– from the pop song The Riddle
Sports enthusiasts are mourning the tragic deaths of two coaches. Thirty-five year old Mike Coolbaugh died after being struck in the neck by a foul ball while coaching first base for the Tulsa Driller’s, a minor league baseball team. Skip Prosser, the 56 year old head coach of the Wake Forest University men’s basketball team died in his office yesterday, apparently of a heart attack.
I don’t want to offer commentary on the safety of baseball or the stress of a division I NCAA coaching job. Plenty of pundits will do that. Today I am simply reflecting on things in light of my faith.
First, both of these guys were doing something they loved. Coolbaugh floated around the minors for a decade and only played 37 games in the “big show” of Major League Baseball. When he died he was a hitting coach for a minor league team in Oklahoma, and while I’m no expert on coaches’ paychecks, I have a sneaking suspicion that he was not in the same pay grade as Barry Bonds and the boys. Yet there he was, his last day of life on earth – doing what he loved. The same is true for Skip Prosser, he died doing what he loved.
Second, we know what they loved doing. We are clear on their priorities in life. One of Prosser’s players was quoted saying, “It's tough for me right now. I can't explain it. Here today, gone tomorrow. The one thing about Coach Prosser is that he cared about his players — and would do anything for us." Similar quotes abound for Coolbaugh. These guys loved the game and saw coaching as a way of pouring themselves into others’ lives.
Third, we know that time that matters is in short supply. It’s an unpleasant reality, but death is inevitable. How will I prioritize and spend my one and only life?
It reminds me of the story about the rich young man who came to Jesus asking, “What good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?” Stay with me and you’ll see why.
A conversation ensued about following the commandments wherein the young man claimed he kept all the important ones. So then Jesus said he should go and sell all his possessions and give to the poor, and then spend his time following Jesus. You might guess that the young man walked away saddened because he didn’t want to give up his great wealth.
Some interpret this as a story about money and possessions. I read it beside these coaches’ deaths as a story about priorities. Jesus was asking the rich young ruler to make following him the top priority in his life – beyond his wealth and beyond the commandments of Judaism.
First
Numero uno
The “main thing”
I don’t know if Prosser or Coolbaugh were men of faith but I do know what their priorities were. The haunting question for this pilgrim is, “If I died today, would people know clearly what my life priorities were?” Will they know that I tried hard to follow Jesus, love my family, and serve the world?
Sudden deaths, as well as encounters with Jesus can:
- bring our priorities into focus,
- help us admit that we do have a list of priorities, and
- confess that sometimes those priorities get out of whack.
We’ll talk more about life priorities by looking at this rich young ruler in worship on Sunday at Willow Meadows Baptist Church. If you are in town please make worship attendance a priority in your life and join us at 9am or 11:10am.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email from me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor at Willow Meadows Baptist Church, on the web at www.wmbc.org.
Matthew 19.16-30 New International Version
The Rich Young Man
16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
18"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,'[d] and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'[e]"
20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
26Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
27Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
28Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother[f] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
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