17 Aug Are You Being Judged for a Single Moment in Time?

Jim Marshall, by every meaningful measure, was one of the very best defensive linemen ever to play in the NFL. His 20 NFL seasons included 282 consecutive starts and 127 quarterback sacks. He was part of the feared Purple People Eaters, Minnesota Vikings defensive line. Two other players on that line are in the NFL Hall of Fame, Carl Eller and Alan Page. Yet when Marshall died at age 87 on June 3 of this year, he had not been enshrined into the Hall. Why? Some argue that it is because of one embarrassing moment in Marshall’s otherwise superstar career.

On October 25, 1964, playing in San Francisco, the Vikings were leading the 49ers 27-17 in the 4th quarter. The 49ers fumbled it and Marshall scooped it and began running toward the end zone: the wrong end zone. Marshall triumphantly trotted into his own end zone, giving the 49ers a two-point safety. The Vikings held on for the win, but the play has been watched millions of times on YouTube. It’s widely believed that Marshall’s very embarrassing moment has overshadowed his amazing body of work, keeping him out of the Hall of Fame. Here’s what’s important about Marshall’s experience.

Others have judged him harshly, but he didn’t let the moment impact his career. In fact, he forced a fumble later in the game to preserve the win. He then continued to be one of the most durable and feared linemen in the NFL until his retirement in 1979. What’s in this for us?

Others may judge us, but we are never condemned in God’s eyes. The apostle Paul uses all of Romans chapter 8 making this point, after admitting in chapter 7 that he constantly wrestled with temptation:

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

Others may harshly judge us as irredeemable because of our mistakes. When we have accepted Jesus and the grace of forgiveness and salvation, we know that we are never condemned by God. Let others say what they will, we know that God’s grace covers all our mistakes, past, present and future. In 2017, the NFL Network ranked Marshall as the second-best player not in the Hall of Fame. What a blessing to know that in God’s economy we will never be left on the outside looking in.

Pastor Jerry Bader