On September 23, 2022, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit his 700th homerun into the stands at Dodgers Stadium. This home run made him the 4th Major League Baseball player to hit 700 or more homeruns in their career, joining great names like Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth. A fan named Marlowe Leal caught the historic ball.
After a few initial offers, Leal decided that he was going to keep the ball rather than attempt to give it back or sell it back to Pujols. Pujols wasn’t too concerned, saying that “Souvenirs are for the fans. I don’t have any problem if they want to keep it. If they want to give it back, that’s great. But at the end of the day, I don’t focus on material stuff.”
Paul tells the Thessalonians that God called them through the Gospel “so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 2:14). When I think of obtaining that glory, I think of Marlowe Leal. The glory of that baseball that Marlowe held in his hands (and later in November sold for $360,000), wasn’t his own. That glory belonged to Albert Pujols. But Pujols was willing to let him obtain his glory, to keep it for his own.
Like Marlowe Leal and the Thessalonians, God has called us through the Gospel so that we can obtain the glory of Christ. Unlike Marlowe, however, God doesn’t do this randomly for someone standing in the right place at the right time. Rather, God sends the glory of His Only Son screaming purposely and directly to you and to each one of us like a well-hit baseball. His glory is now yours because He called you by the Gospel.
As we remember the many gifts that we have received this season, let us remember that gift of His glory that He has given to us.