I preached this message this morning in memory of Zac Smith. I hope it will be an encouragement to you.
Text: Matthew 19:16-17a: And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.
Intro: In Matthew 19, people had brought their children to see Jesus and the disciples tried to keep them away. But Jesus rebuked the disciples and told them to let the children come to Him. Jesus showed His love for the children, by hugging them, holding them, blessing and praying for them. While all this is going on a wealthy young man comes to Jesus and asks what thing he could do to earn eternal life. He didn’t understand that you cannot buy or do any good work to get salvation. It cannot be purchased, and you cannot do anything good enough to deserve it. You have to accept it as a free gift, much like these children that came in their innocence to see Jesus and accepted Him as He was.
But before addressing his question, Jesus addressed the rich man’s salutation. When the young man greeted Jesus he said, “Good Master.” Jesus then replied, “Why do you call me good? There is only one that is good, and that is God.” Now Jesus pointed out two things in His answer. One, if He is good, then He is God, and two, God is definitely good.
For some people that’s a hard proposition to accept. When you look at all the trouble in the world today you can’t help but wonder what is going on. ISIS, terrorism, Christians beheaded, Nepal earthquake, China threatening the stability of the Southeast Asian region, crime, disease, where does it all stop? The atheists, the critics, the skeptics, the unbelievers, those who reject Christ will mockingly say, “Where is your God now?” “Why does He allow evil like ISIS and other terrorist groups to exist?”
When the trials come into our own lives and our homes, when we struggle with sick children, no job or income, when we can’t seem to find an answer for our problems they say, “How can a loving God allow these things to happen?” “You foolish Christians, what meaning of life do you find in your God who allows this to happen to you when you have faithfully worshipped Him?” Sometimes it’s hard for us not to ask the same questions.
I. When Ruth Nayve was diagnosed with cancer, we all prayed for her and begged God to heal her, and to meet their financial obligations which were excessively high. He did. But just as she ended her chemotherapy and was recovering her mother came down with cancer, and then her father had a paralyzing stroke. Just when it seemed like things were looking good for Ruth, they became worse for her family. Who could blame them if they were to wonder when it will all end? When will it be enough?
II. When Pastor Terry Overstreet, whom we prayed for this morning, and I met in college, we were young, and strong, and athletes. I played baseball; he had been offered a scholarship to play football at the University of Maryland. We both loved the New York Yankees! He gave it up to follow God’s call into the ministry. I chased my baseball dream and when I didn’t make it went into the military before finally becoming a missionary. We are both 60 years old. While I’m relatively healthy, he just suffered his second stroke. Almost as if adding insult to injury, his church had just celebrated its 30th anniversary and two days later he was struck down. He is a good pastor and well loved by his church. You can’t help wonder why does God allow these things to happen?
III. My family has been plagued with Multiple Sclerosis. My great grandfather died of it in 1935. My Aunt Marianne came down with it in her 20s, her sister, Carol, got it in her 60s, and my dad came down with it at age 73. All three of them died from the disease and now my cousin’s daughter, Marisha has MS. She’s fighting a brave battle, but there is no cure for the disease and now, only in her 30s, she needs a cane to walk, but is often so weak she needs a wheel chair. When the disease was first diagnosed she called her grandmother, my Aunt Carol, and they cried together over the phone because they both knew what it meant for her future. MS is a genetic disease. It is passed down within a family, but the tendency is to skip generations. That is it will pass from a grandparent and then reappear in a grandchild. Since my two aunts and my dad all had it, and my cousin’s daughter has it, I can’t help but wonder if someday it’s going to afflict either of my two young sons, and I pray for God’s mercy.
IV. Then besides illnesses, tragedies and death, there are other kinds of trials that we often struggle with. When you’ve dedicated your life to a cause or a profession and then you fail to reach your dreams and you’re left with bitter disappointment; when you start a business and it fails and you’ve lost your investment; or you’ve studied as hard as you know how and you still failed a test; when you’ve worked your hardest and done your best and then you get fired from your job unfairly; when you try to do right and people oppose you and slander you; when the person you love leaves you, and friends betray you; you sit there and wonder, Lord, Why? Why have I failed? Why has this happened? Why are people treating me this way? Haven’t I served you? Haven’t I been faithful? What am I going to do now? You look out at your life and you see no direction ahead. You’re going to have to start over but you don’t know how or what to do, and you wonder, What is God doing with me?
In the Aeta village is a woman named Carmen. She’s an intelligent woman. When she was young she was able to leave the village and get an education. She learned to play the piano well and having tasted a more comfortable life her hope was to be a professional musician. But it didn’t happen. Her dreams were smashed and she had to move back home. Discouraged and depressed she turned to alcohol. Now she’s the village drunk. She must wonder, is there no hope? There’s got to be something better than this in life. She said to us once in a drunken stupor, “I just want to die.”
