Today’s passage is a familiar one. Anyone who has ever sung Handel’s Messiah will likely hear the tune of “For Unto Us” playing in their head as they read these verses. But as familiar as verse 6 might be, we can become numb to the significance of it all. I’d like to take us onto the gridiron for a look at the meaning of a certain segment of this passage.
Either today or tomorrow—the powers that be weren’t quite sure—the NFL will enter into its annual free agency period. That means that various players whose contracts have run out will get the opportunity to test their value on the open market. They’ll jet around from city to city, allowing the teams to enter into a bidding frenzy for their services. Even now, you can do an Internet search and read this or that pundit’s opinion on who the best, worst, most underrated, and most overrated free agents in this year’s crop might be. You can find lists of players available by position and speculation on which team will pursue which player most ardently.
This year, it seems, is a great year for running backs. Seattle’s great back, Shaun Alexander has become a free agent, as have Baltimore’s Jamal Lewis and Indianapolis’ Edgerin James. These guys represent a trio of remarkable talents, although Lewis, a scant season removed from a truly remarkable year, might be past his prime. The press in various cities will positively swoon over the possibilities of, say, Alexander in Chicago or James in Dallas. They’ll follow the ups and downs of the chase, undoubtedly casting doubt on the skills or nerve of their team’s front office should the desired player not land in their fold. Of course, if the star does end up on their team and then turn out to be a bust, the press will be lambasting the executives for their failure to see the future.
There’s a truth in football as in most other human pursuits. The world-beater of today will be the has-been of tomorrow. A few years ago, it was Eddie George who electrified the football world. Before him, it was Emmitt Smith. We could go back through the years to players like Tony Dorsett, Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen, and O.J. Simpson. For a season or two, these guys seemed unstoppable, but then, as the hands of time moved on, they slipped from their pinnacle. Some of them, struggling to hang onto glory for one more season, wound up embarrassing themselves in a futile last effort.
That’s where the child who is born in verse 6 is different. Not only is he great today, but he will remain great, reigning on David’s throne “from that time on and forever.” He’ll never be a has-been.
When we are tempted to hitch our hopes to this or that star of today, let us remember the temporary nature of human greatness and pin our hopes to him whose increase will never end.
Tune My Heart is primarily an aid to the devotional life of its author, Mark Browning, who holds the copyright for this material. It is provided online in hopes that some will find it edifying. All contents, unless otherwise noted, may be redistributed freely provided that you give credit for its origin and do not charge anything.