Tuesday, August 4th

Tuesday, August 4

2 Timothy 4:6-8

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up 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 loved his appearing.

John Akwhari was a member of the Tanzanian Olympic team in Mexico City in 1968. He competed in the marathon, and is remembered not for winning the gold medal, but for finishing last. Here’s why.

Mexico City is located some 7,000 feet above sea level, an altitude that makes it much more difficult to run a race like the marathon. Mr. Akwhari had trained hard for the 26 mile race but had not trained at altitude. So by the halfway mark of the race he developed severe cramping and then, during some jockeying for position, fell and injured his leg seriously enough to consider quitting the race. But he continued running, limping along until he crossed the finish line over an hour after the winner.

When word came that one runner was still on the course a television crew was dispatched to get the story. By the time he reached the finish line only a few spectators remained and the sun had set.

As he finally crossed the finish line a cheer came from the small crowd. When interviewed later and asked why he continued running, he said, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."

In his beautiful letter to young Timothy, the aging Apostle Paul writes of his life with Christ as if he is nearing the finish line.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Athletes often talk about “leaving it all on the field” after a particularly competitive or grueling contest. Paul says he has been “poured out as a drink offering.” That’s a reference to a kind of religious sacrifice in the ancient tradition of the Jews. Paul has poured his life out for the sake of the great call he received from the Lord Jesus himself, to take the gospel to the Gentile world.

Runners often try to save just enough strength to put on a “finishing kick” at the end of a race. They try to run the last 100 yards faster than they ran the first 100 yards. They want to finish strong in an effort to win the prize. Paul says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race...” I think he means that, as he faces the end of his earthly life, he has finished well, and he wants young Timothy to begin his journey with the end in mind.

How is your race of faith going? Where are you on the course? While it’s true that we can’t know when our particular race will end, we can, with the Lord’s help, pour ourselves into the race so that we can say with Paul,

“I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Finish strong my friends!


Pastor Brian Coffey