V. In 1873, Horatio G. Spafford sent his wife, Anna, and four daughters on a ship to England. He had intended to go, but a last minute business emergency forced him to stay behind. Spafford would follow when the business was done. On the voyage his family’s ship came into a violent storm and in the middle of the ocean collided with another ship. Anna Spafford was rescued, but their four daughters drowned. Spafford took the next ship across and as they reached the location of the tragedy the captain told him this was the place. Then as Horatio Spafford stood at the rail and looked out at the watery grave that held his children, he wrote the hymn we sang this morning.
When peace like a river attendeth my way; when sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say, It is well; it is well with my soul.
Did you ever go to the mountains and sit by a stream or small river and just listen as the water flows over the rocks forming pools and then cascades on its journey down through the hills and canyons? It’s a soothing, relaxing sound that as you listen and enjoy the beauty around you seems to cause an overwhelming peace to come over your spirit. Sometimes that’s the way life is and it is easy to say, “Yes, it is well with my soul.”
But what about when the sea billows roll? What about when the storms of life break your way, you are devastated and there is no relief? When nothing goes right and you can’t see your way out of the trial, and you feel like you want to lash out at God and say, “Why?” It’s not so easy then to say, it is well. When God’s sovereign will goes against your personal will and desires do you still recognize He is God? When the trials beat you down and it seems like there’s no end and no answer, can you still say God is good?
VI. A few weeks ago in our Missions Conference I told you about my cousin, Sharon, how she and her husband, Jim Smith, had worked with Rachel Saint in the jungles of Ecuador. Today I want to tell you more of her story. In 1976, Sharon gave birth to her first child, a son they named Zac. Zac was born two months prematurely and was in an incubator in the hospital struggling to breathe. One day our grandfather went to the hospital with Sharon to see his first great grandson. As he and Sharon stood outside the window looking in at Zac in the neo-natal intensive care ward, Sharon began to cry.
Grandpa put his arm around her shoulder and as they walked down the hall and he told her a story. In 1914 he had enlisted in the Dutch army. He was just twenty years old. But not long after in a physical exam the doctor determined that he had a heart murmur. It was so bad that he was immediately discharged and the doctor told him he probably wouldn’t live passed thirty, only ten more years. By 1976 he had lived another 62 years, had six grandchildren, two great granddaughters and now he had seen his first great grandson. “Don’t worry,” he told Sharon. “God has plans for that boy.”
Indeed God did have plans, but as it turned out they were not the plans that Zac or his family would have hoped for.
VII. (Show video.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Qb1qdXn4o If you haven’t seen this video you need to. It’s four minutes and thirty seconds and well worth your time.
VIII. Five years ago yesterday, May 16, 2010, Zac Smith passed into the arms of Jesus. The cancer had riddled his body until he was hardly more than skin and bones. There was no relief for his pain. How he suffered. In the end he was so weak he couldn’t speak or even open his eyes. His last conscious act was to raise his right index finger just enough to point up, apparently signaling that the angels had come, and then he died.
Zac has a great family; this is a recent picture of his wife, Mandy, and children, Lizzy, Jake and Luke, with my cousins Jim and Sharon. He had a great ministry at his church. The Lord has given them grace and comfort, but after these several years you couldn’t blame them if they still just wonder why? But Zac gave us the answer. No matter what happens God is still God, and God is still good.
Con: No matter what happens, whether you know the reason or not, God’s plans for you are better than any plans you could ever make for yourself. Whether it includes a life of ease and great success, a life of struggle and heartbreak, or anything in between, God’s will is always best.
Zac Smith wanted to raise his family. He wanted to serve God. He was taken before his children reached their teen years. In life he served in a large church doing the multi-media, where he also made this video, and influencing perhaps hundreds of people. In death, through this video, he has influenced and encouraged hundreds of thousands of people. This video, not only on Youtube and Vimeo, but also in churches and elsewhere has been shown all over the United States and all around the world.
There are people who would never have known the comfort God gives if they had not seen this video. People who were in despair have found hope and encouragement in this video. People whom Zac will only know when they get to heaven have come to Christ because of this video. Whether we concur with God’s will for Zac’s life or not, God knew what was best even in Zac’s suffering and the heartbreak of his family. And the eternal rewards are unending.
