05/28/2026
Babe Ruth was known as “The Great Bambino,” and “The Sultan of Swat.” He was baseball’s first premier slugger. He changed the game with a swing built for power, and he became known for hitting towering home runs. By the end of his illustrious career, he had hit 714 home runs — an almost unbelievable number in his era and even in today’s modern game! He is considered by some to be the greatest baseball player to have ever played the game. But in many ways, Ruth also embodied the phrase: “Go big or go home.” He struck out constantly. In fact, when he retired, he also held baseball’s all-time strikeout record with 1,330 strikeouts — a record that has since been surpassed, though still a staggering number of strikeouts by any standard! On one occasion, after swinging and missing badly, a frustrated fan yelled from the stands: “You bum! I’ve seen better players in sandlots!” Ruth reportedly tipped his cap, smiled, and replied: “Yeah… but they aren’t playing here.”
Babe’s response was humorous, and it was also a perfect response to that situation. But it also exposed something important: it is easy to criticize from the stands. It is much harder to step onto the field. Ever experienced that? I’m not just talking about sports, but about life: are you quick to criticize someone for how they work or act, but when it comes to you doing the same things, you struggle? It is easy to evaluate other people’s decisions, point out flaws, or criticize how someone else handles life, work, parenting, relationships, or even their spiritual life, while often overlooking our own weaknesses and failures. Sometimes the people who appear the strongest, most polished, or most spiritual on the outside are not nearly as healthy on the inside as they seem. Is that true of you?
When we look through God’s Word, we repeatedly encounter people who look impressive spiritually from a distance — religious leaders, moral people, disciplined people, outwardly respectable people. We meet people like Saul and Solomon — men with impressive looks, skill sets, and knowledge of God — but like so many others throughout the Bible and history, they were not truly followers of God. God reminds us that He is not merely interested in outward appearances, public performance, or religious reputation. God looks deeper. He looks at the heart. What does genuine faith look like? What does it truly look like to be a follower of Jesus?
This week, we will begin venturing into Luke 6. We will see Jesus again have to deal with the Pharisees and all their rules and regulations, especially concerning the Sabbath. We will again see how they believed looking the part of a “religious” person, or following their man-made rules, made them right with God. Then, we will see Jesus choose His core twelve disciples, which will launch His ministry into full swing. By looking at Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees, and by looking at Jesus calling His disciples, we will get a picture of what it truly looks like to be a follower of Jesus. I hope you’ll make plans to join us on Sunday morning at 10:45. Everyone is welcome! We will have seats ready for you!
You are loved. You are valued. I hope you have a wonderful last weekend of May!
Blessings,
Pastor Jonathan
