There was “John 3:16” printed in quarterback Tim Tebow’s eye black, and the NFL’s Carson Wentz with “Romans 5:8” on his spikes.

Add New York Yankees’ reliever Luke Weaver’s “Bible Glove” to the list of bold Christian athletes witnessing about their faith to the world. In addition to a strip on the outside of the glove that looks like a Bible binding, he has a crown of thorns in the palm and three verses in the glove:

Matthew 19:26: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

1 Corinthians 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

Heading into this afternoon’s third game of the American League Championship series in Cleveland, New York’s 31-year-old pitcher is considered the hottest closer in baseball, a player whose team is two wins away from a World Series.

That’s quite a turn for a journeyman who was traded twice in recent years, and claimed off waivers earlier this season. He’s also been a starter for the vast majority of his career. He was sent to the bullpen after the Bronx Bomber’s previous closer blew ten games earlier this season.

Weaver was first drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 but decided to go to college instead. He was drafted again in 2014 by the St. Louis Cardinals, traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, traded to the Kansas City Royals, and then claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners. In 2023 he played for the Mariners, Reds and Yankees.

“You get kicked in the teeth enough times and you got to get back up, right?” Weaver reflected. “Coming to the park every day when you’re unsuccessful is one of the hardest things to do. You feel like the weight of the world is on you. You feel like the loss is on you.”

Weaver credits former St. Louis Cardinals’ pitcher Adam Wainwright with helping him mature in his Christian faith both on and off the field. Some injuries slowed Weaver’s progress as a young pitcher, setbacks and disappointments that forced him to dig in and deepen his devotion to God.

One of the ways Weaver decided to motivate himself and be used as a witness was to design a custom baseball glove with reminders of just how central faith in Jesus Christ needed to be. Luke worked with the glove manufacturer Aria to make a “Bible Glove.”

“It’s just a way where I want to be able to show the world that in the midst of that battle and the competition and the personality and expression, this is what I choose to do,” Weaver said.

“In doing this, I hope more kids can wear a glove like I’m wearing and to wear it in their travel ball and their Little Leagues and their high schools and their colleges, to one day just be like, ‘Hey, I’m using a glove that helps me play this game, but I’m also expressing who I am and I love every second of it.’”

Interviewed on the Jesus Calling podcast, Weaver said the glove has been a great conversation starter with fans – a subtle but easy way to witness.

Most of us don’t or will ever play Major League Baseball. But we will get sick or injured from time to time. We probably won’t get traded, but we might lose a job, get bypassed for a promotion or see our influence wane at work.

Luke Weaver’s roller coaster career, and his unusual glove, are a good reminder to keep your focus on the Lord’s Word – and keep pitching.

Image from Getty.