Faster, Higher, Stronger: Tough Love

This is the 4th of a series of Olympic-themed sermons. The title of the sermon series, "Faster, Higher, Stronger" is the English translation of the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius. Sometimes the stress to be more & better seems more than we can bear—or is it?

At the 1976 Olympics, Shun Fujimoto of the Japanese men’s gymnastics team competed in the pommel horse and the rings with a broken leg after breaking his right kneecap during the floor exercises. Fujimoto later said that the pain during the pommel horse was excruciating, but manageable; however, he knew that the rings would be practically impossible. The pommel horse did not require a dismount; however, in the rings, the dismount and landing was a vital part of the score. A teammate helped Fujimoto up onto the rings. Although the pain during his performance was horrible, in the back of his mind, Fujimoto knew that he would have to stick the landing from a height of 8 feet in order to garner a winning score for his team.

When the time came to dismount, Fujimoto completed a good, not perfect (although maybe perfect under the circumstances) triple-somersault landing. With gritted teeth that did not completely mask the pain, he smiled to the crowd even though his leg was now ruined, his kneecap dislocated, ligaments torn. Fujimoto would never compete again. Ironically, his score on the rings was a personal best, and the Japanese went on to win the team competition by .4 points, a 5th consecutive gold for the team. His doctor later said, "How he managed to do somersaults and twists and land without collapsing in screams is beyond my comprehension."

What would possess a person to sacrifice their body, and career, for a momentary prize?

Hebrews 12:4-6

Commentary

Curiously, many of the interesting Greek words in this passage—struggle (v4), resisted (v4), forgotten (v5), make light of (v5), rebukes (v5)—occur only in this passage in the whole NT. However, we can still interpret the passage with some confidence:

First, the quotation in v5-6 is from Proverbs 3:11-12, which is the tail end of a longer passage (Proverbs 3:1-12). This longer passage is a set of 6 pairs of verses, and each pair reiterates the same theme:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (v5-6)

In our struggle against sin, we frequently err by trusting in what we think looks like the solution to the problem. When we do this, we sell ourselves out; worse yet, we sell God short.

Second, the references to discipline all refer to the instruction of a child. A child cannot be expected to know anything; a child must be keep safe until he/she can knows how to get around safely. However, on the other hand, since a child is a blank slate and must be taught right from wrong, part of the instruction is showing a child, forcibly if need be, the error of the child’s ways. (This type of discipline is referred to frequently in the NT, including Eph. 6:4, 2 Tim. 3:16, and Heb. 12:7, 8, 11. We will look at the Hebrews 12 passage next week.)

Third, the notion of rebuking believers dabbling in sin is common: Matt. 18:15; Eph. 5:11,13; 1 Tim. 5:20; Rev. 3:19. (Christians tend to shoot themselves in the foot by taking verses like these and sallying forth to beat up on non-believers. This is a misinterpretation of the verses. Worse, by ignoring the sins in our own house, we come under the judgment of non-believers who rightly see us as hypocrites.)

Lastly, every other NT use of the word punish (v6) refers to the scourging of Christ and believers during persecution.

Application

At first glance, these verses seem horrible. Who would want a father who punishes those he claimed to love? "I’m going to beat you with my belt, but remember, boy, this hurts me more than it hurts you." Yeah, right.

At the same time, what kind of sadistic god would want us to shed blood? What kind of father demands that kind of devotion, that kind sacrifice of life & limb? And for what? Shun Fujimoto, years later when asked if he would make the same choice again to sacrifice his body, simply said, "No."

But what if we have it all wrong? What if we have it upside-down?

We see denying ourselves, spurning temptations, avoiding sin as a sacrifice. God says it is not.

We see self-denial of these pleasures as pain. God says it is not.

We see our dutiful obedience and sacrifice as "karma" which obligates God to grant us success. God says it does not.

Our delusion comes from taking our eye off of the prize. The prize has never been success, prosperity, or even happiness. The prize has never been found in the world. God is the prize. God has always intended for him to be the source of our happiness and the result of all our striving. All those other things we strive after are false gods, and our love affair with those other things is sin.

… don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." [1] Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:4-10

If God is the goal, then following him should not be a sacrifice. If God is the goal, then putting every hindrance aside should not be painful. If God is the goal, then obedience should not be dully dutiful; rather, it should be joyous and jubilant. If God is the goal …

Do you see how far you (or we, or I) have strayed? Having our false gods ripped from us is going to hurt. (Now, whose fault is that?) Should God leave us alone and let us stray rather than risk the pain of straightening us out?

Points to Ponder

We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not … What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end [e.g. obedience, trust, and with it a deeper relationship with God], God sees as the goal itself …

God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future … What people call preparation [moment-by-moment obedience], God sees as the goal itself.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, July 28

The difference between you and Shun Fujimoto is this: Fujimoto destroyed his body for a momentary prize; you give up the things of this world (maybe even your own life) for an eternal prize. Fujimoto destroyed his body forever, but as you turn from worldly pursuits, the living God you serve will salve your wounds with healing, restoration, justice, and wholeness.

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:29-31)

End Notes

1 - Proverbs 3:34