Jesus Wants To Save Superman

“That Jesus guy, is he some kind of superhero or something?” asked the tousle-haired boy. He was in third grade, new to church, and by the content of his constant stream of interrupting questions throughout my lesson, I could tell he was unfamiliar with the stories of Jesus. A superhero? My post-conservative gut reaction was to tell him “no.” Because Jesus isn't a superhero. Superheroes are mere fantasy. And Jesus is so much more. Don’t want the kid to be confused.

But before I spoke, an image probed my brain with a swift jab. I envisioned a crew aboard a ship, gripped by the terror of a life-threatening storm; their bodies soaked with rain and sea water, their eyes and hearts drenched in fear. No mere cabin boys, these rugged fishermen lived their entire lives by and on the sea. So their state of panic gave reason to believe that both this storm and this hour might be their last. But then, one of their passengers, a wise and mysterious figure, climbed to the deck from below. He narrowed his eyes, glaring fiercely through the rain at the destructive waves. In a gentle yet powerful voice, he uttered the words “Peace, be still,” and the churning waves were replaced by a sea of glass. The wind retreated without a whisper, as if scolded by its schoolmaster. With a simple phrase, the passenger had ended the storm. The crew, filled with relief and awe, looked sideways at each other, wondering who would be the first to ask the question that was on everyone’s mind: “who IS this guy?”

Superhero? Hmmm. Perhaps this outspoken little boy was closer to the truth than I thought. Perhaps he was on to something.

“Yeah, he’s a superhero,” I told him. “The best one there ever was, and the best one there will ever be. And do you want to know what the coolest part is? He’s real!”

“Awesome” he replied.

~~~~

I’ve been on a Smallville kick lately. And I’m prepping our fall lessons for KKids. It looks like the two have collided in my sleep-depraved thoughts. Over the years, I’ve arrived at the belief that when teaching young children about the Son of God, Jesus and the superhero metaphor go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Superpowers: Why Jesus is like a superhero

Any kid will tell you, what really makes a superhero “super” is his/her powers. For some reason, we humans (especially children) are innately attracted to (or baffled by) the idea of the supernatural. There’s an unspoken thrill to the idea that maybe there’s more to our world than just the “natural” that we can experience with our senses. It’s no wonder that children often pretend or desire to have the ability to fly, the power to wield the force, to use magic, to turn invisible, or even to walk on water. Superpowers are the embodiment of the supernatural, so superheroes and children are a perfect fit for each other.

For kids, the connections between Jesus' miracles and futuristic “superpowers” are unmistakable, because many children readily believe in the supernatural. When you tell them that Jesus walked on water, they get it. When you tell them that he fed 5000 people with a bible-time equivalent of a Lunchable, they can see it. When you tell them that he brought back stinky Lazarus from death, they don’t raise an eyebrow, but instead break into a wide-eyed smile. Kids believe that Jesus did everything that was written…and more. And they love him for it. Why? Because miracles are just a part of life for kids. Some of the best prayer warriors I’ve known have been children, because they’re not afraid to ask for and believe in the impossible. It’s no wonder that Jesus said that everyone needs the faith of a child.

Sacrifice: Why Jesus is better than a superhero

If what makes superheroes super is their powers, then what makes them "heroes" (and loved by children everywhere) is their ability to save. Simply put, superheroes save people. That’s what makes them heroes. If they don't use their powers to save people, then they’re not heroes. In the movie Spiderman, Peter Parker’s choice to keep his web-slinging abilities to himself resulted in the loss of someone he loved. He was not yet a hero. On the other hand, if a superhero uses their powers for selfish gain, they become supervillains. True heroes take the powers they have, and use them to save and protect the people around them.

Well, who better to exemplify the whole “saving people” theme than Jesus? Because he set out to save the world in a way that no one ever could. He didn’t JUST go from place to place fixing people and getting them out of binds (which he DID do, by the way). And his sights weren’t set on one city. He was determined to set all of humanity free from the invisible, previously indestructible bonds of sin and death. Let me see you slice through THOSE chains, Wolverine. ;-)

But Michael, you can’t compare Jesus to a superhero!

Well… In the Bible, Jesus was compared (and even compared himself) to many things: a vine, a rock, a temple, a shepherd, water, bread, a rabbi, etc. But do we really think of Jesus as being a lovely fern? Of course not. He was using an illustration. We know that. Why did he use so many illustrations? Because we RELATE to them. Now, as citizens of a post-agricultural society, we may not fully grasp the whole shepherd illustration, but we still know what a tree is. And we know what bread is. And we know what water is. That's the beauty of using more than one illustration. The only problems arise when we take an illustration to an extreme and forget its metaphoric roots.

Do today’s kids RELATE to superheroes? If you’re unsure of the answer to this question, you need only poke your head into any local kids’ ministry (well, one that doesn’t have a dress code), and take a quick peek around the room to see just how many kids are donning some form of superhero/idol ware. Of COURSE they do. And if it’s something they RELATE to, I wouldn’t be so quick to discredit the idea.

But Michael, if you teach kids that Jesus is like a superhero, then won’t the kids equate Jesus with a fairy tale?

That, my friend, depends on the delivery. There is a rockin’ song we sing in our kids’ program called “Jesus is my Superhero,” which says that Jesus is “better than (insert spandex-clad hero here).”  One thing I do before singing the song with the kiddos is remind them that Jesus is the BEST superhero because A) he’s the only one that’s real, and B) he saves us in a way no other superhero could. Problem solved.

Kids love superheroes.

I don’t know of anyone who had to teach a kid how to love a superhero.

So if you can show a kid how Jesus is the BEST (and the only real) superhero, you just might have found a way to better help a kid fall in love with Jesus.