Sunday, February 21, 2010

Tiger Woods, Temptation and Grace


Tiger Woods Mistresses: At Least 9 Women Linked to Alleged Affairs - ABC News

The item listed above is much in the news. It's very sad news indeed. Woods has won 56 PGA tournaments in one decade, 64 times around the world, including 12 majors and hoisted a trophy on every continent golf is played. He was PGA player of the year ten times, PGA tour money leader nine times and declared Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press in 2009. Yet here he is, linked to multiple affairs with a variety of women, unfaithful to his wife and children and maligned on all sides.

Would it be safe to say that Tiger Woods is going through hell? Whether he ultimately ends up permanently in hell remains to be seen.

Jesus told a story about a heartless multi-millionaire who had it made, much like Tiger. This man lived in the greatest luxury and had absolutely total disregard for the impoverished and homeless on his very doorstep. When he died—as all must, regardless of their status in life—his friends and family gave him a lavish funeral, but he ended up in hell (Luke 16:19-31).

In the case of Tiger Woods our temptation is to judge and to thank God we're not like him. Jesus has another word for us.

"Judge not and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:37-38).

His point: if you judge Tiger, then be ready to be judged with the same measuring stick you use.

Additional reminder: But for the grace of God, there go I. The Gospel lesson for this day about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13), reminds us of the tactics the devil uses on us all. Great is the allure of fame and fortune. Great is the deception to believe that we can test God's patience and love by ignoring the rules and God's commandments.

Wondrous is the grace of God that tells us that while we were yet sinners who deserve hell no less than anyone else, Christ came to offer His precious life as the ransom for our sins (Romans 5:8). The only way to go to hell is over Christ's dead body.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks! A good observation and Scriptural advice after the 14 minute hiatus for the world when Tiger Woods interviewed himself on TV. Brett Hume was correct when he suggested that Tiger might find help in Christianity (whom the politically correct responders bashed!). Buddhism has no doctrine of forgiveness, only a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps theology"). There was no mention of "forgiveness" in his speech, only that Elin has much "grace", and in the end he asked everybody to "still believe in ME" ! We need to pray for Tiger and many who are outside the realm of the kingdom of Christ. (harold)

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So what do you think? I would love to see a few words from you.