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Training for the Crown
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
When St. Paul spoke of competing in a race and running for a prize, the Corinthians understood exactly what he was saying. You see, every three years, the city of Corinth was host to the Isthmian Games, similar to the ancient Olympic games. Athletes from all around the Mediterranean area would train long and hard so they could compete in a race where the prize was nothing more than a pine wreath. It seems as though it wasn’t always the value of the prize that mattered so much as being able to say with pride that you had won the competition over all the others.
But Paul had something more in mind than this athletic contest. That race served merely as a foil for something of greater, even eternal significance. You and I are running a race of our own. But the prize we are seeking is not perishable! The race we are running is not where the prize is the best car, or the best house, or the best whatever. We are running for an imperishable prize. The prize is life: life now and life eternally!
Is there anything more precious than life? In his Epistle, James writes: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” The life for which we are running is one that has been given to us: a gift of God. It was won for us by Jesus Christ, who ran His own race through the cross and the tomb to win a prize called the Church. And now, the race is ours to run. And the prize that awaits us at the end of the race is that sure and certain hope of life eternal. And there will not be merely one victor, as in those ancient games; the victory is given equally to all who complete the race in faith.
But to complete the race requires training. Certainly this was true of the athletes who competed in those games long ago, just as it is true of the Olympians now. The only ones who are ultimately successful are those for whom training is ongoing reality. Whether it’s an Olympic race or the rigors of a full season of basketball, what is demanded is all the energy that can be given. And that energy comes as the direct result of training. The best trained will ultimately win.
The same is true of the race of life you and I are running. We must train our spiritual muscles, if you will. The race we are running is exhausting. For one thing, it is longer than any marathon, longer than any sports season or even an entire career. It is a race that lasts the length of a whole life. And, frankly, there aren’t many places along the way to rest. But even more than that, there are innumerable obstacles we will encounter along that path. St. Peter describes those obstacles in this way: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith...” Being humbled at the good and gracious hand of our God; acknowledging our weakness before the many troubles of life; realizing that the devil will stop at nothing to end our participation in the race of life—we may expect to face these and even more obstacles along the way.
And only rigorous training will prepare us for this. You have heard the following truism: “No pain, no gain.” And, as painful as that may be, it is true! That includes the pain we encounter in spiritual training. In his epistle to the Colossians, St. Paul wrote: “Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry...Now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” Putting such things to death is painful because, the truth is, these are things we actually enjoy. Just as the athlete might desire a quart of ice cream or a pizza, our sinful natures enjoy being tempted with sensuality. We get a good deal of pleasure out of expressing such things as anger and wrath. But such indulgences only hinder us in the race we run.
Only rigorous training will put such things to death! In pain there will be gain. God makes us strong through His Word and Sacrament. He makes us strong by leading us to acknowledge our sin and the spiritual weakness sin creates. But He then patches us up with the healing balm of the Gospel, forgiving all our sins, feeding us with the soul-nourishing food of the body and blood of our Savior, cleansing our conscience, and clearing up our spiritual eyes that we might stay on the way that leads to eternal life.
God grant us the strength and perseverance to run the race for life, that we may finally join St. Paul and all the saints of God in rejoicing: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.” In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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