Was it worth it?
Have you ever wanted to ask that of someone after they did something reckless and had to pay the consequences? I would imagine that many wanted to ask Michael Sergio this question on December 19, 1986.
It was October 25, 1986, and game six of the World Series was being played in New York between the Mets and the Boston Red Sox. Over 55,000 fans were in attendance when Sergio entered the stadium. How did 55,000 people zero in on one particular fan? It was easy. Sergio parachuted on to the field, trailing a “Let’s Go Mets” banner behind him. As the crowd cheered (or, at least, the Mets’ fans cheered), Sergio was quickly arrested and taken off the field.
We have to at least applaud Sergio’s integrity. When questioned, he admitted that he was an experienced parachutist and that his landing was intentional. He never tried to deny that or lie and say it was accidental. Still, this was a foolish stunt.
Several Mets players helped pay for a lawyer for Sergio. Queens, New York prosecutors wanted Sergio charged with reckless endangerment and criminal trespassing. After all, he hadn’t purchased a ticket for the game and the prosecutors claimed that fans could have been injured if his stunt had gone awry. The lawyer got his sentence reduced to just the criminal trespass charge. On December 19, 1986, he was fined $500 and sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
Was it worth it? But things were about to get worse.
The courts wanted to know who flew the plane. This would have been restricted air space without clearance from LaGuardia Airport – which the pilot clearly did not have. Sergio refused to give up the name of the pilot. Now, his $500 fine and 100 of community service turned into a contempt of court charge and six months in a federal prison.
Was it worth it?
He didn’t gain lasting fame. If it hadn’t been for this devotional, would you have even known the man’s name. He didn’t gain money. He didn’t get a job promotion. He wasn’t looked upon as a pillar of his community. Nobody was saying that this is a man of high moral standards and virtuous. And nobody was heralding Sergio as a man of great intelligence.
Was it worth it?
Hebrews 11:24-26 says, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; (25) Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; (26) Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”
The pleasures of sin have only temporary worth. The sinner sins because it’s worth it – for the moment. In the long run, though, the sinner is left extremely empty and filled with regrets. Moses chose NOT to have those regrets. Instead, he chose the moments of suffering, knowing that they provided eternal reward.
As a Christian, we always want to ask, “Is this right? Is this Scriptural? Is this going to be pleasing to the Lord?” But we should also ask ourselves, “Will this be worth it in the end?” That which is right, Scriptural, and pleasing to the Lord will most definitely be worth it in the end, even if we must suffer in the moment.
Let’s remind ourselves today of the truth of Galatians 6:7-8. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
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