Listen, no matter what you go through, whether you live in wealth or poverty, whether you live in health or struggle with disease, whether you are successful or struggle through failures and disappointments, whether you live a long life or die young, God has a plan for you and it is the best plan because God is still God, and God is still good. To God be the glory.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
A Godly Mother
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. - Proverbs 31:10
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised. - Proverbs 31:30
I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of you in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the sincere faith that is in you, which was first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in you also. Wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands. For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:3-7
Intro: Abraham Lincoln is considered by many to be one of the two or three greatest presidents of the United States. He was born in the wilderness in Kentucky and never went to school. His mother taught him to read using the Bible as a textbook. From his humble beginnings he became a lawyer, a politician, and finally president of the United States. His speeches were filled with Scripture references, and it was his leadership during the Civil War that saved the Union. His mother instilled in him the foundation that molded his character. On one occasion, having borrowed a nickel from a friend, when he was paid for some work and had the money he didn't wait until the next time he saw the friend, instead he walked several miles to find him and repay the debt. Lincoln once said, "No one is poor who had a godly mother."
Mother's have an advantage of relationship with their children over fathers, siblings, and friends. She has a nine month head start. There is a bond that is created in the womb. After a few weeks the child begins to hear his mother's voice and it is soothing. It is good for mothers to sing during pregnancy. The child gets to know her, her attitudes and feelings. Newborn babies find comfort in their mother's arms before anyone else's.
When Ethan was born Lhey was very weak after a very difficult pregnancy in which she almost lost him twice. Often when Ethan cried I would carry him around the house and sing to him until he quieted down. But if Lhey was feeling up to it, she would take him and he would stop crying almost immediately. Even now if he's sad or crying, if Lhey is out and I try to comfort him, he will say to me, "I want mom."
Let's consider what we can learn from a godly mother.
I. Transparent tenderness (2 Timothy 1:4).
Most of us learn tenderness from our mothers. I know that men can be tender, but most of us try to exude a macho kind of air. We want to be tough and strong, and we often don't show an example of tenderness. That comes from the mother. It is the mothers who teach their children to be demonstrative, caring, and full of compassion. With apparently an absent father, Timothy was raised by his mother and grandmother. He became a man with a tender heart as illustrated by his tears. That came from his mother.
We were at the Battlefield Mall in Springfield, Missouri one time when Ethan was about four years old. They have a play area for small kids with a little house in the middle and a slide, and then four stations around it. One is a hollow log with a caterpillar crawling over it, another is a car, one is a rowboat, and one a spaceship. They are all made out of hard rubber and the floor is covered with a soft padding like they put on jogging tracks, so it's safe for small children to play and climb around.
On this day we were sitting by the spaceship. A lot of children were there running around playing, and Ethan was playing with a group of boys. But there was one boy there who had no arms. He was playing by himself and had managed to climb into the seat of the spaceship. But when he climbed out of the seat he tripped and fell on his head. He wasn't hurt, of course, but as he rolled over on his knees, Ethan saw him and came and knelt down beside him and said, "Are you okay?" The boy said yes, and Ethan spent the rest of the time playing with that boy until his family left.
You can't imagine how proud I was of my son for having such compassion. But I'm sure he got it from his mother.
II. Authentic Spirituality (2 Timothy 1:5).
Paul thinks of Timothy as a man who is not hypocritical in his Christian life. He is a man of character, which he got from his mother and grandmother. Grandmothers also fill a role in baby-sitting or even raising their grandchildren.
When I was seven my dad left my mother with three small boys to take care of by herself. Since Mom had to work, we often spent time at our grandparent's home. One of my best memories of those days was my Grandma Boonstra sitting in a chair crocheting and singing, "At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light." That's where I learned that song, and it's always been one of my favorites.
My Grandma Patterson also played a role in raising one of her grandchildren. My Aunt Marianne had polio in her left arm as a young girl, and then came down with Multiple Sclerosis in her twenties. She had a baby boy named Mike. When her husband left her, she struggled to care for Mike by herself, but as her condition worsened, Mike often spent time at Grandma's house. As old as she was, she put her life into Mike and cared for him. Today Mike is married, has two grown children, and a successful business in Loveland, Colorado. He has done well in his life, but it started with his mother and grandmother.
A church, a Christian school, a circle of Christian friends can teach the facts of Scripture and be influential, but it is a mother who can make the facts real by walking the Christian walk daily in front of her children. It is often the mother who is first to speak to her children about salvation. My mother introduced me to the need of accepting Christ as my Savior when I was seven years old. I finally trusted the Lord when I was twelve, but it was my mother who helped me understand the need.
III. Inner Confidence (2 Timothy 1:7).
With all the derelict fathers in our societies children depend more and more on their mothers. Moms often do all the child rearing, discipline and providing. They have to try to be a father as well as mother. You know how much I love baseball, but it was my mom who always tried to encourage me. She tried to help me build up the confidence I needed to play. Now if you know anything about baseball, you may have heard it said that baseball is 90% from the neck up. That is, you have to have an inner confidence to be able to stand in the batter's box and hit the ball.
Paul tells Timothy that the Holy Spirit instills in us an inner confidence that drives away fear. But that same power that drives away the spirit of fear is often inbred in us by a strong, godly mother.
