My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view. If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways. Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have already attained. [New English Translation]
Phil 3:10-16
I said in the last Gem:
There are so many threads to Paul’s thoughts that it is hard to keep track of all the angles. A little like running a race and keeping an eye on all those around you who could make a break for the finish line.
Then I gave you six things related to the Pan Hellenic Games motif. You can look back at those if you need to.
But I reminded you also not to forget the recurring mind theme. It is not by chance that we have the recurring mind theme:
- Have this mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus
- This one thing I do (the single-mindedness of the sportsperson)
- Paul returns to the mind and the way we think a few verses ahead.
Paul’s mind references are scattered throughout Philippians.
- Be of the same mind (2:2)
- You should have the same attitude (mind) toward one another that Christ Jesus had (2:5)
- Like-minded – Timothy and Epaphras (2:20, 26-30)
- Be thus minded (3:15)
- If you are otherwise-minded (3:15)
- God will reveal it to you (3:15)
- Think about these things (4:8)
- What you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things (4:9)
I think it is clear. Paul doesn’t just mention the idea of mind, mind-set or thinking once or twice through Philippians. It is one of his on-going themes in a short letter.
Paul was repeating a number of themes in this book and in this passage. We have:
- the balancing the books theme
- the finish line (i.e. the race finish line and life’s finishing line – death)
- Attaining to something
- The worth of that prize – dung, garlands of leaves cf the prize of our high calling (3:14)
- Our citizenship in heaven (3:20)
I will attempt to pull these all together in the following Gem. Yes I know it will be a challenge.
In this Gem as the title suggests, I want to explore the issue of mind set where it relates to sport. This will be the last sports related Gem on Philippians. I think Paul is wanting us to think about the single-mindedness of an athlete, a sportsperson. But I believe he wants us to think about it soberly in the light of eternity. Just looking at how Paul’s words come together through his letter to the Philippians has left me wondering, incredulous even, why I have not seen this before. I look forward even more now to talking with Paul in heaven and asking him more about what was in his mind when he wrote the letter to the Philippians. I suspect all these themes I have outlined above, come together.
Let’s think for the moment about the mind, thinking, perspective of a sports champion. Because tennis has been my number one game I will focus on tennis. What makes a person great? I referred to this in Gem 1974 when I talked about Emma Raducanu. Now I want to look at it from another point of view.
- What makes someone great?
- What makes someone the Greatest.
- What makes someone the GOAT?
- Who is the GOAT?
I don’t wish to spend the time looking at all angles of the GOAT from the point of view of a tennis aficionado. I think I would lose most of you. “Yeah yeah Ian. Wah wah.” But I want to blend Bible and tennis perspective together. I learned to go from being a tennis fan, an Elvis fan in the 60’s, to being a Jesus freak in the 70’s. Being sold out to Jesus and having no other gods or idols before me in the years following. My simple question to us all, isn’t that what Paul was talking about? He brought out the books like an accountant and analysed his gains and losses in the ledger and concluded that all he had spent time on prior to meeting Jesus was like dung. Then he took a different look into the world of sport and concluded (I think, and it is this I wish to talk with him about some day) that we are all like the Pan Hellenic Games champions, chasing leaves and flowers. It reminds me of all of my thoughts through the 60’s when I loved Elvis, met Rod Laver and dreamed of being a tennis pro. I was a fan, a fanatic, sold out to those things. I discussed with my friends who was the greatest. Elvis or the Beatles? Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Lew Hoad? Now we talk about who is the GOAT – Federer, Nadal or Djokovic?
Allow me to offer two perspectives. One tennis reality and the other Bible reality.
