Our Hero Speaks the Words of Salvation – July 30, 2021

So [Jesus] began teaching them many things.
Mark 6:34

Our Hero Speaks the Words of Salvation

One truth that we were reminded of by the global pandemic is that not all heroes wear capes. In fact, most don’t. Instead, they wear nurses’ garb and first responders’ gear. They keep our vehicles running and store shelves stocked. In 2020, we were reminded about all the heroes hidden in plain sight.

The Word of God from Mark chapter 6, shows us Jesus as a hero hidden in plain sight. Sure, he was a magnet for attention. Sure, people were chasing just to get a glimpse of him. But, when we see him here, he’s not doing prototypical hero things, or more appropriately, superhero things. He’s listening, nurturing, and teaching.

Indeed, teaching is the stuff of heroes. Especially when the Kingdom of God is the subject matter. Someone might ask, “If Jesus had the power to raise the dead, to give blind eyes sight and deaf ears sound, why would he spend his valuable time talking?” It lets us know that the miracles weren’t really why Jesus had come. He had come to reveal the plan of salvation to human hearts. And that plan is made known through words. If we do not hear it, we cannot believe it and be saved. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” In Mark chapter 6, we see that happen quite literally!

But we also see it happen in our lives today. Jesus still teaches us many things, still makes known the path to eternal life for us. He sends faithful pastors to point us to the cross and the empty tomb. He sends faithful teachers who speak to us about the things of God, including those who sit in a classroom, and those who share God’s truth in more informal settings, and those who show us Jesus in their Christian example. “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news,” Paul wrote to the Romans just a couple of verses before the one we quoted earlier. Indeed! The words of Jesus bring lost sinners from the brink of eternal death to the gates of eternal life. That is heroic work!

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, you have the words of eternal life. Thank you for sharing them with me through your messengers. Amen.