IV. Unselfish Love (2 Timothy 1:7).
This kind of love seeks the highest good for others. It doesn't quit when it is tired or hurting. Mothers get up at all hours of the night to take care of crying babies and sick children. Even when they are sick themselves, their unselfish loves transcends their own problems to care for their families.
This kind of love doesn't flinch when discipline is necessary. This love will laugh while under pressure. It is unselfish, giving, secure moms that somehow manage to deposit healthy, wholesome kids into our lonely, frightened society.
V. Self-Control (2 Timothy 1:7).
Love needs the balance of discipline to be consistent. A child that is not disciplined will come away believing he is unloved. Last week in Baltimore a certain mother saw her sixteen-year-old son protesting in the streets on TV. She went down to the protest, found him, drug him away, and slapped him on the head saying, "I didn't raise you to be a drug addict, a drug pusher, or a thug." She physically removed him from the rioting and took him home. When a TV reporter interviewed the boy later he said that he was glad his mother loved him so much to take him home. That mom showed her love by disciplining her child.
A psychological study at the University of California showed that 1) boys with high-esteem were clearly more loved and appreciated at home than boys with low-esteem; 2) the high-esteem group came from homes where parents had been significantly more strict in their approach to discipline; 3) the parents of the low-esteem group had created insecurity and dependence by their permissiveness; and 4) the homes of the high-esteem group were also characterized by democracy and openness.
Discipline is necessary for the proper raising of children, but it also needs to be controlled. Often a father will get angry and punish a child unfairly, where the mother in tenderness knows just how much is needed, how to discipline in love, and when to stop.
Con: You may have heard people say, "Everything I am is because of my mother." In my case that is true. My dad left when I was only seven and it was my mom who raised me, disciplined me, took me to activities, and worked full time while doing it. Now Dad wasn't completely absent from our lives, but even he recognized how much Mom did. One night he met our neighbor in a bar somewhere in town and as they were talking the neighbor mentioned to him that he sure had some good boys. Dad said, "It's all due to their mother."
Now you also know that I'm not perfect, but everything I am, every good thing in me, apart from the Lord's doing of course, is because of my mother. Today I hope you will join me in honoring our mothers.
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised. - Proverbs 31:30
I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of you in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the sincere faith that is in you, which was first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in you also. Wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands. For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:3-7
Intro: Abraham Lincoln is considered by many to be one of the two or three greatest presidents of the United States. He was born in the wilderness in Kentucky and never went to school. His mother taught him to read using the Bible as a textbook. From his humble beginnings he became a lawyer, a politician, and finally president of the United States. His speeches were filled with Scripture references, and it was his leadership during the Civil War that saved the Union. His mother instilled in him the foundation that molded his character. On one occasion, having borrowed a nickel from a friend, when he was paid for some work and had the money he didn't wait until the next time he saw the friend, instead he walked several miles to find him and repay the debt. Lincoln once said, "No one is poor who had a godly mother."
Mother's have an advantage of relationship with their children over fathers, siblings, and friends. She has a nine month head start. There is a bond that is created in the womb. After a few weeks the child begins to hear his mother's voice and it is soothing. It is good for mothers to sing during pregnancy. The child gets to know her, her attitudes and feelings. Newborn babies find comfort in their mother's arms before anyone else's.
When Ethan was born Lhey was very weak after a very difficult pregnancy in which she almost lost him twice. Often when Ethan cried I would carry him around the house and sing to him until he quieted down. But if Lhey was feeling up to it, she would take him and he would stop crying almost immediately. Even now if he's sad or crying, if Lhey is out and I try to comfort him, he will say to me, "I want mom."
Let's consider what we can learn from a godly mother.
I. Transparent tenderness (2 Timothy 1:4).
Most of us learn tenderness from our mothers. I know that men can be tender, but most of us try to exude a macho kind of air. We want to be tough and strong, and we often don't show an example of tenderness. That comes from the mother. It is the mothers who teach their children to be demonstrative, caring, and full of compassion. With apparently an absent father, Timothy was raised by his mother and grandmother. He became a man with a tender heart as illustrated by his tears. That came from his mother.
We were at the Battlefield Mall in Springfield, Missouri one time when Ethan was about four years old. They have a play area for small kids with a little house in the middle and a slide, and then four stations around it. One is a hollow log with a caterpillar crawling over it, another is a car, one is a rowboat, and one a spaceship. They are all made out of hard rubber and the floor is covered with a soft padding like they put on jogging tracks, so it's safe for small children to play and climb around.
On this day we were sitting by the spaceship. A lot of children were there running around playing, and Ethan was playing with a group of boys. But there was one boy there who had no arms. He was playing by himself and had managed to climb into the seat of the spaceship. But when he climbed out of the seat he tripped and fell on his head. He wasn't hurt, of course, but as he rolled over on his knees, Ethan saw him and came and knelt down beside him and said, "Are you okay?" The boy said yes, and Ethan spent the rest of the time playing with that boy until his family left.
