July 4-Gentleness

July 4-Gentleness

July 4: Gentleness

Scripture Lesson: Matthew 5:5

On this date in 1939, the New York Yankees honored slugger Lou Gehrig with his own day. The Yankees retired Gehrig’s number 4, the first player so honored by the team. Emcee Sid Mercer informed the sellout crowd that Gehrig was too moved to speak, but Gehrig changed his mind after Yankee manager Joe McCarthy encouraged him to address the crowd. The dying slugger then delivered the most famous speech in baseball history, calling himself “the luckiest man on the face of this earth.” Gehrig was one of the best-loved Yankees of all time, both by his teammates and the fans. He was indeed a gentleman who always gave his best.

Our Scripture lesson today is again from the Sermon on the Mount. Today’s passage comes from the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth,” Jesus said. Meekness is not a bad trait. We often think of a meek person as being someone who does not stand up for himself or herself, but here it refers to gentleness in action and in speech. Thinking of others first is what meekness is all about.

  1. Why is it important to be meek in a Biblical sense?

  2. How can we show meekness on and off the field?

  3. List some people in your life who are meek in this biblical sense?

Gehrig was indeed a meek man, one who was gentle in actions and in speech, putting his teammates first. We need to act the very same way toward our teammates.

1 comment (Add your own)

1. Tenzin wrote:
Dear Night Owl,There are two aspects of who we are: the ego--the part that seeks its own intreests, and the essence of who we are--our individuality, or personality.I believe that we are set free from egotism, and die more and more to self as Christ fills us with his purity,holiness, gentleness and love. I also believe that as he shines out through us, our individuality becomes more vibrantly alive than it ever has been. We aren't empty shells just full of God, but he dwells in us and with us in communion with us. Does this make sense?

Wed, October 17, 2012 @ 6:17 PM

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