Superhero

 "The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation..." Isaiah 59:15, 16

"He put on righteousness as his breastplate and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak." (Isaiah 59:17)

    When I was a kid, there was a cartoon called "Underdog" I liked to watch. The meek and mild shoeshine boy, who had a secret crush on the beautiful reporter, Sweet Polly Purebred, would hear her cry for help whenever the antagonist dragged her away (which was an every day occurrence.) In true heroic style, he ducked into a phone booth so he could modestly change into his caped costume and herald his arrival by saying, "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!"

    The array of super hero movies follow a general good vs. evil theme in which the ordinary folk are powerless against the foe and are in dire need of a savior. There is always an antagonist who is unstoppable until the hero arrives, who saves the day. 

    When I was reading Isaiah, chapter 59, I couldn't help but see the parallels between reality and the fantasy of cinema. The following description accurately paints a modern canvas: "So justice is driven back and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey." (59: 14, 15) We see this everywhere we look. As the deceptions of evil increase, those who attempt to stand tall become prey themselves and are cancelled. Who has the power to save? Don't we, as "evolving" humans, improve upon ourselves as time passes? Can we not save ourselves? Do we really need saving? YES, we do!

    The Bible hones in on the problem: "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear...So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows." (Isaiah 59: 2, 9) Our very real antagonist, Satan, has an army of demons at his disposal, but he has no power over our protagonist, Jesus. 

    We are powerless to save because we've all sinned and fallen short of God's glory, but God has come to the rescue! "He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." (Psalms 130:8) "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8) 

    Why stand helplessly by as your life hurtles toward impending doom? Look up! Your salvation draws nigh! Turn from evil, repent of your sins and be swept up into the arms of your loving Redeemer who has come in person to save you.

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7: 24, 25