Another icon has fallen. Whether it be in sports, politics, or even the Church, it seems that a major player who is respected by thousands will fall periodically each year. This one is especially surprising, to me at least.
After coaching for 61 years at Penn State – 46 of those as head coach – Joe Paterno was fired late last night for his role in a child sex abuse case involving a former staff member of his coaching staff. When he found out about what happened nearly 10 years ago, he reported it to his athletics director but then, allegedly, turned a blind eye to it from that point on. At 84 years old, his illustrious career has been brought down to its knees.
What can we learn from this?
1. “A good name is more desirable than great riches.” Proverbs 22:1 makes it pretty simple, though it won’t always be easy – be more concerned about your legacy than your bank account. Doing the right thing and having a “good name” takes a lifetime to establish and may cost a lot in the process. But it is worth far more than any amount of money or fame, and losing a good name will cost you far more than losing the money or fame you selfishly desire.
2. Sin is serious. 1 Corinthians 5 tells us exactly what most of us do when we know sin is going on, be it in our own lives or in others. “And you have become arrogant, and have not mourned instead.” Too often we forget that sin must be dealt with – immediately – even when we know it will be hard. But the Bible gives us a promise that either we can deal with the sin immediately or let God deal with it eventually. “…then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23
3. Justice is a priority. One of the biggest lies in our culture – especially Christian culture – is that we should not judge ANYONE at ANYTIME. That is a twisted view of God’s word! We should not judge others out of pride as if we are better than them. That is the point of the verse so often taken out of context. But when obvious sin is occurring or has occurred, we have an obligation from God to not stand by and do nothing about it! Isaiah 1:17 says “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression…” Especially when this sin is within the church, we should do all that we can to correct it and restore our brother or sister back to fellowship with God. But even when it is not, we have a duty to make justice our priority.
4. I could be next. It is so easy in situations like these to say “I would never do that!” And in that moment I am committing the most dangerous sin of all – pride. I am one choice away from ruining any chance of having a good name, destroying my family, or even my church. Similar to the old idiom “But by the Grace of God there go I,” 1 Corinthians 15:10 says “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” In other words, it is only by God’s grace I am where I am, and not in someone else’s shoes. It is not because I am a better person, but because of Jesus. The moment I take my eyes of that, I am in danger of being the next to fall.
Is there sin in your life or that you are aware of that should be dealt with immediately? Are you taking shortcuts that could one day ruin your legacy? Or are you living a life of pride thinking you would never be able to mess up? Take a moment now to confess that to God and repent from whatever it may be.