You can't imagine how proud I was of my son for having such compassion. But I'm sure he got it from his mother.
II. Authentic Spirituality (2 Timothy 1:5).
Paul thinks of Timothy as a man who is not hypocritical in his Christian life. He is a man of character, which he got from his mother and grandmother. Grandmothers also fill a role in baby-sitting or even raising their grandchildren.
When I was seven my dad left my mother with three small boys to take care of by herself. Since Mom had to work, we often spent time at our grandparent's home. One of my best memories of those days was my Grandma Boonstra sitting in a chair crocheting and singing, "At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light." That's where I learned that song, and it's always been one of my favorites.
My Grandma Patterson also played a role in raising one of her grandchildren. My Aunt Marianne had polio in her left arm as a young girl, and then came down with Multiple Sclerosis in her twenties. She had a baby boy named Mike. When her husband left her, she struggled to care for Mike by herself, but as her condition worsened, Mike often spent time at Grandma's house. As old as she was, she put her life into Mike and cared for him. Today Mike is married, has two grown children, and a successful business in Loveland, Colorado. He has done well in his life, but it started with his mother and grandmother.
A church, a Christian school, a circle of Christian friends can teach the facts of Scripture and be influential, but it is a mother who can make the facts real by walking the Christian walk daily in front of her children. It is often the mother who is first to speak to her children about salvation. My mother introduced me to the need of accepting Christ as my Savior when I was seven years old. I finally trusted the Lord when I was twelve, but it was my mother who helped me understand the need.
III. Inner Confidence (2 Timothy 1:7).
With all the derelict fathers in our societies children depend more and more on their mothers. Moms often do all the child rearing, discipline and providing. They have to try to be a father as well as mother. You know how much I love baseball, but it was my mom who always tried to encourage me. She tried to help me build up the confidence I needed to play. Now if you know anything about baseball, you may have heard it said that baseball is 90% from the neck up. That is, you have to have an inner confidence to be able to stand in the batter's box and hit the ball.
Paul tells Timothy that the Holy Spirit instills in us an inner confidence that drives away fear. But that same power that drives away the spirit of fear is often inbred in us by a strong, godly mother.
IV. Unselfish Love (2 Timothy 1:7).
This kind of love seeks the highest good for others. It doesn't quit when it is tired or hurting. Mothers get up at all hours of the night to take care of crying babies and sick children. Even when they are sick themselves, their unselfish loves transcends their own problems to care for their families.
This kind of love doesn't flinch when discipline is necessary. This love will laugh while under pressure. It is unselfish, giving, secure moms that somehow manage to deposit healthy, wholesome kids into our lonely, frightened society.
V. Self-Control (2 Timothy 1:7).
Love needs the balance of discipline to be consistent. A child that is not disciplined will come away believing he is unloved. Last week in Baltimore a certain mother saw her sixteen-year-old son protesting in the streets on TV. She went down to the protest, found him, drug him away, and slapped him on the head saying, "I didn't raise you to be a drug addict, a drug pusher, or a thug." She physically removed him from the rioting and took him home. When a TV reporter interviewed the boy later he said that he was glad his mother loved him so much to take him home. That mom showed her love by disciplining her child.
A psychological study at the University of California showed that 1) boys with high-esteem were clearly more loved and appreciated at home than boys with low-esteem; 2) the high-esteem group came from homes where parents had been significantly more strict in their approach to discipline; 3) the parents of the low-esteem group had created insecurity and dependence by their permissiveness; and 4) the homes of the high-esteem group were also characterized by democracy and openness.
Discipline is necessary for the proper raising of children, but it also needs to be controlled. Often a father will get angry and punish a child unfairly, where the mother in tenderness knows just how much is needed, how to discipline in love, and when to stop.
Con: You may have heard people say, "Everything I am is because of my mother." In my case that is true. My dad left when I was only seven and it was my mom who raised me, disciplined me, took me to activities, and worked full time while doing it. Now Dad wasn't completely absent from our lives, but even he recognized how much Mom did. One night he met our neighbor in a bar somewhere in town and as they were talking the neighbor mentioned to him that he sure had some good boys. Dad said, "It's all due to their mother."
Now you also know that I'm not perfect, but everything I am, every good thing in me, apart from the Lord's doing of course, is because of my mother. Today I hope you will join me in honoring our mothers.
Monday, May 4, 2015
The Greatest Fight of the Century?
It was billed as the "Greatest Fight of the Century," or the "Era" at least. A fight five years in the making. Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao had finally got the fight he wanted with Floyd "Money" Mayweather, who had dodged him for years. The hype was tremendous. A 400 million dollar purse to be split 60-40 for the winner, with some 60 million going to the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas. The largest pot in history.
