Dennis Rodman & Jesus??
A Short Commentary on Faith. 🏀
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the Detroit Pistons—the Bad Boys, back-to-back champions. One of my absolute favorite players was Dennis Rodman. He made rebounding and ferocious defense look cool, like the ultimate act of toughness and heart.
One day we scored free tickets to an exhibition game. I was bummed to see no big stars on the court—just bench players. Except one: Dennis Rodman himself. He put on a show—dunking, hyping the crowd, waving, and feeding off the energy. After the game, he started walking through the stands to greet fans. I figured he’d stop at the group of kids in the front row first. But when he spotted their Chicago Bulls gear, he walked right past them and came straight to me. I was decked out in my classic Detroit Pistons Starter jacket and hat. I handed him my Rodman All-Star card; he grinned and signed it. I was on cloud nine.
Not long after, Rodman bounced around the league, playing key roles on more championship teams and becoming one of the most famous athletes on the planet.
Now imagine if I’d taken that one encounter and convinced myself we were close friends. What if I tracked him down years later and showed up at his front door unannounced? We all know how that would end, not well.
That’s a lot like how many people approach Jesus. We admire His love, His sacrifice, His forgiveness. We want that grace to wash over us. We feel like we “know” Him because we’ve heard the stories or felt a warm sense of His kindness. But when we read His actual words, something deeper emerges. Yes, He is loving, accepting, and forgiving—but He’s far more than a cosmic hippie dispensing unconditional good vibes. He made bold, exclusive claims: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) That one statement shuts down the popular idea of “many paths to God.” According to Jesus, there’s only one way. Then He pushes even further: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) He’s not inviting us to be His biggest fans or casual admirers. He’s calling us to surrender everything—our plans, our pride, our control—and give our lives to Him the way He gave His life for us. It’s a call to die to the old self so a new life can begin in Him. That’s the part most people miss. As one of my favorite old preachers, Adrian Rogers would say, You can’t just tip that hat you have to bow the knee.” Jesus even eerily warned about this directly: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven… I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me…’” (Matthew 7:21–23) He doesn’t reject them for just being sinners, skipping church, or not praying enough. He says, “I never knew you.” The issue isn’t that they didn’t know Him—it’s that He didn’t know them. There was no real relationship, no wholehearted surrender. If we’re honest, we can admit we like to lie to ourselves: “I’ll get back to the gym… I’m gonna pay off my credit cards someday… Jesus will forgive me no matter how much I ignore Him or live my own way.”
But Jesus sees the heart. Real recognizes real. He knows who truly belongs to Him. So here’s the question I keep coming back to: Does He really know me?
I had my moment of surrender years ago as a young lost soul. My life was hopeless, and it was easy to see I had nothing left to hold onto. I gave Him everything. It didn’t end there—that was just the start. But I know it was his spirit that came to live in me and it’s been a daily walk ever since. Some days I’ve followed well; many days I’ve stumbled. But He’s walked with me through it all.
Jesus wants to know you—truly, deeply, relationally. Will you let Him? Will you give Him your whole life so He can truly know you? 🌱
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