So, it is that time of year for those who play fantasy football. Over the next month, we will listen to podcasts, scour the internet, and peruse all sorts of Fantasy Football resources in preparation for the day! The day is, of course, the day of our fantasy football draft.
What if I were to say that we should read our Bibles like we were preparing for a fantasy football draft?
In the league I play in, we no longer do in-person drafts. Too many have relocated to various points in the country. Nonetheless, we still jump on a Zoom call to connect and make fun of the few in our league who are dumb enough to draft players from the Raiders!! It is a great time to reconnect with good friends.
Fantasy football drafts require work.
Compare this to voting for the Pro Bowl or the Major League Baseball All-Star game. When voting for all-star competitions, we vote for the players we want to see play, the ones on our favorite teams, or the players we just like more than others. The game doesn’t count, so who is playing doesn’t matter.
In fantasy football, you shouldn’t just pick your favorite players—well, not if you want to win. The thing about Fantasy Football is that you want the best players on your team. You need the players that will score the most points consistently throughout the season.
It is not about picking your favorite players (though that makes it enjoyable sometimes). You need the players who will actually score the most points this season—not last season, nor over their careers. The only players you want on your team for this year are the ones who will score the most points this season.
Picking an MVP
Occasionally, Sportscenter will put up the stats for three or four players to see which player we think deserves the MVP, the CY Young (best pitcher), or an All-Star nod. However, they intentionally do not attach names or faces to the stats. They do this in hopes of eliminating bias. After all, if we knew who the players were, would we be more prone to choose the player on my favorite team—even if that player didn’t deserve it as much as another? Just looking at the raw stats eliminates this bias.
What does this have to do with the Biblical Interpretation?
Well, a lot actually. We are too often prone to reading the Bible to find verses that suit our interests than we are concerned with discerning what the text says. It’s like the all-star balloting. We pick our favorite players even if another is more deserving.
For example, have you ever seen people cite Jer 29:11 at a wedding, “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope”? (There are wedding bands you can purchase with this verse inscribed).
This may sound good, but it really doesn’t work. The book of Jeremiah is about judgment and exile. Jeremiah explains that the Israelites will spend 70 years in Babylon because they failed to keep the covenant. So, Jeremiah encourages them to settle down, build homes, and plant gardens. You ain’t going anywhere for a while. You must suffer the consequences of your sins.
They were not without hope, however. After all, God promises them that after 70 years, He will bring them back to their land.
This is where Jeremiah 29:11 comes in. The verse encourages the Israelites to endure their present situation because someday, God will restore them to the land.
So, suppose a couple wants to use this verse for their wedding. In that case, the question becomes, are they saying, “Well, this marriage is not what it is supposed to be, but we are going to make the most of it until God carries out His plan and gives us something better”?
Understanding the Bible takes work
When it comes to biblical interpretation, we have a lot of work to do. The Bible was written almost 1900+ years ago, in ancient languages (Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic) and in an ancient context.
To understand the Bible well, we must get beyond our favorite verses and delve deep into the text, its history, culture, language, and much more.
The problem with doing this is that we might find things we don’t like.
Back to fantasy football for a moment. What if the best player for me to choose happens to play for the New York Jets? Well, I have principles. I would rather choose another player and hope it works out. (Of course, until recently, I didn’t have to worry about selecting players from the Jets).
This is similar to finding out that applying Jer 29:11 to your marriage is like saying that your spouse is a source of punishment and that you are to endure 70 years, and then God will give you something far better.
What do we do when the Bible says things we don’t like?
“Oh, well, I like everything in the Bible,” “It is, after all, God’s Word,” You might suggest.
Well, the Bible certainly is God’s Word. But I dare say you haven’t read if you think you like everything in it. There are things like “love your enemies.” Sounds good, but I don’t want to love my enemies. Isn’t it okay to try hard not to hate them?
I don’t like the “Take up your cross and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). Why can’t I just follow Him on my Harley? Do I really have to carry a cross?
And then there are the “not meant for children” verses that describe the brutal treatment of captives from war.
When it comes to understanding the Bible, we need to do the hard work required to discern what the text really means. And we must realize that sometimes it says things we don’t like.
It ain’t about picking your favorite players. It is about the truth.
On July 25, 2024, I will host two livestreams. These livestreams will be available on the Determinetruth YouTube page: Part 1: Jesus, the poor, and the Kingdom of God (Luke 6); Part 2: The unjust steward, and the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16). In these sessions, we will examine Jesus’ teaching on love, money, and the poor. I believe there is a great disconnect between what Jesus said and much of the church today. I fear that when it comes to love, money, and the poor, we have read the Bible like it was an All-Star competition: we pick what we like. Instead, we must be prepared to understand Jesus in light of what He really meant, even if we don’t like it.
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