And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:28 ESV)
The 2022 Waste Management Phoenix Open did not disappoint. We feasted on heartwarming stories reminding us of the goodness of sport. Sahith Theegala, a sponsor-invite and rookie, won our hearts with his poise and smile. While Theegala came up one shot short, Scottie Scheffler (a humble follower of Jesus) came from behind and a play-off victory to become a first time PGA Tour winner.
And then there is the rowdy par-3 16th hole. An AP press article described it as, “a three-layer cake of pandemonium during the tournament, more than 20,000 often-inebriated fans creating golf’s version of a party cruise.” As an experienced tour player, I felt the energy rush through my body as I watched from the comfort of my couch.
While the 16th hole is nothing special any other time of the year, it is everything but a normal par 3 for the pros at the Phoenix Open. I imagine the sound being like the roar of a soccer stadium at the World Cup. This year, the chaos turned up another notch when the crowd projected cans and bottles onto the course after a couple hole-in-ones and a chip-in birdie. Two tour pros even pulled off their shirts after finishing the hole on Sunday.
Everything that is normal to professional golf is turned upside down at the Phoenix Open.
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Jesus’ message is still relevant today.
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There’s a story in the Bible that did some head turning too. As the crowds gathered around him on the mountainside, Jesus taught a countercultural message that we call the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). His listeners were captivated. I imagine a low murmur of chaos ensued. Jesus challenged the cultural norms of the Jewish people and what it means to be blessed upside down. Wealth was not the sign of God’s blessing.
Jesus’ message is still relevant today. We often believe money and more stuff defines blessing. But when we look beneath our superficial, materialistic wants then we begin to experience the real desires of our hearts…connection, belonging, and to be known. Our outward circumstances are not the source of blessings.
Jesus brought something new to God’s people. Something that didn’t fit with what has always been. Rather than rules and right behavior to coerce people to follow God, Jesus invited people to experience God’s blessings in the chaotic, messy vulnerability of life and human relationships.
The people were astonished and questioned whose authority he was under. He wasn’t old enough to be deemed a Rabbi and he was causing an uproar amongst the teachers of the law.
While the PGA Tour will settle back into the normal rules of play and spectator behavior this week, will we follow Jesus’ example and allow our hearts to radically engage our chaotic world with compassion, generosity, and hope?
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Tracy Hanson
Copyright 2022 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at linksplayers.com.