The showdown was compared with the great Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns fights of the 80s. Mayweather was putting his perfect undefeated record on the line. Could he survive and join the great Rocky Marciano as the only undefeated champions in history? Could Pacquiao, the national hero of the Philippines, pull off another upset and win a ninth title in a storied career that had seen him win in several weight categories?
The suspense was thick world wide. In the Philippines the one thing the country unites behind totally is Pacquiao. Every time he fights crime rates drop all over the country because nobody is on the streets. They're all watching the fight somewhere. Giant screens were put up in parks in Manila for crowds to watch. In Olongapo the convention center was showing the fight, as well as bars and restaurants all over the city and all over the country. In America so many people had signed on to Pay-Per-View that the system couldn't handle the orders, and the fight was delayed forty-five minutes while the networks were brought up to speed. The ringside announcers kept the hype going talking about the boxers and comparing them to the great fights in history until all was ready.
Finally the moment had come. From the outset it was not only strange, but bewildering. To honor Mayo Uno, a communist Labor Day holiday that is celebrated in Mexico, and has nothing to do with the United States, a Mexican singer was introduced to sing the National Anthem of Mexico. But it wasn't enough that he just sang the song. When he finished he went on a rant in Spanish about "Viva Mexico," or something along those lines. My first thought was, What the heck does Mexico have to do with this? Why would we have the Mexican anthem sung before a fight in which neither boxer is Mexican or speaks Spanish? It became clear a few minutes later when the ring announcer gave the name of the hispanic president of the Nevada State Boxing Commission. No doubt a liberal Democrat supporter of open borders and illegal immigration making a statement in favor of the Mexican invasion of the Southwest.
The only good thing about the performance was that the crowd seemed not to appreciate it either. There was no applause, only a sense of wonderment about what was going on. Next a group of several Filipino men and one woman dressed in traditional barongs sang the Philippine National Anthem, Lupang Hiniram. They sang it proudly and beautifully. Then came the American National Anthem sung by the actor and sometimes singer Jamie Foxx. This is the same Foxx that has declared in open mockery of Christianity that Obama is his savior. His stylizing of the anthem was a joke that fortunately also brought little applause if any.
Then the fighters came in with their entourages. Pacquiao arrived first wearing a T-shirt instead of the customary robe that fighters usually wear. Then Mayweather came in wearing some kind of a jacket instead of the robe, and behind him in his gaggle was somebody dressed up in royal garb wearing a head mask with a crown looking like the comical king in the Wizard of Id. The entry took on the air of an All-Star Wrestling event. It was a joke, which was a portend of what was about to come.
The preliminaries were done and the fight finally got under way. It was a party atmosphere here in the Philippines and the group I was with screamed and laughed every time Pacman threw a punch. But it was clear right away that he wasn't connecting much and Mayweather's height and reach seemed to be to his advantage. He was the only one getting any real hits in during the first round. Round one to Mayweather.
Round two was a little more neutral but by then a pattern had become obvious that would continue throughout the fight. Pacquiao brought the fight to Mayweather. He chased him all over the ring backing him into corners and against the ropes, but Mayweather with continued sideward movement kept out of Pacman's range. Round two was pretty even. In Round three it looked as if Pacquiao was beginning to reel Mayweather in, and in round four they had several toe-toe exchanges. Pacquiao won every one of them.
Mayweather wouldn't let it happen again. He ran from a frustrated Pacman who couldn't draw a bead for a big blow, and counterpunched, hitting Pacquiao time and again, apparently building up points with the judges, but not with the fans. Looking at the faces of the spectators at ring side there was no excitement, just stone-faced stares. When the final bell ended the 12th round, and the lopsided scorecards were announced, Mayweather climbed on the ropes to boast in his victory and instead of cheers received a chorus of "boos." It was just strange.
Mayweather then to his credit in a post fight interview was gracious in his comments about Pacquiao and what a good fighter he is, but when the ring side announcer asked Pacman what he thought, he said, "I thought I won." The announcer was incredulous. "You really thought you won?" he asked, as if it was beyond his belief. But even the announcers pointed out in the eighth and ninth round breaks that Mayweather's corner seemed to be quite concerned that he was losing.
What blew my mind was that at the beginning of the twelfth round one of them said he scored it 8-3 in favor of Mayweather. I was stunned by that. It seemed to me that Pacquiao had won at least the third, fourth, sixth and ninth rounds. The first and fifth had gone to Mayweather and maybe six, seven, and eight, but the other rounds seemed to me to be pretty even. The disparity of the scorecards was really puzzling. One judge had it 118-110, and the other two 116-112. If they were judging it by the number of hits scored as they do in Olympic boxing, then Mayweather won, but this wasn't the Olympics. This was a professional boxing championship, and even if you consider Mayweather the winner, it was a much closer fight than those scorecards indicated.
