Tug-o-War with God

Learning not to fight against God in life

Acts of the apostles 5:27-33

When the court officers had brought the Apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders did we not, to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.  The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

          One of the most entertaining but also most exhausting games you’ll play is “tug-o-war.” When I was at Catholic High in Little Rock, our principal would have a tug-o-war contest between the football team and the physical fitness team: raw, brute strength versus highly refined muscle power. Who do you think won? The football team always won, not because they were physically stronger, but because they worked as a team. They pulled as one man.

          What would be a fun tug-o-war match here at Trinity? What if six boys from the football team took on our coaches? Who would you put your money on? What if our Quiz Bowl team took on the teachers? But remember: this is not about brains but about brawn. What if the girls basketball team took on the girls volleyball team – who would come out on top? It’s fun to think about who is the strongest in our school, and tug-o-war is the ideal test of strength.

          But have you ever thought of a tug-o-war match against God? I mean, if God were on the other end of the rope it’s pretty easy to figure out who’s going to win, isn’t it? This is exactly what St. Peter says in the first reading today: we don’t want to play tug-o-war against God because we know who’ll win. The Jewish Sanhedrin asks the apostles why they disobey the Jewish authorities and keep preaching about Jesus. Peter replies: “We must obey God rather than men.” In other words, we think we can beat you, Jewish leaders, in a tug-o-war match (we’re stronger than you), but there’s no way we can beat God. In fact, we’d rather have God on our end of the rope, rather than having him pulling against us. God is a lot stronger than the Catholic High football team. You see, the game tug-o-war teaches a simple spiritual lesson: it’s not smart to play tug-o-war against God.

          Sometimes I visit a patient who’s dying in the hospital. And the family of the patient is sad and distraught. They’re not sure how long to continue the life-saving treatments. I say to them, “At a certain point it will become clear that God is calling this person home to heaven. You don’t want to play ‘tug-o-war’ with God.” Sometimes a young man feels God calling him to be a priest, or a young woman feels the tug to become a nun. Let me give you some advice: don’t play tug-o-war with God. Be careful when you feel that you are pulling your life in one direction, but God is gently tugging in another. Every time we face a temptation to do something wrong – cheat on a test, be lazy and skip practice, don’t do our homework, spread rumors about others, act arrogantly or be vain – we play tug-o-war with God. We want one thing, but God wants something else for us. You’d think we know who’s going to win that test of strength against God -- the most obvious thing in the world -- but we keep picking up the rope and daring God to a re-match.

          Tug-o-war is one of the most entertaining and also the most exhausting games you’ll ever play. Why? Well, because you’ll be playing it for your whole life.

          Praised be Jesus Christ!