The
controversy here in town regarding the Phoenix Suns' request for expensive
upgrades for the arena they play in got me to thinking about how much I used to
love basketball.
I fell in
love with basketball back in 1968 when I watched for the first time Pistol Pete
Maravich. I was in high school then and
Pistol Pete was the player I wanted to be.
I loved his floppy socks and long hair.
I marveled at his behind the back and through the legs passes. I cheered every time I read that he had set
another college basketball scoring record.
Pistol Pete was the first college athlete to earn a million dollar
contract. I was certain that he would
become the greatest basketball player ever.
In the pros
Pistol Pete continued to dazzle fans with his play on the basketball
court. But off the court he was a
troubled and confused man. Burdened by
impossibly high expectations set by himself, his father, his coaches and the
press, Pistol Pete was unable to attain the greatness he desired. In order to soothe himself, he turned to
alcohol. He sought peace and contentment
in a number of different religions and philosophies but every path he traveled
led to a dead end.
Then Jesus
Christ came into his life. In Christ, Pete
Maravich received the peace, contentment and joy that he had sought all his
life. He became a bold and confident
witness for the Lord. Because he was
Pistol Pete, people were willing to listen to his story. Pete kept point to Jesus – to the Lord’s
forgiveness and grace and love.
One day in
early January 1988, I heard the shocking news – Pistol Pete had passed away at
the age of 40 of a rare heart ailment.
He has just finished playing in a pickup basketball game when he
suddenly collapsed and died. As he lay
on the court, someone noticed the T-shirt Pete had been wearing. It read, “Looking unto Jesus,” inspired by
the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 2.
In the New
International Version of the Bible, that verse reads like this: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Why should
we keep “looking unto Jesus?” Jesus is
the author and perfecter of our faith.
Faith must have an object – our faith is rooted in Jesus, the only One
who could write the story of our salvation.
For the joy of carrying out the will of His Heavenly Father, the Son of
God suffered the shame and humiliation of becoming sin for us. Jesus was punished for our disobedience. He paid in full the debt we owed to God for
our lack of faith and love. Jesus
suffered and died so that we would not perish but have eternal life. And our Lord is still at work for us. He is seated at the right hand of the throne
of God, pleading and praying for us before the Father.
In his day,
Pistol Pete was a true celebrity. People
sought after him in the same way that folks today gush over musicians, movie
stars and the like. But unlike many
modern day athletes, Pete Maravich was not all about promoting his new
basketball shoe and maneuvering for a brand new contract. His focus in life was all about his
relationship with His Lord and Savior.
What better message to convey to the world than this one: looking unto Jesus. The perfect message
for Advent, Christmas and every day!