Who is the GOAT? Federer, Nadal or Djokovic? Or could it be Rod Laver himself, whom I met in 1967 or 68 when the band of touring professionals came to Auckland. I got his signature and shook his hand. In the discussion on who is the GOAT, no one ever mentions the fact that Rod Laver won the Grand Slam of tennis in 1962 and 1969, the year after Open tennis came in 1968. Rod Laver won the Grand Slam of tennis in his last year as an amateur before turning professional. In the intervening years between 1962 and 1969, Laver couldn’t play in the Four Majors. He could only play on the professional circuit amongst the small band of professionals touring the world and playing each other. Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, Pancho Gonzales and Dennis Ralston came to Auckland. No one could touch Rod Laver. He was by far and above the best of them all. My question: How many Grand Slam titles could Rod Laver have won over the intervening years between 1962 and 1969 if he had been allowed to play? We will never know, because it didn’t happen. But think about these facts when you weigh up who the GOAT is.
The second perspective I wish to bring is that of Paul the Apostle, who encourages us to have this mind that was in Christ Jesus. Be like-minded, Christ-like, single-minded (this one thing I do), humble and not puffed up and putting yourself forward. I think the reason many think Roger Federer is the GOAT is because of his attitude. He has the attitude of a champion: Christ-likeness in his humility and grace toward his opponents. He is not arrogant and high-minded. I have never seen Roger Federer demolish his racquet when things were not going his way. Ah I wonder if having this mind that was also in Jesus Christ is a major measuring stick for the GOAT. Just saying.
Lastly, I think Paul has put things together for us well. Don’t lose sight of the eternal measuring standards. I personally think this world has gone crazy and is out of balance. Years ago I read the book “WhO SWiTChED ThE PrICE TaGS” by Tony Campolo. In the book, Campolo talks about a time when, if I remember correctly, two guys broke into a store like Harrods, stole nothing, but switched the price tags between expensive and decidedly cheaper sales items. Campolo argued that our current value system is crazy. We place high value and pay insane money for things that we oughtn’t, when highly valuable, common things, are in the eyes of the world worthless. Isn’t that exactly what Paul was pointing out by juxtaposing the values he placed on the things of Judaism and the Law, only to realise all he had been doing was like dung. Paul then used the example of running the race in the Pan Hellenic Games where the prize for the Champion in any of the Four Major Games was a garland of leaves and flowers. It sure makes you think doesn’t it?
We haven’t solved yet what Paul sees as the Prize. “What does the “prize of the upward call” actually mean? Oh yes, there is more to come.
There are a lot of good players coming up, and Roger is one of them. But I think he is a little more extra special than the other guys.
Pete Sampras
I’ve always been aware that the image you patiently construct for an entire career can be ruined in a minute. It scares you a bit, but that’s the way things are.
Roger Federer
Federer is a gentleman and a credit to the game, with no temper tantrums or poor sportsmanship. Good guys can finish first.
The Guardian – 11/7/2020
Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.
Margaret Thatcher
Oh and Who is the GOAT? Jesus Christ of course! He is incomparable. There is no other like Him.
Ian Vail
Ian’s note of explanation:
In reviewing the Gems as I am at the moment I noticed there was a glitch with this Gem on the website as it wasn’t published at the time. Oh it was written, but something happened and it didn’t appear on the website. So this is the first time anyone else will see this Gem. It truly was a hidden Gem. Therefore, I find it amazing that it surfaces NOW, given what has happened this week with Djokovic being deported from Australia before the Australian Open started. Especially in the light of what I said about the mind of a champion needing to be weighed against Christlikeness. Balance that against what I said above related to Federer and Laver in terms of attitude and now consider what has surfaced related to Djokovic.
I think the timeliness of this Gem surfacing at this particular time is remarkable. Enough said.
The world has gone crazy and is out of balance for what is right and wrong is what you can get away with. The next stage of downfall consists, as in Orwell’s 1984, in asserting as truth its opposite – darkness is really light, futility is really wisdom.
Yes the world has gone crazy. We have already reached Orwell’s stage of asserting truth as its opposite. I can’t believe some of the nonsense coming from government disguised as so called intelligent regulations for all rational citizens to follow.