Thoughts on Tebow, SNL, and Jesus

I love Tim Tebow. I really love watching his interviews. I enjoyed him on Sound FX after the Broncos win over Chicago, singing Our God is an Awesome God as he ran on the field for their final winning drive. I love Tebow's heart. He encourages me. But I'm concerned that I'm going to exploit him by using him as the topic for a blog post. He of course gets exploited by unbelievers. That's par for the course. But his exploitation by believers really annoys me. Sarah Palin's and Rick Perry's references to him to promote their political campaigns just seems the worst kind of exploitation. It didn't benefit Tebow to be associated with Palin or Perry, but it certainly benefited them. But now I'm using his name in my blog post. I don't often talk about individuals in a post, unless I'm reviewing a book or linking to a sermon. So I've thought a lot about what the tone of this post should be if I'm going to use an individual name of a brother in Christ. He's a person, not a phenomenon, and I don't take that lightly.

Tim's name gets used and exploited for other's benefit quite a bit. Consider the Saturday Night Live Jesus and Tebow skit. That really outraged a lot of people. I don't like to see Jesus' name or likeness used in a flippant way. Yet, there was something about that skit that reminded me of the amazing incarnation we celebrate this season--of the wonderful difference in Jesus and, say, Mohammed. If SNL did a skit with a character dressed up as Mohammed, fundamentalist muslims would put a fatwa on their head. Just ask Salman Rushdie. Jesus isn't just a prophet like Mohammed. He's actually God incarnate. Even so, there will be no Rushdie type ultimatum against SNL because of their Jesus skit (though Pat Robertson may try). This is not the first time Jesus has been mocked. Most notable is the mockery Jesus endured in person, and His infinitely gracious response, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Our ever gracious God made a way for the very ones who mock Him to be forgiven and restored.

Tim Tebow has been an example to me of this kind of Jesus-like graciousness. When the Detroit Lions defense mocked him during their game, he endured it and responded with graciousness. When Brian Urlacher called him a good running back, Tebow didn't take it as an offense. He turned the other cheek, so to speak. He has not risen to the taunts that have bombarded him since his years at Florida. He's characterized by graciousness to his enemies and care for the poor and oppressed. In contrast, Sarah Palin is not known for either. And when Christians who are not famous for their Christ-like graciousness or self-sacrificial care of the oppressed try to tag along on Tebow's reputation for their own cause, well, it makes me indignantly angry. I have convictions about not acting out on such anger, even if I feel it is righteous. But I don't think it's wrong to say that it makes me angry.

To be truthful, I'm not very much like Tebow either. The thing I most love about Tebow (and that I pray daily that the Lord protects in him) is his transparent, moment by moment walk with His Savior. Short prayer here. Short prayer there. “Praise Jesus” at the beginning of every interview. “God bless” at the end. Singing praise songs during warm up and then after a big play when everyone else is screaming and jumping up and down. Two verses immediately come to mind.

Matthew 10:32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

I used to be more outwardly enthusiastic. I used to better wear my relationship with Jesus on my sleeve. I thought I was naive in my youth and attributed the tempering of that enthusiasm to maturity. I was settling down and getting to work on the mundane, tedious aspects of life, or so I thought. Someone has to endure quietly in the trenches, right?! And there is some truth to that. But I think cynicism has played a role in the change too. Cynics are those who believe the worst about people and circumstances. If an event could be interpreted in more than one way, the cynic chooses the worst interpretation and labels as naïve those who choose the best. Tebow is reminding me that there is more than naivety that calls us to believe the best.

I Cor. 13: 5-8 … (love) is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

It's not naivety that calls us to give the benefit of the doubt and put off resentment. It isn't naivety that calls us to rejoice in the truth and believe the best. It's God Himself in His Holy Word. So, thanks Tim, for reminding me of some very important Bible truths. I'm praying that God protects this in you, win or lose.