Pastor's Corner: What makes a hero?

How do you define a hero? How do you define a biblical hero? Often, we think of heroes as people who live sacrificially, people who take a risk on behalf of others. Clearly, Jesus is the biggest hero in the Bible - the biggest hero ever, since he sacrificed not only his life but all the power and privilege that comes with being God's Son to save the whole world. But it's important to have heroes who are a little more on our level, a little more relatable.

When I think of biblical heroes, I first think of the Hebrew midwives, Shiphra and Puah, from the first chapter of Exodus. We only get a snapshot of their story, but their cleverness and courage shine through. When Pharaoh tells the midwives to kill all baby boys born to the Hebrew women, the midwives nod their heads-and then ignore the orders and go right on delivering boys and girls alike. Later, Pharaoh asks them, "Why are you letting the baby boys live?" and the midwives say that Hebrew women are just so good at having babies, that the baby boys are already born by the time the midwives show up!

There's a story of Mel Brooks, the campy movie director, doing the same thing, though with a lot less dangerous stakes: when his producers would give him a list of demands or changes, he'd nod his head and say yes. Then, once the big bosses had been placated, he would do what he was going to do anyway. Seems like Mel Brooks took a page from Shiphra and Puah's playbook!

But Exodus highlights only the proudest moment of these midwives' careers. We aren't given enough of their story to see them as full people, people with good days and bad days, moments of strength and moments of weakness. The Bible gives us a very full, very honest portrait of one man: David. The Bible doesn't hold back from showing us David's good days and bad days, moments of strength and moments of weakness. David had a lot of both.

The Sunday School version of David would make him a hero because of his bravery when he faced the giant Goliath. He trusted in God to save God's people when the rest of King Saul's soldiers were already planning their funerals, and David was willing to sacrifice himself on behalf of the Israelites. If you know a little more Scripture, you might think David a hero because he was a "man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14).

Yet there are also stories of David doing "what was evil in God's eyes" (2 Samuel 11:27). He came close to killing a household of innocent men because somebody insulted him. He violated another man's wife and then plotted to have the man murdered. These aren't the actions of a typical hero. But in both instances, someone spoke God's convicting word to David - first Abigail, then Nathan - and David instantly recognized that he was in the wrong. He didn't try to hide or play the blame game. He didn't bluster about or pretend that the wronged party was too sensitive. He admitted his fault and repented of his sin. He thanked Abigail for calming his temper and restraining his vengeance, and he didn't have the prophet Nathan sacked, which is what David's kingly descendants will do to future prophets who speak unwelcome truths.

If we consider David a biblical hero, perhaps his most heroic trait is his openness to repentance. He is willing to be wrong, to admit fault, and to change his ways. It's a sacrifice that might not make headline news, but it saves lives and heals relationships, nonetheless. We can all aspire to this heroic spirit of repentance. May we have the openness to hear God's convicting word and the courage to respond with humility and grace.

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Pastor Megan Hoewisch

First Lutheran Church