Jesus Ain't No Superhero
Jesus Ain’t No Superhero
It’s no secret that our culture, both in America and the world, has an affinity with superheroes. In 2009, Disney bought Marvel Entertainment (essentially the Marvel universe… its characters, ideas, movie franchise, merchandise, and anything else that comes with it) for about $4 billion. While that seems like a lot of money, the return on investment has paid off. Literally.
As of summer of 2023, the Marvel universe movie franchise has grossed just under $30 billion worldwide. So again, it’s safe to say that both America and the world have an affection and fascination with superheroes. I won’t call it a fetish, but it’s certainly some kind of love.
Throughout the lifetime of the cinema, there have always been stories surrounding saving. That’s what superheroes do. The iconic, and greatly overdone, damsel in distress, the heroine who is saved by the valiant and handsome hero. And also the slightly unrealistic superhero chic who weighs about 120 pounds with rocks in her pockets, yet somehow is able to completely knock out a grown man that is twice her height and weight with a single right hook and never breaks a sweat… yeah… our culture might have a fetish for unrealistic superheroes after all.
And to be honest, I wonder if many people take this same approach and expectation when it comes to Jesus. Maybe we want a Jesus who flies in on a Pegasus and saves us from a dreadful and impending doom unless the superhero intercedes. Maybe we want a Jesus that we can call on when we want. He comes to save the day then goes back whence He came. Or maybe we don’t want a superhero at all.
Maybe we actually want Janitorial Jesus. Someone we call on to clean up the disastrous mess we just made on aisle three on our lives. Yeah, superheroes may wear capes, but janitors wear jumpsuits. And I imagine jumpsuits choke you a lot less than capes do.
And maybe that’s exactly it. Maybe that’s what our culture wants. We want Janitorial Jesus so He can clean up the messes, leave the superhero-ing to us, and we never have to change. After all, janitors don’t get much recognition or glory, and superheroes get it in no short supply.
One of the other issues of personifying Jesus through the lens of a superhero is their limited capacities. One being that they are all (mostly) still somewhat human. They still think through humanity. And Isaiah 55:8-9 says that His thoughts are not ours, and His ways are not ours. Meaning, He doesn’t think like we do, and He doesn’t do what, when, where, or how we do.
Another limitation is location. They can only be one place at one time. Even as fast as the Flash is, he is still limited by location. He can still only be one place at one time. No, we’re not getting into the multiverse with different versions of the same person. That’s much too complicated for this very simple blog (and writer).
And really, when it comes down to it, equating our Savior to a simple superhero is to actually degrade and downgrade Him. It also allows an open door for disappointment. Superheroes may have super-cool and super-human powers, but they still leave, forsake, and let-down. Jesus promises to never leave, never forsake, and He can’t let you down. He also can’t fail. If he could fail then He couldn’t be God.
The truth is, it’s our perspective or expectation of Him and/or what He chooses to do and/or allow that causes this disappointment. We didn’t agree with His what, when, where, or how, so we chose to get disappointed and chalk it up as “He failed us," when in reality we chose to take a different perspective or side.
Superheroes may save the world but they certainly don’t save souls. Superheroes may be sent out in a search party to find the lost, but they can’t redeem the lost. You see, Jesus doesn’t just save you, He redeems you. And after He redeems you, He restores you. Superheroes can’t do that.
So how is it that you choose to see your Savior? Does He only save you from things? Maybe He only saves you from yourself? If Jesus only saves you from your situations and circumstances, He’s not your Savior, He’s your superhero. And if He is only called on to save you physically then He’s just your sidekick. He’s just your genie.
Is Jesus your Savior or your sidekick? You are free to make your own decision, but you are not free to make your own salvation. Salvation doesn’t come through a superhero, but it did come through a superhuman Son of the Most High God.
It’s no secret that our culture, both in America and the world, has an affinity with superheroes. In 2009, Disney bought Marvel Entertainment (essentially the Marvel universe… its characters, ideas, movie franchise, merchandise, and anything else that comes with it) for about $4 billion. While that seems like a lot of money, the return on investment has paid off. Literally.
As of summer of 2023, the Marvel universe movie franchise has grossed just under $30 billion worldwide. So again, it’s safe to say that both America and the world have an affection and fascination with superheroes. I won’t call it a fetish, but it’s certainly some kind of love.
Throughout the lifetime of the cinema, there have always been stories surrounding saving. That’s what superheroes do. The iconic, and greatly overdone, damsel in distress, the heroine who is saved by the valiant and handsome hero. And also the slightly unrealistic superhero chic who weighs about 120 pounds with rocks in her pockets, yet somehow is able to completely knock out a grown man that is twice her height and weight with a single right hook and never breaks a sweat… yeah… our culture might have a fetish for unrealistic superheroes after all.
And to be honest, I wonder if many people take this same approach and expectation when it comes to Jesus. Maybe we want a Jesus who flies in on a Pegasus and saves us from a dreadful and impending doom unless the superhero intercedes. Maybe we want a Jesus that we can call on when we want. He comes to save the day then goes back whence He came. Or maybe we don’t want a superhero at all.
Maybe we actually want Janitorial Jesus. Someone we call on to clean up the disastrous mess we just made on aisle three on our lives. Yeah, superheroes may wear capes, but janitors wear jumpsuits. And I imagine jumpsuits choke you a lot less than capes do.
And maybe that’s exactly it. Maybe that’s what our culture wants. We want Janitorial Jesus so He can clean up the messes, leave the superhero-ing to us, and we never have to change. After all, janitors don’t get much recognition or glory, and superheroes get it in no short supply.
One of the other issues of personifying Jesus through the lens of a superhero is their limited capacities. One being that they are all (mostly) still somewhat human. They still think through humanity. And Isaiah 55:8-9 says that His thoughts are not ours, and His ways are not ours. Meaning, He doesn’t think like we do, and He doesn’t do what, when, where, or how we do.
Another limitation is location. They can only be one place at one time. Even as fast as the Flash is, he is still limited by location. He can still only be one place at one time. No, we’re not getting into the multiverse with different versions of the same person. That’s much too complicated for this very simple blog (and writer).
And really, when it comes down to it, equating our Savior to a simple superhero is to actually degrade and downgrade Him. It also allows an open door for disappointment. Superheroes may have super-cool and super-human powers, but they still leave, forsake, and let-down. Jesus promises to never leave, never forsake, and He can’t let you down. He also can’t fail. If he could fail then He couldn’t be God.
The truth is, it’s our perspective or expectation of Him and/or what He chooses to do and/or allow that causes this disappointment. We didn’t agree with His what, when, where, or how, so we chose to get disappointed and chalk it up as “He failed us," when in reality we chose to take a different perspective or side.
Superheroes may save the world but they certainly don’t save souls. Superheroes may be sent out in a search party to find the lost, but they can’t redeem the lost. You see, Jesus doesn’t just save you, He redeems you. And after He redeems you, He restores you. Superheroes can’t do that.
So how is it that you choose to see your Savior? Does He only save you from things? Maybe He only saves you from yourself? If Jesus only saves you from your situations and circumstances, He’s not your Savior, He’s your superhero. And if He is only called on to save you physically then He’s just your sidekick. He’s just your genie.
Is Jesus your Savior or your sidekick? You are free to make your own decision, but you are not free to make your own salvation. Salvation doesn’t come through a superhero, but it did come through a superhuman Son of the Most High God.
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