JM Rowland
5, Tichborne Street,
Leicester.
Life’s Cricket Match
To Leicester South Juniors 7/5/1939
To Cambridge Class 31/5/1942
I wonder how many of you are keen on cricket, because, whether we like it or not we are all engaged in a sort of match: the match of course is the Match of Life.
Of course it isn’t a real cricket match, but it is very like one in lots of ways.
One of the important things to remember about this Match of Life is that we can’t be spectators – we must be playing on one side or the other.
You and I this afternoon are either team mates or opponents.
“Well”, you say, what are the sides?
Well the two sides are captained by very well known people.
One Captain is the Devil, the other is the Lord Jesus Christ, and everyone, from the King of England to the local dustman is playing, either on the Lord’s side or on the Devils’.
Which side are you on? That’s a question only you can decide and only you can answer. “No man can serve two masters.” Matthew 5 vs 24
What’s your main subject when you get to the pitch in a cricket match?
Mine is always to defend my wicket and it’s so jolly difficult sometimes.
I’m surrounded by the world, all waiting to catch me out, and up at the other end is the Devil bowling his cunning temptations at me.
What wicket am I trying to defend?
Well, it’s got three stumps called Truth, Honour and Purity.
Over the top we have the bails, which are “The Honour of our Captains’ Name.”
Every time one of those stumps falls, “The Honour of our Captains’ Name” is soiled.
The Devil is a cunning bowler.
Sometimes he bowls fast.
He suddenly comes to us and tempts us to do some filthy act and before we know where we are, we’ve yielded and down goes “The Stump of Purity”.
Sometimes he bowls slow, googly ones – perhaps he puts a crib near us in a test and it’s so easy to just have one look to see if we’ve got it right – and down goes “The Stump of Honour.”
In real cricket it’s a tremendous temptation to ‘run away’ from fast bowling, isn’t it? It’s just the same in the match of life.
Do you remember the story of Peter when our Lord Jesus was being tried? Poor old Peter ran away from the bowling and he was bowled. Fortunately he had other innings and that time he was bold, but not bowled, but let us all endeavour to always face up to temptation, defeat it in the strength which God gives us.
If I were a cricket coach I should give you three pieces of advice which would apply equally well to your Christian lifestyle as they would to cricket.
Keep in your crease.
In our school there used to be criticisms of the members of the 1st 5 and one of the nasty things said about us was “He must learn not to run down the pitch to slow the bowling.”
I used to see a nice pansy ball coming down and I’d leap out to stop it for 6, miss it by about 3 inches and be beautifully stumped.
Sometimes we do that in the Christian life.
We feel that we’re so jolly good that we can slam out at some temptation.
We try and resist.
Now it is Jesus who helps us to resist Satan and keeping in our crease is like abiding in Him.
Keeping the ball down.
Do you know the riddle “Why is a Christian like a church spire?”
Because the nearer he gets to Heaven, the smaller he becomes.
Keeping the ball down is like keeping ourselves humble – not puffing ourselves up.
Keep your eye on your Captain.
He knows just how you feel – He’s been through it all before, He will guide you, cheer you up, direct you and give you the strength and confidence you need.
“Looking unto Jesus” is a rather good motto to have.
Well, I wish you all success in your cricket, but must especially in the Match of Life. Wouldn’t it be grand if we were all to meet in the Heavenly Pavilion after the match, to talk about all of its thrilling moments, and most of all to hear our Captain say to us, “Well played, my brave Crusaders.”
Hymn 511 “Be strong in the Lord” and 506 “Stand up for Jesus.”
Thank you🕊️🤍🫂🪨🐎🎶🙏👑🌾