Open Our Eyes That We May See

Humankind has always had a fascination with heroes – people who rise above the “usualâ€? and do extraordinary things.  They stand out from the crowd by virtue of their acts, or quality of character. 

 

Another thing you often notice about true heroes is that they’re not interested in getting attention for their deeds.  They just did what their beliefs and personal values told them they should do.

 

In America, since the events of 9-11, our fascination with heroes has really taken off.  Our culture is going to great lengths to declare that heroes are among us.  While there are many persons who probably do qualify as “heroes,â€? some days it seems that simply showing up for work regularly makes you a hero.

 

Witness many of the TV shows today that are in some way involved with “heroes:� for the adults, Smallville, Heroes, or Journeyman; on Nickelodeon, shows like Jimmy Neutron or Kim Possible show are there for our kids to see characters doing heroic things.

 

These are very popular shows.  In NBC’s drama, Heroes, for example, normal people find that they have superhuman powers, and the fate of the entire world rests on their shoulders.  The show is VERY successful: Top-20 ratings and multiple Emmy® awards attest to the fact that lots of people keep tuning in.

 

Many communities will have  a spot on the local newscast for “hometown heroes.â€?

 

It’s not my intention to disrespect anyone who has been called “hero,â€? so please don’t worry about that.  There really are heroes in our world, and lots of these folks aren’t doing it for the fame.

 

What I want to explore this morning is how our cultural and cultic elevation of heroes might be causing us to miss something very important.

 

Here’s the question of the day:  What if, through the lives of heroes, God is trying to get our attention and help us align our values with His values?  Is God trying to get each of us to be heroes for others?

 

An online user poll ranked adult responses to the same “What-do-you-want-to-be� question asked of the kids.

 

The top five things people had wanted to be one day as they began their more mature formation as an adult? Rich, singer, superhero, movie star and cowboy.

 

No surprise here: dump-truck driver and janitor were featured at the bottom of the rankings list, as honorable as those professions are.  Honorable, but not always admirable.

 

We learn at an early age that there are people in our world who are more admirable than others, based on our sense of their power, prestige and potential for greatness.

 

What about the Church?  When was the last time that you heard anyone talk about what an influence a hero of the Christian faith had upon his or her life?

 

Consider from today’s text:  Peter, on a mountaintop with Jesus, suddenly sees his rabbi chatting with not just one, but TWO of the greatest heroes of his faith:  Moses, and Elijah.

 

Peter is ecstatic!  Suddenly, he can see everything clearly:  Jesus, his rabbi, is the Messiah, the anointed one of God who is going to bring the world back to the right.

 

But what does Peter NOT see?

 

The parallel passage from Luke 9 says, “As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)� (Luke 9:33, NIV)

 

Peter wants to give Jesus the status of a hero – because he’s not seeing the whole picture.

 

But let’s not send Peter back to school for this until we think about the effects that this encounter had upon him. 

 

We can see this encounter as one of the ways by which God was changing Peter into one of the strongest leaders of the early Church. 

 

You see, Jesus certainly can be the hero… but part of Jesus’ work is to unleash the heroic in us so we can be heroes for others, to inspire them to greater service and life in the Kingdom.

 

Therein lies the whole point of the process of being perfected in God’s grace:  “You were designed for something greater — the greatness of living to love others.â€?

 

This passage is about transfiguration (being changed into something glorious):  the transformation of Jesus AND the transformation of His people.

 

In the transfiguration, the Beloved is extending love to those whom he sends out to love the world. Perhaps he’s calling out to the hero in each of them — the desire for lowly fishermen and tax collectors to become something greater.

 

Your and my transfiguration by the power of God is what sends us on a love mission from God Himself.

 

Your life and my life are intended to be lived for the purpose of loving others, not for the sake of being loved by the masses.

 

Don’t regular people want to know they are loved by their Father?

 

Don’t regular people want to know that God is pleased with them?

 

Don’t regular people need to be freed by love in order to love?

 

As Jesus is leaving his earthly ministry behind, he’s passing the mantle of the kingdom on to his disciples, and namely these Three. What better way to commission them to love the world than by demonstrating that being Beloved means extending love to others?

 

God has always engaged people this way — from Abraham to YOU – blessed to be a blessing.

 

Lord God, open our eyes that we may how you are releasing the hero in each of us… that we may see you open the eyes of others.  Amen.

Sources Consulted:

“The Divine Hero,� Homiletics, January 2008.

ACCS, Vol. NT-1b (IVP, 2002)

Morris, Leon The Gospel According to Matthew (Eerdmans, 1992)

Wilkins, Michael J. Matthew (Zondervan, 2004)