.
 
Eternal God. Thank you for the games we enjoy and the different gifts you give to us in life. Help us not to confuse the important things in life like you with the games we enjoy. Amen.