The world seems to be looking for a hero that will step in and save the day. We hear stories of police officers, nurses, firefighters or others who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of another as we are seeing in North Carolina and in Israel now. Movies are filled with many characters like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and a multitude of other fictional characters in the Marvel series all pictured as heroes or heroines who portray admirable traits such as strength, courage, intelligence, leadership and empathy for others. It's easy enough to find heroes in our personal lives, society, and in the books we read, but are there such obvious heroes in the Bible? YES, in the Hebrew Bible, the word “Gibor” is translated as “mighty” or “hero”—those who rise to the occasion in times of crisis, rallying others to combat injustice and adversity. As Christians, when we think of heroes the one that immediately comes to mind is Jesus. Jesus sets the example, and whenever we see someone exhibiting Jesus-like qualities, we think to ourselves, this is a hero. I believe that God is calling us to fix our eyes on Jesus—our perfect Savior and example—to become a hero in the faith—a symbol of hope in dark times, inspiring others to act courageously.
According to Hebrews 12:2, Jesus is both the Author and Finisher of our faith: “Look away (from all that will distract) to Jesus. Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith (giving the first incentive for our belief) and is also its Finisher (bringing it to maturity and perfection). He, for the joy (of obtaining the prize) that was set before Him, endured the cross. Despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus became our Kinsman-Redeemer according to the various laws of the Old Testament (Leviticus 25)—a male relative who had the privilege or responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need. God loves humanity so much that He was willing to send His Son to become flesh in order to redeem us from sin and separation from Him. God showed His love to us the first time by creating us and the second time by purchasing us back to Him! Romans 5: 8-11 says: “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” Jesus became our brother according to Hebrews 2:11—“for both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Christ redeems us because of our great need, one that only He can satisfy. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ bought us for Himself, out of the curse, out of our destitution; made us His own beloved bride; and blessed us for all generations. What more noteworthy biblical hero is there than Jesus? He modeled faith perfectly in all that He did. Through His actions, Jesus overcame numerous enemies: Satan, His persecutors, and death. He won in the end, and because of His win, His followers can also reap the benefits of salvation. Jesus was a hero throughout every chapter of His life on Earth, a reason why every believer and almost every nonbeliever knows the word—Jesus. As Christians we are called to know Jesus, to allow His acts to continue in us and through us so that we can be Jesus to others! Peter commands us in I Peter 1: 14-16 to be obedient to Christ, to resist evil and to be holy in all we do because He is holy! He is calling us to be heroes in our journey upon this earth!
In Hebrews Chapter 11 we have many heroes of the faith listed. These were ordinary flawed people who demonstrated extraordinary faith, obedience, and selflessness in their journey as they served God and others. Their stories inspire us to follow God’s ways and prioritize His glory over our own in our journey of faith. It is important for us to go back and read the list of these faith heroes to be reminded of the obstacles that they overcame by true faith and courage amidst life’s challenges. Verse 2 says: “For by (faith—trust and holy fervor born of faith) the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.” And according to the list, there were some women listed as well. As we read the list, it challenges us to consider what kind of testimony our life is on this earthly journey. Let’s take a closer look at a few of those listed in the heroes of faith: Daniel: "So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, 'May your God, whom you continually serve, rescue you!'" (Daniel 6:16) During Babylon's capture of the Israelites, the king signed an edict that forbade prayer or petition to any god or person except for the king himself (Daniel 6:7). The king's new rule would last a month, and anyone who disobeyed would be put in a terrifying place - a lion's den. Instead of abandoning his faith, Daniel continued to pray. He put God before himself and eventually was discovered. Daniel faced King Darius' consequence, only his trip to the lion's den did not end in death. The courageous Israelite used the power of faith to prevent any lion from harming him. The outcome for our hero was life, while his opponents were met with death (Daniel 6:24). Daniel showed himself to be a hero by standing up for what was right. He maintained his reverence for God and served as an example not only for the Jews of that time, but for present-day Christians. He made the sacrifice of personal comfort to be godly, despite the potential consequence. Moses: "As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground." (Exodus 14:16) Moses displayed himself as a hero by performing several good deeds on behalf of God and his people. He attained the Ten Commandments, enacted the various plagues in Egypt, freed the Israelites from slavery, and parted the Red Sea by the power of God. Much of what Moses did was to get the Israelites to the Promised Land; only Moses himself did not ever reach such a place. God did not permit Moses to enter (Deuteronomy 32:51-52). Even with this sad truth, in the next chapter, Moses blesses his people and speaks highly of God. Heroes, even when they do not win for themselves, win on behalf of others. Moses portrays a painful sacrifice that not many would make, knowing that in the end, others would inherit a benefit and he would not. David: "David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him.'" (1 Samuel 17:45) "David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown to the ground." (1 Samuel 17:49) Heroes possess the ability and willpower to overcome opponents who are sometimes much larger in stature than themselves. Christians today can easily recognize David as a hero for two reasons: showcasing an unwavering faith in God and standing up to a much larger foe. Goliath represented the might and power of the Philistine army, but he did not represent God. On the other hand, David represented the frailty of man but the might of God. With nothing but a rock, a slingshot, and plenty of faith, David defeated his opponent. David did not enter into battle proclaiming the significance of man, but rather his reverence for God. David acted in this battle, not for the benefit of self, but the nation of Israel. He stood up to Goliath when no other warrior would, and he was only a shepherd. Faith, putting others before himself, and defeating a mighty foe, David has become emblematic of any hero facing a giant enemy. We see many giant enemies around us today!
As a Christian, the idea of heroism extends beyond beating up villains and fighting for justice. Heroism involves sacrifice, sometimes a sacrifice that means people reap a benefit that the hero does not. There are definite similarities between our biblical heroes and those we see around us day-to-day. Today America is in a battle for the soul of our nation. It seems that we are facing impossible odds BUT GOD is in control and nothing is impossible with Him. May God raise up a leader like David for such a time as this—a hero, giving him the power to help—to be a champion. Read Psalm 89: 19-24 and pray it out loud for our nation as it speaks to where we are now. The biblical heroes all had one thing in common—their faith in God. If we want to be both heroes and Christians, we have to make sure we are not just serving humankind or ourselves; we have to serve God. Jesus is our hero; therefore, we as Christians must be heroes of the faith and make a difference in our homes, communities, nations, and the entire world, not just today or the past, but also for the future.
Each day is an important part of our life—a path in our journey. God breathes into us the breath of life that we would live our life for Him. We were born to serve the Lord! As Christians our life has no real finality—just endings and beginnings that mark our journey…We must leave yesterday where it belongs; and make the most of the life the Lord has given us right now. He will certainly do something new right when we need it just like He did in the lives of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. God is calling each of us to rise to the challenge today according to Daniel 12:3 “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” We are called to be heroes—who shine forth righteousness! Dr. Charles Stanley who indeed completed a hero’s journey leaves us with these marching orders: “A faithful disciple pursues wisdom, feasts on the Word, prays without ceasing, answers the call, generously gives, follows the Spirit, embraces repentance, embodies patience, trusts and obeys, takes up the cross, forgives everything, loves abundantly, boasts only in Christ.” That is indeed the recipe for a Hero’s Journey.
God inspired me recently at the funeral of a 97-year-old man who completed a Hero’s Journey by a poem a woman wrote entitled “Through My Eyes” as a testimony “to the man with a Bible in his hands and love in his heart that blessed my soul!” Lord, help us to follow in this hero’s footsteps!