Don't be a hero

Kids love heroes.  Hiccup and Spiderman and Perry (the only secret agent platypus I know of) and Sophie (of BFG fame) and Bilbo and Batman and BA remain loved and emulated by children.  And at least by this adult!

The Bible is full of heroes. 

Or is it?

Heroes is how often the church presents them.  Noah and Abraham and David and Solomon and Peter and Paul.  ‘Be like them’ we say.  ‘Look at their lives’ we urge.  ‘Emulate them’ we argue.

Yet are they so heroic?

Noah slept with his daughters in a drunken celebration.  Abraham pimped out his wife for his own security.  David was an adulterer.  Paul assisted a murder while Peter attempted one.

Not really hero material.  Or at best one of Hollywood’s anti-heroes - deeply flawed and pushing against their darker nature to try and find the light.

There are no heroes, except Jesus

When it comes to understanding the Bible and teaching it well (especially as we rightly try to simplify it for our kids) realising there are no heroes but Jesus is vital.  Abraham is not a hero.  Israel are not heroes.  The disciples are not heroes.  Paul is not a hero.  Jesus is.  Jesus is always and only the hero of every story. 

Jesus is the one who actually establishes a people under God’s blessing (not Abraham).  Jesus is the one who is actually God’s perfect, obedient chosen one (not Israel).  Jesus it the perfect powerful king (not Saul or David or Solomon).  Jesus is the one who creates and sustains the church (not the disciples).  Jesus is the one who reaches all nations (not Paul).  

Make Jesus the hero.

And what a hero.

Be it Superman, the Green Lantern, Gandolf, Harry Potter or Arrietty, or Noah and Deborah and John, all our hero stories flow from and point to Jesus.  Whether they come from culture or from the Bible.  He is the one of supreme power.  He is the one who enters the heart of enemy territory.  He is the one who gives his life so others may live.  He is the one who defeats the evil and most grotesque of enemies.  He is the only who alone takes the rebels to be his friends.  He is the one who conquers against death.  He is the one who takes our place and stands where we should but never could.  He is the one who makes a way.

We do our children and ourselves a grave injustice if we teach the hero stories (of the Bible or of culture) and make out anyone other than Jesus to be the hero.  Do we really want our children emulating Abraham?  Our sons copying David?  Our daughters Rahab?  Is Peter really such a great role-model?

No, show them these people are not heroes – they are ordinary people.  Jesus is the hero. 

We are all (potentially) heroes

And making Jesus the hero is exactly what these Bible characters did right – sometimes about the only thing!  In fact making Jesus their hero and help and hope is why there are moments in their lives (and sometimes long moments) of light and love and courage and commitment.  Don’t imitate Abraham, except his trust in God’s promise and obedience to God’s command.  Don’t imitate David, except his heart that longed for God.  Don’t imitate Paul, accept his focus on Jesus’ commission.

Don’t imitate them as heroes; imitate how they made Jesus the hero.

That is what has the potential to make us all heroes – at least part of the time.