TIM TEBOW TEBOWING ????

 

Tim Tebow, quarterback of the New York Jets, former QB of the Denver Broncos, has become well known as a "Christian" athlete but more specifically, well known for praying in public--during football games--an act that has become known as "Tebowing".  

"Tebowing", has become quite common as many people, famous and not famous, pray in public or more accurately, follow Tim Tebow's  form of public prayer--"Tebowing".  Now, there is nothing wrong with praying--whether it is in public or in private but, is this form of public prayer, what  Jesus Christ, (whom Tebow claims to follow) taught to his followers?

WHY DOES TIM TEBOW "TEBOW"

{First, let's examine why Tim "Tebows" in public.  According to Tim, in an interview with the pastor of Canyon Ridge Christian Church (Las Vegas, Nevada),  Pastor Kevin Odor, he gave the following reasons for why he prays in public the way he does:

"I'm pretty sure I'm not the first athlete to get on a knee and pray," Las Vegas Sun quoted the casually dressed Tebow as saying. "It's funny, I've been doing this same exact routine for the last seven years and for some reason this was the first year that people started talking about it."

Why does he do it? "There's all this excitement in a game, whether it's playing the NFL or college, with all the hype," he said. "You're going to do good, you're going to do bad and all the eyes are watching you and for me, it's to be able to take a moment to block out everything else and just get on a knee and thank the Lord."

One of the reasons he gets on a knee, he added, "is because that's a form of humbling yourself. I want to humble myself before the Lord and say thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for letting me play the game I love. Whether I'm good or bad, whether I'm the hero or the goat, whether I score four touchdowns or throw four interceptions, that will still be the same person, honoring the Lord." (christianpost.com/news/timtebow.  May 05, 2012, Anugrah Kumar. ) }

There is nothing wrong with "blocking out everything else and just get on a knee and thank the Lord" and/or "because that's a form of humbling yourself and thank the Lord for the opportunity to play the game he loves".  Nothing wrong at all with these things. 

Our questions of his acts of public prayer/worship  are: 

1)  is this what Jesus Christ taught his followers to do? 
2)  is Tim taking the focus of off  Jesus Christ and placing that focus/attention on himself? 


IS TIM TEBOW  "THE MESSIAH?"


Let's delve into the second concern first.  Believe it or not, there are people who actually believe that Tim may be be the "Second Coming of Jesus Christ"--that Tebow is the "Messiah".  

People wear  a jersey with Tim's jersey number and the name "Jesus" on the back.  Tebow has been called the "Chosen One".  (It has been said that a famous sports personality with  Tim Tebow's characteristics might be a great choice for Jesus the Messiah to become on his Second Coming.) 

The point here is that Tebow causes the focus and attention of people to be on himself rather than on the Son of God, Jesus Christ. 


Now, let's look our first concern.  According to the Word of God, the Bible, in Matthew 6:5-6, Jesus said:

(5) "And now about prayer.  When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them.  I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get.  

(6) But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly  Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.  (New Living Translation).

I believe Tim is sincere in what he does-whether it's praying in public or following Christ in his daily life--I am just not sure Jesus would approve of such a public display of  prayer and worship.