A True Superhero

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028:18&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=COl+1%3A15-17&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+17:14&version=NIV1984

Like most boys, I enjoyed reading comic books.  Especially ones about Superheroes.  Superman.  Batman & Robin.  Green Lantern.  Captain America.  Spiderman.  The Incredible Hulk.  Since we didn’t have a TV, reading about Superheroes was one of my passions.  What’s not to like about them?  Rescuing people. Fighting against evil.  Always saving the day.  Every boy dreams of one day becoming a Superhero.  Of course, the costumes are a big, big draw as well.

Fortunate for me, a couple years ago my 3-year-old grandson, Brett, developed an interest in Superheroes.  Not in comic books.  But DVD’s.  Sweet.  So whenever I had the time we would watch the Superfriends and the Hall Of Justice.  And root against the Legion Of Doom.  Of course, the inevitable happened.  Brett wanted a cape like Superman.  A belt like Batman.  And a ring like Green Lantern.  I can’t say that I blame him.  I think a part of me still would like these things as well.

This past week in our adult Sunday School class I made the following observation.  Superheroes, once the domain of young boys, has now become mainstream.  It’s now OK for adults to like Superheroes.  Evidence of their universal appeal is seen by the number of movies that Hollywood has produced featuring Superheroes over the past couple decades.  Superman.  Batman.  Spiderman.  Green Lantern.  Iron Man.  Captain America.  The Incredible Hulk.  The Incredibles.  The Fantastic Four.  And many others.  The reason why Hollywood is making movies about Superheroes is that they are extremely popular.  And profitable.  So just exactly why are Superheroes so popular these days?

I suppose that there are a number of reasons.  First of all, we like Superheroes because they are strong.  Smart.  Brave.  Resilient.  Qualities that we admire.  Secondly, we like it when good triumphs over evil.  When the good guy wins and the bad guys loses.  This always happens with Superheroes.  The Superhero always wins.  And the bad guys always lose.  We also like when innocent or helpless people are rescued.  We like the fact that one person (albeit a Superhero) can make a difference in the world.  We also like that Superheroes, when not using their superpowers, are ordinary.  Just like us.  A student.  A newspaper reporter.  An engineer.  Finally, I think we like Superheroes because they are an escape from the world we live in.  In the Superhero world, everything always ends up the way it’s supposed to.  So unlike the real world.

The downside of Superheroes is that they don’t actually exist.  Not in the real world.  No human possess supernatural abilities or powers.  No human is above the law and can punish the bad guys.  Fighting crime has to be left to the professionals.  Of course, there is the very real danger of getting killed.  Or seriously wounded.  Worse yet, we could get sued!  By the bad guys!  We could end up in jail while they take our money!  So while Superheroes fill a void in our lives, they do so temporarily.  As soon as the lights come back on and we leave the theater, we are left with a world devoid of Superheroes.  Or are we?

The Bible tells us that there is one Superhero.  If I can call Him that.  He is Someone we can always count on.  Someone who is good and who has triumphed over evil.  Someone who rescues the weak and the powerless.  Someone who has all kind of qualities that we admire.  Someone who made a profound difference in our world.  Of course, the Superhero in question is Jesus.

In a day when evil seems so strong, Jesus is stronger.  Infinitely stronger.  All the forces of Hell are no match for Him!  Jesus is also a person we can always look up to.  Always.  Good.  Holy.  Righteous.  Pure.  Those are the adjectives that describe His personality.  He is also the kind of Person we can model our lives after.  And He will never let us down.

So the next time you get discouraged with life and long for a Superhero, look no further than Jesus.  He is the only One you’ll ever need!

Lord, I thank you that in a world which is so big, so frightening, and so evil, I have Someone I can count on.  Someone who has conquered sin, death and evil.  Someone who stands for righteousness and justice.  Someone who loves me.  And is my Friend.  Jesus.  Amen.