Some of you might know that I’m a big baseball fan.  I love watching it and I love playing it (in my mind).  Well, yesterday was history in the making.  Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was about to pitch the third perfect game in a month.  To put that into perspective, in over 100 years of professional baseball, there had only been 20 perfect games ever.  And here was Galarraga pitching the third one of the month.  There were two outs and a ball was hit to Miguel Cabrera (the 1st baseman) who had to field the ball.  Galarraga went over to first to catch the ball and his foot clearly beat the runner to first.  And yet, umpire Jim Joyce ruled him safe, therefore denying Galarraga not only the perfect game but also the no-hitter (for those of you who don’t know what a perfect game is, it’s all 27 batters [3 hitters in one inning for 9 innings] making an out.  A no-hitter can have walks and errors).

After all of the bruhaha has passed and baseball fans are all chiming in about everything to do with the game, I can’t help but see the metaphor in all of this.  Suddenly, the perfect game has become woefully imperfect due to the fault of an imperfect umpire.  One small mistake was so costly that it makes the whole game seem terribly tainted and woefully unjust.  People are crying out for the all-powerful Bud Selig (the commissioner of baseball) to undo what has been done.  But as Bud Selig detractors know, Mr. Selig often is unwilling to make such bold decisions.

If one mistake of a human umpire can make a game so terribly wrong, how much more even one sin will be an affront before a holy God.  People have such a hard time understanding why God can be so wrathful at sin.  And yet, here is the whole baseball world clamoring for justice OVER A GAME!  But unlike Mr. Selig, God is holy and just and loving.  He DID do something.  He sent His Son to be the propitiation, to avert His wrath against sinners (Rom 3:21f.).  And therein began the work of redemption.

Mr. Joyce is very sorrowful over the whole affair.  He said after the game: “I just cost that kid a perfect game.  I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay.  I don’t blame them a bit or anything that was said. I would’ve said it myself if I had been Galarraga. I would’ve been the first person in my face, and he never said a word to me.”  It takes a lot of courage to stand up and respond the way Mr. Joyce did.  But it takes perfect love and perfect justice to stand up and die on a cross for sinful humanity who deserve God’s full wrath.  And that is just what Jesus Christ did for sinners like me (Phil 2:5f.).