Thursday, February 10, 2011

Who's the Hero?

So, I want you to think about your faith, what you believe, how you approach Christianity - and then answer one simple question. Who's the hero?

Now, don't just say "Jesus" because you know it *should* be the right answer (it is the right answer, by the by). But examine yourself. Think about what you focus on when you talk, when you meditate and pray, when you think about your life, your worship. Who is the hero there - who is the one who is the center, the one doing stuff, the one doing the rescuing?

Is it Jesus... or when it boils down to it, have you been treating yourself as the hero of your faith. Has your faith be more and more about your works? Has worship been about making you feel some emotion you want? Have your works been a matter of you needing to demonstrate your righteousness?

The Christian faith is not this. The Christian faith is about Christ and His work of winning salvation for you. Worship is centered in Christ giving you this Salvation through His Word, through His sacraments. Even the works that arise in your life - you are just a vine, He is the righteous Branch who gives you life and makes you to bear fruit so that what you do isn't about you - it's simply Christ's own love flowing through you to a neighbor who needs that love.

We know Jesus should be the hero - the problem is that we can assume that He is in our theology, but then run off and start elevating ourselves.

Jesus is the hero - and anything that would have you think otherwise is of Satan and your sinful flesh. Forget those things, and rather, come, let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith - the true hero and center of all things.

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