"Who is that behind the mask?
Why do you feel the need to go out into the world
and fight people like me?"
Batman has often been defined by the villains he encounters. They tend to be the most complex, malicious, and insane.
This Dark Knight may be the only hero imaginable who can consistently put up with these whack-jobs again and again. He has sworn to protect his city, Gotham, and he is in a never-ending war with villainy over the lives of the innocent. But, even at the end of the day, when the crooks are bagged and tagged, the Bat doesn't kill them.
You could blame this on the death of his parents, that he has seen enough bloodshed to create any more of it himself. But, he knows that keeping these crooks alive will create exponentially more death than putting them out of there misery right then and there. You could say that Bruce Wayne has higher morals, he doesn't kill because he isn't a monster like them, he has a higher standard. But, time and again the Bat sees more of a villain than a hero within himself.
I think the real answer is for the sake of the villain.
Although he roughs them up and pummels them close to death, he never finishes the job. Although he terrifies them he doesn't murder them. When it's all said and done, he's the one to take them to an institution founded to help them to physically and mentally recuperate.
He has the same hope for them as Paul had for those who would not believe:
"Do you really think you can win? We'll see..."
"They" are often us.
Paul speaks of the Israelites who have denied Christ, "I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
We know that the pieces fit. We were once righteous and may become righteous once again. But, the pieces have fallen away, crumbled down. We try to build them back up, to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
"Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
But the righteousness based on faith says, 'Do not say in your heart 'Who will ascend into heaven'' (that is, to bring Christ down) or ''Who will descend into the abyss?'' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and on your heart.' (that is the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved... 'Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame...'
'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
To submit to God's righteousness would mean to give up our own, pleading guilty before God, admitting that we are lost and have gone astray.
Christ is the only one who is able to put the broken pieces back together again. He is the only one capable of fixing the communication which we have lost with God. He is the only one capable of repairing the schism placed between us. He has traveled from Heaven to Earth to Hell and back... He has ministered, died, and rose for us... something we would never be able to do on our own.
The Lord, Jesus Christ is the only one conceivable to be able to beat the terrors that we face every day. They are too complex, malicious, and insane for anyone else to try to take down on their own. They have become a part of us. They constantly wage war within us. We seek our own righteousness, our own ways out... we trust in gods that are not God... And, we come up empty handed, we fall into a false salvation, a worse predicament.... our only prayer is that we may be saved.
That is why the Word must continually come back to us... Christ builds our relationship with Him.
We must be able to call on Him in whom we have believed... who we have heard... who has been preached... from those sent by Him.
And, we must be sent to preach so that others may hear, believe, and call on Him too.
It is beyond our power, our own righteousness.
But, nothing is beyond His.
*** Bible passages from Romans 10:1-17.
** For more Dark Knight Devotions, click here!!!
He has the same hope for them as Paul had for those who would not believe:
"My heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved."
But, before any forward motion may be made.... they need to stop running in the wrong direction.... to turn around... to "repent." They need to stop fighting the truth... to stop putting up barriers and blockades... They need to be willing to about-face.
Many times, before this can happen, they need to know what they're doing that is wrong.
How can you turn from a sin your don't know you're committing??
They have become too good at seeing their own righteousness.
They make up more, easier, or "better" ways to seek their own salvation... this is often not a salvation to Christ or eternal life with Him. But, a salvation from whatever current predicament they're in. This limited salvation usually just leads them into another predicament and another predicament until they give up on becoming saved or doing what's right for themselves at all.
"Do you really think you can win? We'll see..."
"They" are often us.
Paul speaks of the Israelites who have denied Christ, "I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
We know that the pieces fit. We were once righteous and may become righteous once again. But, the pieces have fallen away, crumbled down. We try to build them back up, to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
"Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
But the righteousness based on faith says, 'Do not say in your heart 'Who will ascend into heaven'' (that is, to bring Christ down) or ''Who will descend into the abyss?'' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and on your heart.' (that is the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved... 'Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame...'
'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
To submit to God's righteousness would mean to give up our own, pleading guilty before God, admitting that we are lost and have gone astray.
Christ is the only one who is able to put the broken pieces back together again. He is the only one capable of fixing the communication which we have lost with God. He is the only one capable of repairing the schism placed between us. He has traveled from Heaven to Earth to Hell and back... He has ministered, died, and rose for us... something we would never be able to do on our own.
The Lord, Jesus Christ is the only one conceivable to be able to beat the terrors that we face every day. They are too complex, malicious, and insane for anyone else to try to take down on their own. They have become a part of us. They constantly wage war within us. We seek our own righteousness, our own ways out... we trust in gods that are not God... And, we come up empty handed, we fall into a false salvation, a worse predicament.... our only prayer is that we may be saved.
That is why the Word must continually come back to us... Christ builds our relationship with Him.
We must be able to call on Him in whom we have believed... who we have heard... who has been preached... from those sent by Him.
And, we must be sent to preach so that others may hear, believe, and call on Him too.
It is beyond our power, our own righteousness.
But, nothing is beyond His.
*** Bible passages from Romans 10:1-17.
** For more Dark Knight Devotions, click here!!!
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