The Turk showed up for hundreds of NFL hopefuls today as all 32 teams trimmed their roster to the regular season limit of 53 players.  Among the cuts were some very prominent names: Payton, Klecko, Riggs and Vick. 

It wasn’t Walter Payton, Joe Klecko, Gerald Riggs Sr., or Michael Vick released today.  Rather it was the sons of the first three and the brother of the last, all sharing those recognizable names but not the excellence of their more famous relatives.  They all found their way to the NFL unemployment line.  You see, there is resemblance, but not the kind of resemblance the coaching staff needed to see!

The word Christian was spoken first of Jesus’ followers in a sarcastic way.  The word Christian literally means ‘little Christ’.  People observed that these early followers of Jesus were “turning the world upside down” with the gospel, and concluded that they were just like the Lord they followed in that regard.

Today, the word Christian in our society is being associated more often with some guy on CNN holding a sign that says “God hates fags”, or the church that protests at American Soldiers’ funerals, or the latest Pastor caught up in a scandal, than it is with people who are “turning the world upside down” with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, “A new commandment I give you: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  All men will know you are my disciples if you love one another.” Do we resemble the One whose name we bear?  The world is waiting to see.

Today’s text: John 13:1-35