No Matter What the Cost

It was a pivotal Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. The Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz were tied at two games apiece. Although clearly not himself, Michael Jordan stepped onto the court for his pregame routine. Arguably basketball’s greatest of all time, Jordan would not let this opportunity slip through his fingers, no matter what the cost. In what has gone down in the sports history books as the “Flu Game,” Jordan was visibly ill, tottering through warmups and the first quarter. It was later determined he had severe food poisoning. Most of his teammates expected he wouldn’t suit up.

Being a relentless competitor, when his team needed him most, Jordan gritted his teeth and pressed on, finishing with a 38-point performance including the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final half minute. A famous video clip shows his teammate, Scottie Pippen, helping the staggering Jordan off the floor at the game’s end. The next game the Bulls finished off the Jazz and Jordan held high his fifth Championship trophy.

Jordan’s Flu Game heroics are an enduring example of an athlete who sacrifices self for the good of the team. Few would have faulted him for sitting out, but despite the excruciating discomfort Jordan persevered. His commitment to his team and his fans incentivized him to push through the pain. Our faith involves a similar kind of sacrifice. In Romans, the Apostle Paul urged the faithful:

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Romans 12:1 NLT)

A sacrifice entails offering something for the sake of something or someone else. In our case, something much more significant than a sports championship is on the line. Indeed, the salvation of our souls hangs in the balance.

The Old Testament reveals that sin carries a high penalty, namely death. Under the Mosaic law, atonement was temporarily achieved through animal sacrifice (Leviticus 1:3-16). To reconcile humanity once and for all time to Himself, God gave the costliest gift, His “one and only Son” (John 3:16). 

As Jesus laid it all down on the cross, our true act of worship is giving ourselves to God in love and adoration. Like an athlete, we compete on a team comprised of our brothers and sisters in Christ, for “we all belong to each other” (Romans 12:5). Our commitment to worship God with all that we are, laying even our bodies at the altar of His mercy, springs from our gratitude for all that He has done for us and our love for our teammates in Christ.

Victory always involves sacrifice. Blood, sweat, and tears presage every triumph, whether winning an athletic competition, making the grade at school, or landing a new job. When we feel like throwing in the towel, we must remember the cost of victory and look ahead to the joy of hoisting high our heavenly trophy.

Lord, help me turn to You when I’m weary and feel like giving up. Thank You for Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf. I offer my entire life to You now in humble adoration.

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.