I have watched a lot of basketball in my lifetime, starting in high school when I started dating my husband. I loved watching him play, even if I didn’t understand all aspects of the game. Fast forward many years, and I became a “basketball mom” when our first son began to play at age five. My husband had become the coach, and we spent countless hours at the gym for practices, games, and extra practices in between. For the next 18 years, I attended more games than I can count between our two boys, and I spent more hours than I can count cheering them on from the stands. I know basketball is “just a game,” but if you know me at all, you know I believe there is a lesson in everything, and basketball is no exception!
As our two boys in little basketball leagues turned into high school ball, and then college ball, I became a better “fan of the game,” and realized that even in the stands, I had a responsibility and a part to play in the outcome of the game. If you’ve ever watched a game in the stands, you have had a part to play as well. It comes at a crucial point in the game when your team has the ball and is dribbling up the court. Then, out of nowhere, an opposing player comes running up behind the point guard, ready to steal the ball. The crowd then begins to yell, “WOLF!!!” Without this warning, it is likely the opposing team will successfully snatch away the ball, and with the rest of the team down the court already, have an uncontested layup. And so, as parents and fans of the game, we need to take our job seriously, and warn our team!
I watched this scenario play out in real time during an intense game at the State Tournament last year. As parents and fans, we neglected to warn our team, and the opposing team swooped right in and got the steal. We had let our boys down by not yelling the warning. In that moment, I thought back to the words of the prophet in Ezekiel 3:16-20: “And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, ‘Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, or speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul" (Emp. mine, TS).
The parents in the stands, the by-standers, have a better vantage point than the player dribbling the ball up the court to see the impending danger from the other team. The same can sometimes be true in life as well. As Christian wives, sisters, and mothers, we can often see a threat from the wicked one, from temptation, before it even happens. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are told, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” We must be on the lookout, and ready to warn those around us. The verses from Ezekiel clearly indicate that warning others is more than just a suggestion, but an obligation. Neglecting to do so will leave their demise on our hands (vs 16), and that we too will be held accountable for not warning them. This is a serious responsibility, and one we should not neglect.
Who should we warn? Ezekiel tells us that we must warn the wicked. Those who have not yet obeyed God. We know that Jonah, the Old Testament prophet, was told to go and warn the wicked people of Nineveh that destruction was coming if they did not repent (Jonah 1:1-2). We’re probably all familiar with the story, how he tries to run from his responsibility, and ends up in the belly of a great fish for three days. Finally, after being spat out on the shore, he finally goes to that wicked city to preach, and the people all repent. Jonah warned the wicked, and saw them repent, sparing not only the Ninevites, but also Jonah himself (Jonah 3:1-10).
We should also warn those who were at one time righteous, but who have turned away from God. We see the account of Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8:9-24, who readily obeys the gospel and is baptized, but then falls back into his former ways and is tempted by the desire to purchase the ability to pass on the gifts of the Holy Ghost (verse 19). Immediately, Peter warns Simon of the wickedness of his heart, and commands him to repent and turn away from his sinful thoughts (vs 20-23). Simon listens to the warning of Peter and repents (vs 24). Peter successfully warns Simon, a new Christian, of the sinful path he was about to walk, and in doing so, saves him.
In Galatians 6:1-5, Christians are also told that those who are spiritual are to restore those who have been overtaken in a fault. So as Christian wives, sisters, and mothers, we need to examine our own lives before attempting to warn others of their sin. Matthew 7:1-5 does not forbid us from making judgements about others but does in fact tell us to first get our own lives right before attempting to help others with their sins and faults. We need to approach others with a heart of love, ready to help them bear their burdens. Our purpose of warning is not to make others feel that they are inferior, but rather that we want something better for them. Our warning comes from a place of love and care for the souls of others, but our warning is also necessary for our soul as well. If we warn others, whether they heed our warning or not, we have fulfilled our responsibility (Ezekiel 3:19). But if we neglect to warn them, we will bear the responsibility for that as well. It’s not something to be taken lightly, for their soul or for ours. So the next time you sit in the stands, and you see that opposing player come running up to try to snatch away the basketball from your team, don’t forget your job to yell, “Wolf!” But more importantly, when you see others, in danger of falling into temptation and sin, don’t neglect your job to warn them!
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