“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.”  (Luke 19)

 

What constitutes a hero?  In this day and time, everyone one is a hero.  This may sound good and uplifting but when everyone is a hero, no one is a hero and no one needs saving.  All police officers, all Fireman, all first responder, all military persons are heroes.  Is this true?  While it is true that many of the mentioned do praise-worthy things that could be called heroic, does this constitute a hero?  Most of the above would say no, for most of the above are humble.  I will say somethings that may cause one to grow angry in a twinkling of an eye, but hear me out and let me finish before you rip your hair out.

Dirty cops are not heroes. Some of their actions may be heroic but their dirtiness disqualifies them and they would probably confess that to be true. Is the fireman a hero because he fights fire? Both the police officer and the fire fighter do face dangers knowingly and this is courageous and it is brave, but does that constitute a hero?  I’m not saying it is or it isn’t. I have a nephew and a niece that joined the military during war time, my nephew now is a deputy police officer, methinks I know his heart and it is the heart of a hero.  My neice, is now a postal worker and inside her beats the heart of a heroine… a female hero and not the drug.
But does a person that joins the military for self betterment and education options constitute a hero?  If a person joins the military during peace times with little threat of seeing war, but do so for personal gain, does that constitute a hero? The soldier that joins the military to defend the country and serve this nation, especially during times of war are certainly heroes and should be honoured, for it is their honour that drives them.  What about persons that join the military that does so for the souls purpose of killing for the sake of pleasure, is this heroic?  Many a murderer at heart join the military for the purpose of legal killing, does this constitute a hero? Some join the service to avoid jail time, is this heroic?

Reader, we are not trying to defame or dismiss anyone’s heroic actions, we are seeking to define and to be precise in our defining. We all know super heroes are fictional and do not exist, not in a supernatural way, anyway.   There are of course persons that dress up and do good works and call themselves real life super heroes, these persons, I have no problem with, do they constitute true heroes, I know not because I know not these persons.

Methinks before one can be a hero one needs to be known in a real way and in depth.  We certainly have heroes in Scripture, and in history and because their whole life is laid out before us we can judge them to be heroes or not. No one would argue that men like Martin Luther, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Lincoln, King Jr., Rosa Parks and others  that left this place better than when they found it. No one would dispute men and women from Scripture as heroes of faith, like Abraham, Moses, Deborah, Samson, Ruth, Esther, David, the prophets, Peter, John, Paul and of course our Lord Jesus Christ.

A hero is a person that over the course of his or her life left persons and places better than they found them, while overcoming great obstacle to do so. Heroes are those that do exploits in the Name of God, in the name of goodness, rightness, honour, loyalty while facing down danger and death. The heroes can be in any field, Heroes are found in Faith, Medicine, Law, Military, Education, the Family, and in everyday life.

It is an unfortunate truth and reality that not all heroes remain heroes.  King Saul stands as an example in Scripture. In history, Hitler was once thought a great mind and a fine example of a world leader.  Other leaders went to Germany to meet him and learn from him, it’s true, research it yourself. I believe he was even Time’s Man of the Year at one (1) point.  All of this was prior to his turn to wickedness and genocide and the very picture of evil…however, these traits were always in him even during his time as respected world leader.  One never knows when someone will turn bad. This is one good reason to reserve the title of hero until one is dead.  The very title of hero can be the trigger that drives some to evil.

Of course, there are those that were once bad, but became the hero. King Manassah, Nebuchadnezzar, Saul/Paul of Tarsus, John Mark.  Some heroes fail and faulter but are raised up to become a great hero, Peter fell, but he became the hero.  Samson fell but God raised him to be a hero of our faith.

Of course, if one is Christ-ian one’s Hero and Champion is the GodMan, Christ Jesus,Who is both Lord and Saviour.  This Man, the Man, Christ Jesus overcame the temptations of the devil and the flesh.  This Man defeated death and the grave, this Man defeated dirty politics and man centered religionists at every turn.  This Man saved many from blindness, deafness, lameness, dumbness, Palsies, and demons, self and Sin, and death eternal. This Man’s only weakness was His love for those that loved Him not and this love is also His great Strength. It was His love for those He came to save that held Him to a cursed, cruel, and criminal’s Cross. It was His love that allowed puny and depraved humanity to kill Him and it was His Sovereign love that allowed Him to defeat the devil, destruction, and death for the sake of the spirits, and souls of His elect brethren. Then this Man Christ Jesus sent forth His faith, hope, and love and shared it with us through His ever-living and abiding Holy Spirit.

To sum things up:
The Man Christ Jesus > a man that can handle a ball
The Man Christ Jesus > a music or television or movie celebrity
The Man Christ Jesus > Good and Honourable Politicians, Military Heroes, Educators, World Changers.
The Man Christ Jesus > Heroes of the Faith in Scripture
The Man Christ Jesus > Heroes from History

Any questions, comments, or concerns?
Godspeed.