The real story here is that one man came to fight and the other didn't. What the fans saw was the new way to win a professional fight: run around the ring for twelve rounds to avoid getting hit, and when you do stop to throw some punches, get in a clinch and put a headlock on your opponent. Then showboat before the final bell rings. Mayweather scored more hits, but they were all counter punches and none of them hurt or even marked Pacquiao. Pacman's problem was he couldn't corner Mayweather long enough to get in enough hits. He was the aggressor bringing the fight to Mayweather the entire bout, but the Money man just dodged and weaved and ran for his life. Pacquiao actually thought he had won. If Mayweather had stood in and traded punches with him it's likely he would have won. But that must have been Mayweather's strategy: Don't box so you don't lose.
Disappointment here in the Philippines is indescribable. This evening everybody everywhere was talking about the fight. Even the very popular Senator Miriam "Defensor" Santiago joined in. She tweeted, "Congratulations Mayweather on winning the 3K Fun Run."
The ringside announcers continued to play up the greatest fight of the era in their post fight comments. The people who paid thousands for tickets at ringside certainly got their money's worth tonight they said, almost as if they were trying to convince themselves. Comparisons to Leonard and Marciano and his perfect record were made over and over, but there is no comparison. This was no battle of the Titans ala Foreman-Ali and Frazier-Ali, or even Leonard-Hearns and Leonard-Hagler.
Neither will Mayweather ever compare with Rocky Marciano even if he does win his next fight and retire with a perfect 49-0 record. Marciano only went the distance six times. He KO'd forty-three of his opponents, most of them within the first three rounds. That's what you expect of a champion. You expect him to stand toe-to-toe with his opponent and beat him up. Mayweather ran for his life and took little potshots at Pacquiao doing no damage and not showing any of the courage or skill that makes a boxer great. He was a totally unworthy winner.
A lot of people here are speculating about a rematch, but there won't be one. Mayweather is going to fulfill his contract with Showtime and have one more fight in September, probably against a weak opponent to make sure his undefeated record stays intact. He won't fight Pacquiao again because there is too much of a chance that he would lose.
In the end it was just kind of a weird day. Everything about this fight was strange from the entourages, to the judges, to the running around in the ring. It had been ambitiously and presumptuously promoted as the greatest fight of the era, but it turned out to be the greatest disappointment.
The showdown was compared with the great Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns fights of the 80s. Mayweather was putting his perfect undefeated record on the line. Could he survive and join the great Rocky Marciano as the only undefeated champions in history? Could Pacquiao, the national hero of the Philippines, pull off another upset and win a ninth title in a storied career that had seen him win in several weight categories?
The suspense was thick world wide. In the Philippines the one thing the country unites behind totally is Pacquiao. Every time he fights crime rates drop all over the country because nobody is on the streets. They're all watching the fight somewhere. Giant screens were put up in parks in Manila for crowds to watch. In Olongapo the convention center was showing the fight, as well as bars and restaurants all over the city and all over the country. In America so many people had signed on to Pay-Per-View that the system couldn't handle the orders, and the fight was delayed forty-five minutes while the networks were brought up to speed. The ringside announcers kept the hype going talking about the boxers and comparing them to the great fights in history until all was ready.
Finally the moment had come. From the outset it was not only strange, but bewildering. To honor Mayo Uno, a communist Labor Day holiday that is celebrated in Mexico, and has nothing to do with the United States, a Mexican singer was introduced to sing the National Anthem of Mexico. But it wasn't enough that he just sang the song. When he finished he went on a rant in Spanish about "Viva Mexico," or something along those lines. My first thought was, What the heck does Mexico have to do with this? Why would we have the Mexican anthem sung before a fight in which neither boxer is Mexican or speaks Spanish? It became clear a few minutes later when the ring announcer gave the name of the hispanic president of the Nevada State Boxing Commission. No doubt a liberal Democrat supporter of open borders and illegal immigration making a statement in favor of the Mexican invasion of the Southwest.
The only good thing about the performance was that the crowd seemed not to appreciate it either. There was no applause, only a sense of wonderment about what was going on. Next a group of several Filipino men and one woman dressed in traditional barongs sang the Philippine National Anthem, Lupang Hiniram. They sang it proudly and beautifully. Then came the American National Anthem sung by the actor and sometimes singer Jamie Foxx. This is the same Foxx that has declared in open mockery of Christianity that Obama is his savior. His stylizing of the anthem was a joke that fortunately also brought little applause if any.
