Batman, Wonder Woman, Jesus, And Other Superheroes
Preaching
Lions And Cows Dining Together
And 111 Other Sermon Ideas
Object:
Purpose Statement: How is Jesus like, and not like, our superheroes?
Our culture has created the superhero world of Superman, Captain Marvel, Supergirl, Batman, Robin, and many others. The heyday of these comic characters may stem from a more economically depressed time and reflect our society's desire for miracles or some agent to bring relief -- or I could be wrong. It may simply be nothing else but one form of entertainment in the world of comics. We still like the idea of a hero riding in on a warhorse and rescuing us from the bad guys. It is no different from any adventure novel or movie where we want the good to triumph and the evil to be destroyed or at least punished. There is no question but that the people in Jesus' day were looking for a superhero in a Messiah, and some believed Jesus filled that role. He was greeted on Palm Sunday with great expectations. Is there any more that we can glean from this subject theologically and what it might mean for us?
a. What Jesus had in common with other superheroes. Like Superman, Jesus helped others, had special superhuman powers, fought for justice, and was that someone very special we could look up to. The stories of walking on water, exploits with miraculously filled fishnets, stilling storms, and healing all kinds of illness qualify him for the superhero category. Even if he didn't do all these things, the stories that persist indicate the expectations the people had and the reputation he developed. We can trust Captain Marvel, Batman, and Jesus to rescue us.
b. How he distanced himself from them. There are conflicting thoughts in our gospels concerning Jesus' attitude toward identification with the Messiah. While there are certainly instances where he seemed to accept the role, there are many more where he clearly put down his superhero status and/or activity. He refused to defend himself when arrested in the garden. He declined the superpower available to him to "bring in the kingdom," or to get down from the cross after the crowd mocked him with, "Save yourself" (Matthew 27:39-43). When asked to perform miracles he decried such display (Matthew 12:38-39). There was so much injustice and evil where Jesus might have used super normal power to destroy it. Captain Marvel would have.
c. How he was different from our superheroes. I am not very conversant with all the Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman literature, but I doubt very much they were ever heard to say, "Love your enemies." Matthew 5:38-48 records teachings of Jesus that no superhero would ever utter. Turn the other cheek; go the second mile; do good to your enemies. If Superman suggested such ideas, that issue of his comic would probably be his last. He would have to look for a new career. Can you hear Captain America recommending the Beatitudes? And yet, when the crowd urged Jesus to come down from the cross to prove his power, it was his great love reflected in his prayer, "Father, forgive them," that convinced the soldier in charge who Jesus really was (Luke 23:34-47). In Matthew (27:54) the officer pronounces Jesus the Son of God. Jesus stands alone when he says to love our enemies.
d. What does this mean for us? In our worst moments we want our enemies to be destroyed. A Rambo or James Bond is the kind of hero that satisfies our sense of justice. Jesus brings an entirely new philosophy of peace and kindness that says enemies are children of God, also.
Our culture has created the superhero world of Superman, Captain Marvel, Supergirl, Batman, Robin, and many others. The heyday of these comic characters may stem from a more economically depressed time and reflect our society's desire for miracles or some agent to bring relief -- or I could be wrong. It may simply be nothing else but one form of entertainment in the world of comics. We still like the idea of a hero riding in on a warhorse and rescuing us from the bad guys. It is no different from any adventure novel or movie where we want the good to triumph and the evil to be destroyed or at least punished. There is no question but that the people in Jesus' day were looking for a superhero in a Messiah, and some believed Jesus filled that role. He was greeted on Palm Sunday with great expectations. Is there any more that we can glean from this subject theologically and what it might mean for us?
a. What Jesus had in common with other superheroes. Like Superman, Jesus helped others, had special superhuman powers, fought for justice, and was that someone very special we could look up to. The stories of walking on water, exploits with miraculously filled fishnets, stilling storms, and healing all kinds of illness qualify him for the superhero category. Even if he didn't do all these things, the stories that persist indicate the expectations the people had and the reputation he developed. We can trust Captain Marvel, Batman, and Jesus to rescue us.
b. How he distanced himself from them. There are conflicting thoughts in our gospels concerning Jesus' attitude toward identification with the Messiah. While there are certainly instances where he seemed to accept the role, there are many more where he clearly put down his superhero status and/or activity. He refused to defend himself when arrested in the garden. He declined the superpower available to him to "bring in the kingdom," or to get down from the cross after the crowd mocked him with, "Save yourself" (Matthew 27:39-43). When asked to perform miracles he decried such display (Matthew 12:38-39). There was so much injustice and evil where Jesus might have used super normal power to destroy it. Captain Marvel would have.
c. How he was different from our superheroes. I am not very conversant with all the Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman literature, but I doubt very much they were ever heard to say, "Love your enemies." Matthew 5:38-48 records teachings of Jesus that no superhero would ever utter. Turn the other cheek; go the second mile; do good to your enemies. If Superman suggested such ideas, that issue of his comic would probably be his last. He would have to look for a new career. Can you hear Captain America recommending the Beatitudes? And yet, when the crowd urged Jesus to come down from the cross to prove his power, it was his great love reflected in his prayer, "Father, forgive them," that convinced the soldier in charge who Jesus really was (Luke 23:34-47). In Matthew (27:54) the officer pronounces Jesus the Son of God. Jesus stands alone when he says to love our enemies.
d. What does this mean for us? In our worst moments we want our enemies to be destroyed. A Rambo or James Bond is the kind of hero that satisfies our sense of justice. Jesus brings an entirely new philosophy of peace and kindness that says enemies are children of God, also.
