I know zip about baseball. I never heard of Landen Roupp, but my husband told me about this courageous man who plays for the San Francisco Giants. June is Pride month, and so Major League Baseball, along with the Giants, celebrated by having every player wear a cap with the Pride Flag on the front. Mr. Roupp didn’t want anyone to be confused about where he stands on the issue of the rainbow (which is also on the Pride Flag). And so Roupp wrote on his cap Genesis 9:12-16. This passage explains why God put the rainbow in the sky, as a reminder that He would never flood the earth again. Well, that started the storm. People all over the world concluded that Roupp hates gay people. Roupp was only offering clarification on the biblical meaning of the rainbow.
CLARIFICATION IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT
Clarification, whether popular or not, is often important. In Mark 3:31-35, Jesus wants to clarify His relationship with family. His response is not what the listeners expect. “Then Jesus ‘ mother and his brothers came. Standing outside, they sent word to Him to summon Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, ‘Look, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.’ He answered them and said, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who were sitting around Him in a circle, He said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’” What was Jesus thinking? A little clarification is needed.
JESUS AND FAMILY
Of course, Jesus knew His earthly family. He was clarifying the much deeper meaning of “family”. This is greater than a mere biological connection. As in the case of Landen Roupp, Jesus took issue with those who give a superficial meaning to a term and forget God’s deeper meaning. The rainbow used as a symbol on a ball cap cheapens God’s meaningful designation of the rainbow. Jesus’ true family was much greater than an earthly biological term. Jesus clarified by saying, “whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
DEEPER MEANING OF FAMILY
This gives the word “family” a fuller meaning than the relatives at the annual reunion. There is a difference between being family in name and family in relationship to God the Father. Jesus clarifies the difference between the multitudes who say they will follow Him and those who actually do. True conversion is always marked by obedience to the Word and submission to the authority of Jesus Christ (John 8:31). God’s truth digs deeper than a logo on a cap. Jesus wanted people to understand he was looking for a spiritual connection to Himself, not just a family connection.
NOT CALLED TO SLOPPY HALF-HEARTEDNESS
John Stott writes, “To follow Christ, we must deny ourselves, to crucify ourselves, to lose ourselves. The full, inexorable demand of Jesus Christ is now laid bare. He does not call us to a sloppy half-heartedness but to a vigorous, absolute commitment” (from Stott’s classic “Basic Christianity”). When Mr. Roupp walked out onto that baseball field, he was demonstrating a vigorous commitment to who Jesus is and obedience to Jesus. Our foremost job is to honor God and to do His will. This takes courage.
WHOEVER DOES THE WILL….
I don’t know a lot about baseball, but Mr. Roupp’s fearlessness speaks volumes to me. What about you? Regardless of the cost, do you want to be part of Jesus’ family? Remember, “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother”.