At school I was not known for my sporting prowess, but I was, and perhaps unfortunately so, passable. I say ‘unfortunately’ because since I would probably catch the ball and since I would probably not fall over, as a boarder at a smallish school, if a regular team member pulled out last minute, yours truly was on site and therefore at hand. Consequently, I was quite often called upon to make up numbers at various inter-school sporting events: availability trumping ability.
My willing if not able participation was fine in team events in which you could just look keen, run around a bit and rely upon being wisely overlooked at crucial moments. However, there were also times when I was called upon for more individual endeavours – athletics or swimming races, in which there was no team to hide behind. I dutifully ran or swam and I did my best, but my best was not good. Let’s just say that I learned how it feels to come in last, and moreover, in any race that I was in, I made sure that no-one else had to feel that way. Indeed, I would usually come in so far behind the others that it became abundantly clear that I probably should not have taken part. And it did not feel good.
For me, winning one of those races was only ever a distant dream and I couldn’t really imagine how that might feel. I would never be the one to get the medal or even the applause. But one day, I will know how it feels – one day I will win the top prize – Paul was confident that he would, and he told us that we can have that confidence too.
“Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:8
In ancient Rome, the most coveted prize at the athletic games was the laurel wreath which was bestowed upon the winners – and it could have been this that Paul was thinking of when he referred to a ‘crown’ of righteousness.
Honour, victory, acclaim – and of the highest kind – of righteousness – of being right with the Almighty God. The Message version translates this verse as “All that’s left now is the shouting – God’s applause!” Wow – imagine that – hearing God’s applause over you! That’s the stuff that dreams are made of – not just hearing the acclamation of your classmates, but that of the all-knowing, all-powerful God – what an incredible thought!
Paul had a deep assurance that he was going to get this crown – he knew that he was right with God. You could argue that if anyone was going to get it, it would be Paul. I mean he racked up quite the list of achievements: things he had done and suffered for God – authoring many of the canonical letters, being beaten and shipwrecked for his faith, preaching to crowds, governors and kings. Yep, he deserved the prize. Or did he? Because, he might actually disagree and say that he didn’t – describing himself as one who did “not even deserve to be called an apostle” (1 Cor 15:9), having at one time set out to destroy the early church, filled with indignant and murderous intent!
Paul was convinced that he would get the crown because he knew how he qualified for it – and this extended beyond him and to “all who have longed for his appearing”. The qualification for getting this prize was hope and faith in Jesus, a longing for the new order He brings. In other words, it wasn’t having an impressive set of accomplishments tucked under your belt or having gotten everything right and never having messed up in any way. No, it wasn’t coming in first in the race – it was believing that Jesus had come in first and yearning for Him to appear.
And I long for His appearing – don’t you? After all, the world desperately needs restoration and truth, loving justice and hope. So, I get to qualify for the crown – it awaits me just as it awaited Paul.
My experiences of trailing into last place will be but a dim and distant memory when I get to receive the winner’s crown. It will feel like I came in first place – and it will feel like that for you too! That might defy earthly logic, but I think it fits perfectly with heaven’s perspective – after all, God’s ways are higher than our ways! (Isaiah 55:9) I think that heaven’s economy might be a bit like when a parent considers each of their children as their favourite – logically impossible, but on an emotional level, a profound truth. God has enough love to delight in each of us as though we are the favourite. When we arrive home to heaven, we all get to come in first because we are in Jesus, and Jesus came in first. And we all get to win the prize above all prizes – eternity in the presence of Love Himself.
So even when life feels like a race in which you are floundering your way into last place, know that there is a crown in store for you. Know that you will hear the applause of our Heavenly Father, that glory and honour will be bestowed upon you. Knowing this might just help you to pick yourself up and to keep going – for those who long for His appearing, there is no doubt about the glorious future that awaits.
Paul’s confidence that he would receive that crown can also be our confidence: in Jesus we win first prize. Just as that knowledge probably propelled Paul to love and serve, to proclaim and endure, so it can enable us to do the same. After all, a yearning for Him to appear will lead to some kind of response, be that in action or prayer, a desire to shine His light. However, the success of these endeavours does not determine the prize.
And so, no matter how few and far between our sporting accomplishments, we can all finally know what it feels like to get the winner’s crown!
