Who’s on First?
More than once, a parishioner spoke with me about his alcoholic son. The boy had great promise but started drinking at an early age. By the time I knew him, he was an adult and an alcoholic.
In response to his father’s pleading, “Why do you drink? Why don’t you quit?,” the son replied, “I just like to drink. From my very first drink, I enjoyed it; and I don’t want to quit. All my friends drink.” Eventually and prematurely, it cost him his life. Knowingly, consciously, this man chose to be an alcoholic. He chose a bad life over a good one.
There is a similar story in the Bible. A rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked how he could receive the good life---eternal life. (Mark 10:17-27). Jesus told him to obey the commandments; the young man said he had kept those from childhood. “Very good,” Jesus replied, “but you have another problem. Your wealth is your God. Sell all you have and give it to the poor; and put God first in your life.”
“No, thank you,” the wealthy man said, for he was rich. One does not have to be rich or an alcoholic to be separated from God; but you do have to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. To be a believer, God must have first place in your life.
One of the Renaissance poets wanted to take a wife, but there was a problem. He already had a wife. “Nothing doing,” his present wife said, “it’s me only or goodbye.”
Jesus put it this way, “You cannot serve God and something else, for you will love one and hate the other.” (Matthew 6:24-34) In other words, two things cannot be first.
To use our baseball lingo, you cannot have two runners on first. Who is on first in your life?
