THE AMAZING EMMANUEL #5/5
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
THE UNLIKELY HERO
December 24, 2003
Text: Isaiah 9:6-7; Micah 5:2-4
As I observed last Sunday morning, the third movie of The Lord of the
Rings trilogy is creating a lot of thoughts about the literature of J. R.
R. Tolkein. As I remarked Sunday, it is hard to believe in our day that
his stories were ever in danger of being lost in obscurity. They just
were not that hugely popular with the general public when first
published. Yet, there remained some along the way who sought to keep his
works alive.
There are many reasons why some remained fans of Tolkeins literature,
and why his fan base grew over the years. Some just like that particular
genre of literature. Some like the adventure it describes. Some like the
idealisms captured in parts of the stories. Some even like the religious
overtones that are woven into them. At the risk of stating an unverified
opinion, I think that one reason for Tolkeins popularity lies in the
development of his characters. In particular, the role of the characters
called Hobbits make for a magnificent plot. Of all the peoples of Middle
Earth, they are the least likely to carry out any heroic adventure. Yet,
when it falls to the Hobbit Frodo to bear the ring, that object of evil
power, to the place where it could be destroyed, Frodo and his three
friends display remarkable courage. Ed McNulty, publisher of Visual
Parables, a journal that examines the subject of faith in films, has
said: One of the twists in Tolkiens tales is that the hero is
physically the frailest. Frodo, the little hobbit, shows us that courage
isnt a matter of being big and free from fear. Frodo is scared out of
his wits most of the time, but he goes ahead anyway. Hes like those
firemen walking up the World Trade Center stairs on 9/11. Heroism wasnt
a matter of these big, tough macho-like characters, but ordinary cops and
fireman going in and sticking with it. Heroism comes in surprising
packages. The tales of Tolkein are so beloved by many because he tells
the story of an unlikely hero.
During the reign of Caesar Augustus, Gods people were looking for a
hero. Many of them, especially the educated teachers of the Law, knew the
prophecies concerning their Messiah. They longed for God to release them
once again from their bondage; to wrestle their holy place of worship and
their land away from foreign pagans; even to wreak havoc and revenge upon
their enemies. They looked for a hero who perhaps resembled Samson or
Moses or King David. They got, instead, a baby. But that was in their
prophetic books, too. Read Isaiah 9:6-7. For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder;
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The
Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his
government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and
upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with justice and with
righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts
will perform this.
J. R. R. Tolkien, a Christian himself, knew quite well the story of this
unlikely hero, this child born in a manger in Bethlehem. He knew that
this unlikely hero would grow up to teach that the pathway to true power
comes in the unlikeliest of ways. That in order to discover His power, He
who would save his life, must lose it. That the meek shall inherit the
earth. And in order to come unto Him, one must come as a little child.
And so He did. He set his face toward Jerusalem, was falsely accused,
tried, and found guilty. When nailed to a Roman cross, He surrendered his
life as a perfect sacrifice. His life was not taken from Him; He gave it
freely so that we might discover how we, too, can experience our heros
super power. A few decades later, in the early days of the church, the
Apostle Paul, the one whom Christ would confront on a dusty road to
Damascus, said, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made
perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
>From the human perspective, Jesus was the unlikeliest hero of all times.
>From the beginning, the cards were stacked against him - again, from the
human perspective. Mary became pregnant before marriage, so his parents
were probably outcast from some circles. They had to get up and leave
their home in Nazareth before Mary had a chance to deliver her baby. They
could find no place to stay in Bethlehem. Even Bethlehem was a strange
place for a hero to be born. There were no palaces there. The prophet
Micah wrote, in 5:2-4, But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be
little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth
unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been
from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the
time that she who travailed hath brought forth; then the remnant of his
brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand and
feed in the strength of the Lord, his God; and they shall abide; for now
shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. No magnificent palace for
this child; just a manger in which to place the Savior of the world. An
unlikely family in unlikely circumstances in an unlikely place bringing
forth an unlikely hero.
