Did You Ever Know that You’re My Hero?

Often I read stories in the Bible and meditate on them before I drift off into sleep for the night. I love to “re-live” these stories as I close my eyes. Often, I become the “hero” of the story in my mind…

On one such night, I read the story of the Good Samaritan. In my mind, I became the “Good Samaritan.” Most sermons I have heard about this text makes the main application be that “we shouldn’t be like the Levite or the priest who passed by the wounded man without helping him. We should be like the Good Samaritan.” However, God showed me that this is not the meaning of the story. Jesus was teaching us about Himself. The main lesson isn’t that we are to help the pitiful, helpless man – it’s that we are the pitiful, helpless man! Jesus is the Good Samaritan who found us after legalism and religion didn’t lift a finger to help us.

Another time, I read the passage in Matthew 13:4, where the Bible says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field”.

As I began to meditate on this passage, and become the “hero” as the man who finds the hidden treasure. I have heard it preached as a soulwinning sermon. We are to go out searching for hidden treasure. But God, again, gave me insight. In this parable, Jesus told the man sold everything he had to buy the field so that he could have the treasure. We certainly can’t pay anything to receive Jesus Christ, or to help someone else receive Jesus Christ. Quite the opposite is happening here! He, Jesus Christ, paid everything so that He could have us. Again, it is Jesus who is the hero in the story. He did not just see a waste land, a deserted, left for ruin fallen human race. No! He saw, amidst the snakes, and spiders, weeds, thorns, thistles, and ruin, a people he wanted to redeem. Praise God he saw us worthy enough to die for! I cannot think of better news for the alcoholic, the drug addict, and even self-righteous church member! God looked on us as sinners, and thought it a worthy cause to “buy” or “redeem” us back to Him. I love that old song even more, “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb…

Most recently, I read about the pearl of great price described in Matthew 13:45-46,“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

How many times have you heard Jesus described as the Pearl of great price? But, no, He’s not the pearl in this story – you are! The Hero here is the One who paid everything so that He could “purchase [us] with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). He is the One Who gave everything. He is the Hero!

It’s not about you and me. It never has been and it never will be. It’s all about Him. However, since we always look for the “hero” in the story, let’s consider this – may the resurrected power of Christ enable us to stop making ourselves the main character in the “divine drama”! Babies think everything is all about them, but with maturity comes a true understanding. The story is “His” story and He has the leading role. We are simply the recipients or beneficiaries of His wonderful love and grace. Is He your Hero?? Have you told Him so?? Jesus….did You ever know that You’re my Hero??

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Benjamin R. Burks