“But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.” – Zechariah 7:11-12
On Sunday, September 25, 2022, two major league pitchers were ejected from the game before it began. Just before the game, the National Anthem was played. All the players were lined up on the infield foul line, each player removing his hat and placing it on his heart.
After the song, all of the players clapped, replaced their hats on their heads, and ran back to the dugout. All except Seattle’s Robbie Ray and Kansas City’s Luke Weaver. They refused to leave the field following the national anthem. They both stood there in a “standoff” stubbornly refusing to move.
These standoffs are not rare, but an umpire needing to intercede is. Third-base umpire and crew chief Marvin Hudson, fed up and not wanting to delay the game, hollered at both before issuing ejections.
Weaver was the first forced off the field, which made Ray – his former teammate in Arizona – the winner. Ray fist-pumped and returned to a cheering dugout. Then Ray was ejected.
Weaver said he was surprised he was ejected and thought there would be a warning. He and Ray are friends, and the moment wasn’t planned. They caught eyes during the anthem, and neither wanted to budge.
Are you stubborn to the point of being foolish? Today in prayer, confess any stubbornness in your heart to the Lord and seek to follow Jesus in all that you do.
“I always believed in God and Christ, but I was in rebellion - trying to make my relationship with God fit into my life instead of making my life fit in with him. I was stubborn.” – Scott Stapp
God’s Word: “But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.” – Jeremiah 7:24
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