Most of you don’t know Len Bias, but back in the mid-80s he was arguably the best basketball player in America. He’d just graduated from the University of Maryland and signed a multimillion dollar contract with the Boston Celtics.
The entire basketball world couldn’t wait to see Len Bias play ball on the famous parquet floor in the Boston Garden. Then, everything blew up.
The news broke that Len Bias was found dead just hours after signing his contract. The autopsy shocked us even more: a heart attack brought on by cocaine.
Just like that, one of the greatest basketball talents of a generation (we’re talking Michael Jordan-type talent) was gone. And for what? Cocaine.
Now, we all know using drugs is dangerous. But honestly, even if Len Bias was using a lot of cocaine, did he really deserve to die?
We run into this a lot, don’t we? A seemingly small act—one night of mischief, one wrong turn, one mistake—and we end up paying for it for the rest of our lives.
Relationships are broken and careers are destroyed. And yes, lives are lost because of one moment we’d do anything to go back and change.
We forget the high price of sin. James reminds us that sin brings death—to everyone, every time.
The cross is a stark reminder of how expensive sin actually is. Jesus on the cross is an unforgettable reminder that this is how much sin costs. This was the price. This is how much you’re worth.
We should live a little differently today remembering the price that was demanded by all of our mistakes—and the price that Jesus was willing to pay.
