Super Jesus?


David Koepp.
Image Source: http://wegotthiscovered.com/

We crave to be in control. “Spiderman” screenwriter David Koepp believes that is one of the reasons why superhero movies are in vogue nowadays. “They’re empowerment stories, and what’s better than that. The golden age of fantasy is often when society is going through a hard time. I think 9/11 and the souring of the economy have had a lot to do with it, because people want fantasy. They want to escape to a place where they feel a fantasy of success and omnipotence, you’re safe and you’re protected.” (Source: “Superhero Obsession: Why We Love Fantasy”) 

 Deep within us, we don’t want to end up weak. We covet to conquer our challenges. If it is a problem as tall as a building, we want to be able to leap over it in a single bounce. We want to solve it faster than a speeding bullet. Artist and author Arlen Schumer agrees, “Superhero stories, all heroic myth stories teach us and tell us that it is possible, that you can do it. In real life, we often cannot overcome our obstacles. We cannot get justice, we cannot right wrongs and we need stories to tell ourselves that we could be this; we could act this way.” (Ibid) In short, we want to be in control of our circumstances. But we need not be in command of our lives. And, even if we want to, we cannot do it simply because we actually have no superpowers. That’s why we had to craft stories about superheroes.

Image source: http://eeckow.deviantart.com/

Only God is in charge. “God controls the stars in the sky and everyone on this earth. When God does something, we cannot change it or even ask why.” (Daniel 4:35, CEV) Psalm 115:3 declares, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” (ESV) And He came down from heaven and became man not just to become a model but actually to be our Master. Our Lord Jesus is no fictional Superman who came from a make-believe planet Krypton. He did not deflect bullets. He even allowed nails to pierce Him. Knowing Him is not an escape to fantasy. It is only through Him that life becomes a reality. We don’t need to come up with superheroes to cope up with life. He declared, “I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” (John 10:10, CEV) He can do that because He is Life Himself (John 14:6). People expected him to right wrongs. But He did more than that. When we accept Him, He makes us right with God. No superhero can do that.

My take? Our Lord Jesus is our Savior, not a mere superhero.

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