It's pretty easy to point out the parallels to Christ found in "The Man of Steel." He's from another world, conceived in a supernatural way, sent with a purpose, carrying hope, and bearing salvation. But, the verses in the video above are not just talking about Him.
They are about us.
That opening scene--it calls out to us.
We are the ones who have been left suffering.
It has been that way ever since the fateful day of rebellion when "The beasts and birds and creeping things did not revolt against the God who made them; only man [has done this]."
"Paul... ascribes to 'creation,' to man's world and all that is therein, an intense longing for the day on which the children of God will emerge from their hiddenness, their shame and suffering, and will stand revealed as what they are, as justified men who need not shrink from Him who judges the secrets of men, sons of God who see Him face to face. (Col. 3:4; 1 John 3:2; Matt. 5:8)"
The Spirit's work is to "implant in us a deep nostalgia for our true and everlasting home. He is the Spirit of Sonship, and He makes us long for the fullness of our adoption as sons, just because in Him that sonship is a foreshadowed reality."
"There was hope, hope for man's world as well as hope for man."
"Creation itself will be set free."
On the final day, we will be lifted of our curse. We will become un-plagued of sin, no longer subjects of futility.
There will be no more bondage of decay. Even Death will lose its sting.
We will remind the world of who we truly are: sons of God.
It was in this hope that we were saved.... the hope of our eternal salvation... a hope we cannot by our own power grasp. Therefore, we wait in patience.
The Spirit helps us in our weakness even when we do not know what to say.
And, how do we react? What then shall we say to these things?
Paul exclaims, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
We can never be separated from our final goal... the love of God in Jesus Christ.
This love, epitomized on the cross, the victory march through Hell, and the resurrection promise, is what has lifted us up. We have now become Supermen, sons of the supernatural, inheriting a kingdom that we do not deserve. But, a kingdom that is ours, paid in blood .Although we were not God's Chosen People, he has now called us as his own because of that price. Christ is still the center, the gate, the only key for our salvation... and everyone else's.
"We are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
But, what about today?
What about now?
Shouldn't this knowledge empower us?
It is not only on that final day that we become God's children. We already are. We have an inheritance bigger than we can imagine. We are loved more than we have the capacity to understand. We are more precious than anything else will ever be.
And yet, we stumble.
We fail to act.
We give in to ungodly ways.
We do not act like God is our Father.
We even encourage others to fall away.
We are no better than Adam.
Why can't we emerge from our hiddenness? Is it really that hard to strike up a conversation??
What is wrong with standing up for our beliefs? It seems as if everyone else has a right to their own opinion.
What has happened to us?!?
Why can't we remove our shame, our suffering, and stand??
This is the part of the clip that we cannot do on our own. Without the help of Christ, we will never fly. Yet, He is here with us and we still live as if our wings are clipped.
If we are truly sons of God, redeemed, and blessed... we need to start acting like it.
We need to become SUPERMEN.
Lives depend on it.
** The quotes above come from
pages 148-151 in Martin Franzmann's Concordia Commentary: Romans.
*** Here's another devotion with Superman.
**** Remember to step it up to the plate this week.
Pray even though you do not know how or what for.
And, live remembering Who you live for.
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