Heroes 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 Rev. Matt Nieman May 28, 2017

Transcription

1 Heroes 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 Rev. Matt Nieman May 28, 2017 A hero is defined as a person demonstrating courageous acts or nobility of character. On this Memorial Day weekend, it is fitting that we take account of some of our heroes, people who perform courageously or who have great resolve when it comes to doing the right thing. From military veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country, to police officers who literally put themselves in the line of fire for our neighborhoods and communities, to single parents who go to work every day sometimes working two jobs to overcome tough odds and ensure their kids success, heroes come in all forms and many different degrees. And when it comes to heroes of our faith, it starts with Jesus the Christ. Born humbly in a stable, he rises in influence throughout his life questioning the religious leaders of his day and preaching a message of Good News to all. This good news is one of love and forgiveness for the sins of the world. And the story ends both with his sacrifice for all the world when he dies brutally on a cross again so as to take on the pain and suffering of the world. And then his overcoming the power of death by rising from a grave and living once again only then to ascend into heaven in glory. Heroic. Of course, there are other heroes of a different vein. I recently saw the movie Hacksaw Ridge. It was nominated last year for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture. It s a war movie, without a doubt. And as war is violent, so is the film. But it s worth a look if you can stomach the battle scenes. It s based on the true World War II experiences of Desmond Doss, an American pacifist combat medic who was a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, refusing to carry or use a firearm or weapons of any kind. Doss became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for service above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Okinawa.

2 As a young boy, Desmond Doss nearly and unintentionally killed his younger brother. That experience and his Seventh-day Adventist upbringing reinforced his belief in the commandment "Thou shalt not kill". However, at the outbreak of World War II, Doss was motivated to enlist in the Army and intended to serve as a combat medic. He completed basic training and was released on leave. But his refusal to carry a firearm led to his arrest for insubordination. The charges against him were eventually dropped because it was ruled that his pacifism was protected by an Act of Congress. His unit was assigned to the Pacific Theater, and during the Battle of Okinawa, his 77 th Infantry Division was assigned to ascend and secure the Maeda Escarpment ("Hacksaw Ridge ). Over the next several days of battle, Private Doss repeatedly saved soldiers with severe injuries. He would hear the cries of the dying soldiers and would run back into the carnage time after time, carrying wounded soldiers to the cliff's edge and rappelling them down by rope, each time praying to save one more. The arrival of dozens of wounded once presumed dead came as a shock to the rest of the unit below. Doss was eventually wounded by a grenade blast, but the battle had been won. Doss descended the cliff, clutching the Bible his wife had given him. After rescuing 75 soldiers at Hacksaw Ridge, Desmond Doss was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman. He died on March 23, 2006, at the age of 87. Heroic. The terrible bombing in Manchester, England, this week has left the world devastated and terrified yet again. But in the aftermath, there have been heartwarming stories. Stories of heroism even, if only on a smaller scale. There were the two homeless men who had been sleeping on the street outside the arena where the blast occurred. Immediately, they got up and tended to the wounded. There was the taxi driver giving free taxi rides to people who had lost their group and needed transportation out of the area. There were the hotels providing free lodging to concert attendees

3 who had lost their parties. And of course, there were the police and other first responders tending to the wounded. And then there are quieter stories of heroism, stories that maybe you and I are better able to relate to. A guy by the name of Rick Norton tells this story about his dad: Dad s life seemed typical of his generation. He graduated from high school during the depression and worked for a large corporation. He enlisted in 1941, served in the Pacific and Europe. On returning he met his soul mate, married and had three children. Again at his prior employer, he needed to continue his education. With his full-time job, home maintenance, and attending to his family, he attended college in the evening and obtained his BS degree Summa Cum Laude. With we three kids on our own, Dad and Mom retired to the Florida panhandle. Two years later Mom died, in Northwest Florida has no palm trees or yachts. It s semiagricultural. Education is often a luxury, with attendant illiteracy. Dad rattled around his house, tried golf and failed to see why some become addicted, then saw an ad requesting literacy volunteers. Dad helped a prisoner learn to read, a parole requirement. He helped another man learn to read because his literate wife was going blind. Then he found his true calling. Dad began as a volunteer teacher s aide in a third grade class, helping children with spelling and grading papers. He graduated to the fifth grade, helping with spelling and math. Again Dad graduated with his class into sixth grade. As the school converted to departmental teaching, Dad assisted the math teacher. We kids only knew what Dad told us. During chilly winters he lamented unfortunate kids in just T-shirt and shorts. He was saddened by children with nothing under the Christmas tree. He loved the kids and school and hated summers, so he tutored. Called Grandpa, he even wore a hat emblazoned Call Me Grandpa. He said the kids kept him young.

4 At eighty eight, after ten years commuting 30 miles to school in his sputtering 1979 Chevy, his legs weakened. One spring afternoon during a nap, he passed away peacefully. At his memorial service, his students eulogized him with a 15- minute video tribute. They compared him to George Bailey in It s a Wonderful Life for the 1200 student lives he touched. He inspired his kids to learn. At the reception we heard: Thanks to your dad My son got his first A in math, My son won the spelling bee, and My daughter won the citizenship award. Plus, none of his kids came to school in winter without at least one pair of pants, a warm shirt and jacket. Heroic. So what do heroes like these do for us? Maybe they inspire us to act heroically as well. Every good hero probably got his or her inspiration from another hero. But maybe it s something more basic. In his letter that we read from a few moments ago, Peter attempts to do something other than inspire his readers to be heroes themselves. He simply calls them to endure in the face of suffering. And he uses his hero, and our hero of faith as an incentive. Friends, he writes, don t be surprised about the fiery trials that have come among you. These are not strange happenings. Rejoice as you share Christ s suffering. Rejoice as you share Christ s suffering. Rejoice in suffering? Suffering doesn t sound like something we d want to rejoice in. And yet that s what Peter urges his readers to do. Because Christ suffered so much for the sake of them all. And he endured his suffering with dignity, and all for the purpose of somehow redeeming them. They were granted a gift because of Christ s suffering. They were saved because of Christ s suffering. They were saved because of Christ s heroic acts. And that was the incentive Peter reminded them of that should cause them to humble themselves, to throw their anxiety upon him, to be clearheaded, to keep alert so that they could resist evil.

5 This is what our heroes do: They give us the strength to endure our own hardships. They inspire us to not necessarily act heroically ourselves, but to hang in there for the sake of a better way to act and, in the case of Christ, to then one day be restored, empowered, and strengthened. The late great tennis star Arthur Ashe once said, True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. We celebrate our heroes who serve in this way, dramatically or undramatically, who serve others at immeasurable cost. And from their example, we gain courage to hang in in the midst of our suffering and sacrifice. In Jesus Christ, especially, we have a hero worthy of our worship.