Then the fighters came in with their entourages. Pacquiao arrived first wearing a T-shirt instead of the customary robe that fighters usually wear. Then Mayweather came in wearing some kind of a jacket instead of the robe, and behind him in his gaggle was somebody dressed up in royal garb wearing a head mask with a crown looking like the comical king in the Wizard of Id. The entry took on the air of an All-Star Wrestling event. It was a joke, which was a portend of what was about to come.
The preliminaries were done and the fight finally got under way. It was a party atmosphere here in the Philippines and the group I was with screamed and laughed every time Pacman threw a punch. But it was clear right away that he wasn't connecting much and Mayweather's height and reach seemed to be to his advantage. He was the only one getting any real hits in during the first round. Round one to Mayweather.
Round two was a little more neutral but by then a pattern had become obvious that would continue throughout the fight. Pacquiao brought the fight to Mayweather. He chased him all over the ring backing him into corners and against the ropes, but Mayweather with continued sideward movement kept out of Pacman's range. Round two was pretty even. In Round three it looked as if Pacquiao was beginning to reel Mayweather in, and in round four they had several toe-toe exchanges. Pacquiao won every one of them.
Mayweather wouldn't let it happen again. He ran from a frustrated Pacman who couldn't draw a bead for a big blow, and counterpunched, hitting Pacquiao time and again, apparently building up points with the judges, but not with the fans. Looking at the faces of the spectators at ring side there was no excitement, just stone-faced stares. When the final bell ended the 12th round, and the lopsided scorecards were announced, Mayweather climbed on the ropes to boast in his victory and instead of cheers received a chorus of "boos." It was just strange.
Mayweather then to his credit in a post fight interview was gracious in his comments about Pacquiao and what a good fighter he is, but when the ring side announcer asked Pacman what he thought, he said, "I thought I won." The announcer was incredulous. "You really thought you won?" he asked, as if it was beyond his belief. But even the announcers pointed out in the eighth and ninth round breaks that Mayweather's corner seemed to be quite concerned that he was losing.
What blew my mind was that at the beginning of the twelfth round one of them said he scored it 8-3 in favor of Mayweather. I was stunned by that. It seemed to me that Pacquiao had won at least the third, fourth, sixth and ninth rounds. The first and fifth had gone to Mayweather and maybe six, seven, and eight, but the other rounds seemed to me to be pretty even. The disparity of the scorecards was really puzzling. One judge had it 118-110, and the other two 116-112. If they were judging it by the number of hits scored as they do in Olympic boxing, then Mayweather won, but this wasn't the Olympics. This was a professional boxing championship, and even if you consider Mayweather the winner, it was a much closer fight than those scorecards indicated.
The real story here is that one man came to fight and the other didn't. What the fans saw was the new way to win a professional fight: run around the ring for twelve rounds to avoid getting hit, and when you do stop to throw some punches, get in a clinch and put a headlock on your opponent. Then showboat before the final bell rings. Mayweather scored more hits, but they were all counter punches and none of them hurt or even marked Pacquiao. Pacman's problem was he couldn't corner Mayweather long enough to get in enough hits. He was the aggressor bringing the fight to Mayweather the entire bout, but the Money man just dodged and weaved and ran for his life. Pacquiao actually thought he had won. If Mayweather had stood in and traded punches with him it's likely he would have won. But that must have been Mayweather's strategy: Don't box so you don't lose.
Disappointment here in the Philippines is indescribable. This evening everybody everywhere was talking about the fight. Even the very popular Senator Miriam "Defensor" Santiago joined in. She tweeted, "Congratulations Mayweather on winning the 3K Fun Run."
The ringside announcers continued to play up the greatest fight of the era in their post fight comments. The people who paid thousands for tickets at ringside certainly got their money's worth tonight they said, almost as if they were trying to convince themselves. Comparisons to Leonard and Marciano and his perfect record were made over and over, but there is no comparison. This was no battle of the Titans ala Foreman-Ali and Frazier-Ali, or even Leonard-Hearns and Leonard-Hagler.
Neither will Mayweather ever compare with Rocky Marciano even if he does win his next fight and retire with a perfect 49-0 record. Marciano only went the distance six times. He KO'd forty-three of his opponents, most of them within the first three rounds. That's what you expect of a champion. You expect him to stand toe-to-toe with his opponent and beat him up. Mayweather ran for his life and took little potshots at Pacquiao doing no damage and not showing any of the courage or skill that makes a boxer great. He was a totally unworthy winner.
A lot of people here are speculating about a rematch, but there won't be one. Mayweather is going to fulfill his contract with Showtime and have one more fight in September, probably against a weak opponent to make sure his undefeated record stays intact. He won't fight Pacquiao again because there is too much of a chance that he would lose.
In the end it was just kind of a weird day. Everything about this fight was strange from the entourages, to the judges, to the running around in the ring. It had been ambitiously and presumptuously promoted as the greatest fight of the era, but it turned out to be the greatest disappointment.
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