As a boy growing up in the 1970s, things were much different. There were no streaming services, and if you had cable, you were rich. A little later on, if you had HBO, you were mega-rich. Another thing that was different about watching television was that there were no “children’s channels,” no Cartoon Network. Cartoons were from 6 am till noon on Saturday mornings, and that was it. At noon, American Bandstand came on. Some of us may have watched Soul Train 😊, but then, cartoons were off until the following weekend.
Sports were also broadcast much differently. There was no ESPN or SEC Network; you watched whatever the three major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) had contractually agreed to air. There was no time for outlandish sports like ski jumping or cricket, or even soccer, for that matter. What is soccer? However, there was one show that aired on Saturday afternoons, ABC’s Wide World of Sports, which introduced unusual sports to thousands, if not millions, of people in the United States. The opening line of the show was Jim McKay narrating the timeless words, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports, the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat.” The agony of defeat, what a feeling it is.
This week, by analyzing the texts of Isaiah 52:7-9, Luke 7:36-38, and Romans 10:14-15, we will explore the concept of defeat from various perspectives. In Isaiah’s text, who was defeated? Why did they need to be defeated? What caused Israel to find itself in exile? What is going on in Luke’s narrative? Why is the woman crying? Who might the other Pharisees sitting around the table be compared to today? What happens directly before and after this passage? Why does Paul use the language of Isaiah in his letter to the Romans? What does this imply? Is this a warning for the church today?
We will answer all of these questions while also discussing our FEET! Yes, I said feet. What do your feet look like? Are they beautiful? Most of you know the drill already. I apologize for not getting this message out sooner. For those inclined, take some time to pray and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and read through the Scriptures listed here, along with a few of the surrounding chapters, to gain a deeper understanding of the context. God bless you all, and I look forward to worshiping with you again on Sunday.
Maranatha, Pastor J Woods