By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sermon Text: Mark 9:30-32
Sermon Theme
The theme of the disciples’ not understanding Jesus is found throughout the gospels. Mark emphasizes this fact repeatedly (Mark 4:12-13, 6:52, 7:18, 8:17, 21). Why do they not understand? The disciples accompany Jesus all during his earthly ministry. They see the miracles. They listen to his teaching. Yet they just don’t understand. Why is this? We often misunderstand Jesus as well. One fundamental reason is that the disciples, like us, don’t understand the difference between a hero and a savior. The longing for a hero is built deeply into human consciousness. In our sinful state it often obscures our innate hunger for God (Psalm 42:1). Jesus both fulfills and completely overturns the universal desire for a hero. Until we grasp this fact we will never fully understand who he really is.
Sermon Outline
- Hero. There is a universal longing for heroes. We all feel vulnerable in one way or another. We want to be rescued, even saved, from all the dilemmas and problems surrounding us. In the ancient world heroes shared a number of basic characteristics. These included being born of special parents often in unusual circumstances, escaping death as a child, being raised in obscurity and then emerging with special powers or weapons. Heroes achieve great victories. Yet they can appear to be weak. Heroes frequently suffer a major tragedy for which they are responsible. While married to a princess, they may be attracted to other women. They often die an unjust death. Nevertheless after death they are reconciled with the gods and may even be taken up to heaven. Classical heroes have at least a majority of these characteristics. This pattern is remarkable in that it can apply to historical figures as well as mythical ones. It applies to Hercules and Superman as well as John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. It even applies to a number of Biblical characters such as Moses, Joseph, Samson and David.
- Hope. The idea of a hero gives people hope for deliverance and security. Ancient writers believed that heroes were essential to maintain the safety of the community. Even the negative traits of heroes were accepted because of the greater good which they offered. So the Greeks could accept the pride and anger of Achilles because he was their greatest warrior. Israel venerated David in spite of his sins because he was their greatest king. The disciples, like everyone else in their world, Gentile and Jewish, were looking for a hero, a hero who could deliver them from the perils and dangers of life. The emperor Caesar Augustus claimed to be a hero. For the Jews the Messiah was thought to be a hero like David or Samson. This hero would conquer their enemies and free them. The hope the hero provided was for a safe and prosperous life. There were clear expectations for the hero. The bottom line however is that the hero preserves us but doesn’t change us.
- Heart. In the Old Testament God takes the place of the hero. He is the one who defeats the Leviathan, “the dragon that is in the sea,” prominent in many ancient myths (Psalm 74:12-14, Isaiah 27:1). God is far more than a hero. He is the creator and sustainer of life. Jesus fulfills the characteristics of the hero but in so doing transforms them. Jesus goes well beyond the role of hero. He is our savior. As such his goal is to change us. He changes our hearts, our attitudes, our desires. If we expect him only to be a hero we will be disappointed. This is the disciples’ problem. They see Jesus as a hero. They want him to be a hero. But if Jesus is only a hero he would preserve us but not change us. We share the same problem as the disciples in misunderstanding Jesus. We want him to protect us, to sustain us. We want him to rescue us from danger and difficulty. But we’re not asking him to change us, to take away our heart of stone and give us a new heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Jesus transforms the idea of the hero. His greatest victory is to be betrayed and killed (Mark 9:31). This is the victory that leads to resurrection (John 12:31-32). Jesus consoles us only as we share in his suffering (II Corinthians 1:5). Jesus is not our hero. He is our savior.
Questions for Us
- Why do you think the idea of a hero is so universal? Why do you think so many in Israel saw the Messiah as a hero who would rescue them from earthly foes?
- Why do you think it is so easy for us to see Jesus as a hero rather than a savior?
- Why is it so important for Jesus to change our hearts (something no hero could ever do)?
