Like the Fragrance After the Rain!

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:15-16; John 3:18-19

On August 13, Arizona's Little League team played Hawaii to determine who would go on to play in Williamsport. One team would play in the Little League World Series, and the other would be eliminated. It was the fourth inning, and there were two runners on base for Hawaii. That's when Arizona's coach Drew Breivogel went to the mound to calm down his pitcher. ESPN was reporting the game and Breivogel was miked up. He told his 12-year-old pitcher that he was proud of him. Then the coach talked a bit about Zacchaeus and how someone had planted that tree that he climbed so that he could see Jesus, Luke 19:1-10. Coach then reminded his pitcher that the one who planted that tree never knew that the tree he planted would be part of Zacchaeus' salvation story. Talk about a perspective changer given in merely a few seconds! Then Breivogel reminded the young pitcher that Jesus would still be Lord if he walked the next five batters or if he struck each of the five out! He followed these brief comments by saying that he loved the young man and encouraged him to have fun. All while ESPN and millions of fans of the game had a front row seat! God was honored at the pitcher's mound of a little league baseball game!

It's no surprise that these brief comments brought out a variety of opinions on the Internet. For example, there were positive comments from those who wished they could have had a coach who cared for his players and gave them words of encouragement like Coach Breivogel did. One person commented that this was the greatest little league mound visit of all time. Some were glad that the Lord was honored in this venue.

There were also negative posts. People who were offended on behalf of those players who had to hear Breivogel's message when they held beliefs that were different than those that were expressed by the coach. Some said the player needed to hear how to get out of the inning without being scored on rather than hearing a message about God.

By the way, Arizona did lose, and that fact was fuel for the fire for those who didn't appreciate Coach Breivogel's remarks. One person even said that Breivogel must have rehearsed his remarks for hours in front of the mirror so that he would look good.

What a reminder these reactions are of the biblical truth found in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16. Here the apostle Paul lays out the fact that we who belong to Jesus will give out a fragrance of either life or death. Depending upon those who see our lives and hear our words. To some we will be a beautiful scent. The fragrance of Jesus falls upon those whose hearts long to know the Savior, but it is a stench to the hearts which haven't yet been softened by the Holy Spirit. No matter how people react to our words and deeds, Jesus is honored when we rely on the Holy Spirit to enable and direct what we say or do.

Throughout the New Testament we see the apostle Paul dealing with reactions to his words that are much like the reactions that Coach Breivogel received. In Acts 17:1-9, before Paul ended up in Athens, he reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue in Thessalonica for three sabbaths. To be sure, some believed in Messiah after hearing his teaching about Jesus, but some were jealous and stirred up a mob against him. This was not a rare occurrence for the apostle when he went on his missionary journeys.

Sometimes there were lives that were changed, and sometimes Paul and whomever had accompanied him had to flee in a hurry. The message was the same each time, but its fragrance depended on the hearts of its recipients. In Acts 17, Paul and Silas were both that sweet aroma of life and also the stench of death.

John reminds us of that same truth using the picture of light and darkness, John 3:19-20; so, we shouldn't be surprised when people are repelled by the light or when our words, no matter how graciously we say them, are received with skepticism or mockery.

Back to Arizona's coach. When he was interviewed, he spoke with humility. He explained that his own life hadn't always been one that honored Jesus. Before he was saved, his wife had patiently prayed for him for nine years. He now longs to speak about the Savior whenever he can, and is helping his players understand what it means to

have a relationship with Jesus. It is part of his every day dealings with his players to speak to them the way he talked to his pitcher. Not only teaching them to play with excellence, but more importantly to grow in doing what is good. His encouraging words that came from him on August 13 were similar to the words his players have been hearing from their coach all season and in some cases, for more than one year. They were winsome words not the words of someone who simply wanted to put on a show when a large audience was watching. He didn't appear to have been bothered by the negative remarks that sprang out on the Internet.

How about us? Doesn't the fact that we have no control over how people react to our words and actions take off the pressure to do better? Yes, I know that we want to grow in doing what is good as we yield to the Spirit's promptings. Yet, when people reject or scoff at what is precious to us, we can relax knowing that we don't control how they react to Jesus' fragrance. I don't mean that we don't care. Oh, we truly do, but we don't try to do Jesus' work. We simply continue to allow Him to pour out His fragrance through our lives, Galatians 2:20. What a joy to have models like Coach Breivogel. Not perfect people but people who long to see Jesus honored and known.

As the Chorus says:

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

There's Just Something About That Name.

Master, Savior Jesus

Like the Fragrance After the Rain!