The Hebrews should have been used to unlikely heroes. A key figure in
their heritage, one who was in the lineage of the expected Messiah, was
David. How likely was it that Samuel was directed by God to anoint this
runt of the litter, so to speak, as the second king of Israel? How
likely was it that this little shepherd boy with his sling would take on
and defeat the heavily armed and seasoned veteran Goliath? How likely was
it that this young man would evade jealous King Saul for years before
becoming the anointed King of Israel? But by the time of the birth of
baby Jesus, the lessons were lost.
It is a shame that the lessons are frequently lost in our day, too. How
much better it would be if we did not have to continually struggle
against those who seek to gain power at any cost and, once they have
gained it, use it to destroy. Like the Hobbits, we often seek to live in
peace and to mind our own business - to stay out of trouble - only to
find evil refusing to honor our wishes. That was how it was for Jesus
family, too. Herod could not abide the idea of another king in his realm,
so he put boys to the sword. The holy family fled Israel altogether in
order to avoid Herods treachery. Like many refugees, they likely endured
hardships and perils before the all clear was given for them to return,
at last, to Nazareth. Truly an unlikely start for our unlikely hero.
But what a hero Jesus is. He has done what no one else could do for us:
he has saved his people from their sin. Meaning, as we know, that he has
bridged the gap between our rebellion and Gods holiness. Like the other
heroes of the faith, Jesus has released us from our bondage. The
difference between Jesus work and that of all the others is that the
salvation of Jesus is eternal. The work of his crucifixion is eternal;
the work of his resurrection is eternal; the work of his salvation is
eternal.
If only the world would heed the life and work of our unlikely hero, then
we could find the peace and security we so often long for. If even the
mighty would allow themselves to be humbled by this unlikely hero, we
would all be better off. This used to be acknowledged at times. In 1916,
Emperor Franz-Josef of Austria died, and, as was customary at the time, a
long processional of lavish courtiers escorted the coffin to the church
where he was to be buried in Vienna. They stopped at the doors to the
crypt, and the officer in charge of the processional ceremoniously cried,
Open! Who goes there? called the Cardinal of the church, who was
standing behind the door. The officer began to list the titles of the
deceased emperor: We bear the remains of his Imperial and Apostolic
Majesty, Franz-Josef I, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria, King of
Hungary, Defender of the Faith, Prince of Bohemia-Moravia, Grand Duke of
Lombardy.... After listening to the 37 titles recited, the Cardinal
answered, We know him not. Who goes there? The officer began again,
this time listing the short version of the Emperors grand name and
station. But still, the Cardinal replied, We know him not. Who goes
there? At last the officer said simply, We bear the body of
Franz-Josef, our brother, a sinner like us all. Then doors swung open,
and the body was admitted.
In Christ, we are neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female,
royalty or commoner. We all are reduced to the common denominator of
sinners in need of salvation. And consistent with the human condition, we
all suffer mortality. Regardless of his titles in life, death made
Emperor Franz-Josef of Austria no better or no worse than you or me. This
is our sobering reality. But that is what the story of our hero is all
about. Release from our bondage to sin and death. Thats why Christ came;
thats what Christmas is all about.
Isnt why the Christmas story appeals to us? What do we like about
Christmas besides gifts, food, time off, and being with our families? Is
it not that there is a Hero who sacrifices all by becoming a baby and
then grows up to rescue the powerless - you and me included? People too
powerless to ever even think about living happily ever after short of a
miraculous rescue? Thats why the Christmas story is the ultimate
superhero story. And yet, the final scenes to this tale always remain to
be seen. Why? Because our hero offers us a choice. He does not rescue the
unwilling. We decide whether we want rescuing from our powerlessness. We
can choose to resist, but, after all, its hard to live happily ever
after if we resist being rescued.
So, on this silent, holy night, would you experience your Heros super
power? Would you follow in His footsteps to Bethlehem through Galilee and
finally to Jerusalem? Would you walk the pathway to true power which
starts at a manger and ends at a cross? Could it be that you and I who
live in Bunker Hill, Indiana, feel like we live in an unlikely place to
be a hero for God? Remember true heroes do come from the unlikeliest of
people and places. True power does come from the unlikeliest of sources.
(Adapted from The Amazing Emmanuel: Following the True Hero for All Time,
Pastors Manual, Wheaton, IL: Mainstay Church Resources, 2003, pp.
B116-B125)
Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN
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