Used in “Helping Those Who Hurt” class at River Pointe Church in Richmond, TX. Also used in other teaching/training classes, pastoral counseling, and prison ministry. Also helpful for building family unity.
The LORD is your keeper who neither slumbers nor sleeps.
The LORD will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.
The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121:4,5,7,8)Christians are full of what is good, complete in all knowledge, able to give direction to one another. (Romans 15:14 BBE)
Sandra Bullock’s movie “The Blind Side” (2009) was based on the true story from Michael Lewis’ book of the same title (2006). Lewis reports that in pro football, quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers get the most headlines, but left tackles get the second highest paychecks in the NFL. Lewis explains how essential these offensive linemen are and how the public now recognizes their vital role. In 1985 on Monday Night Football, 17 million people watched quarterback Joe Theismann’s career-ending injury. Linebacker Lawrence Taylor blind-sided Theismann, crushing Theismann’s right leg in several places. The injury was voted the NFL’s “Most Shocking Moment in History” by viewers and the tackle was dubbed “The Hit That No One Who Saw It Can Ever Forget”.
Most quarterbacks are right-handed, so the offensive left tackle’s key responsibility is to prevent his quarterback from being hit from behind, unseen. Left tackles weigh at least 300 pounds, have long arms to block, and are fast on their feet. Michael Lewis says these rare players combine bulk with “the body control of a ballerina” and pro teams pay them handsomely. Trent Williams, tackle with the Washington Redskins, will earn $13.6 million in 2018!
The left tackle is his “brother’s keeper.” The Lord Himself protects His followers in unique ways. We survive and thrive in this life only because God keeps us safe from ourselves, the world, and the Devil. And God the Holy Spirit equips every Christian to imitate Christ and to protect other believers. Jesus commands:
Brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins….If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (James 5:19,20; Galatians 6:1,2)
In Jesus’ family we are responsible for one another. We not only worship, learn, confess sins, and pray together, we must exercise compassionate care for one another. The Lord makes us our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, helping in their spiritual safety, well-being, and development. Gently, humbly, and wisely helping (not hindering) fellow Christians as they walk with us along Jesus’ narrow way of life on the road to Heaven. Following Christ is a team effort, never a solo endeavor.
In Part 2, we consider practical ways to be our Brother and Sister’s Keepers.
Source: NPR, All Things Considered (10-10-06): Author Michael Lewis Tackles Football’s ‘Blind Side’ by Robert Siegel.