Waiting for Superman

I grew up reading comic books, mostly superhero ones. The most famous of these being Superman.
 I’ve never been a huge Superman fan myself, but millions of people over four generations have followed his adventures. The story is well-known, a family on another planet called Krypton, faced with worldwide destruction, sends their baby boy in a rocket ship to Earth in order to save him. Because of the radical differences between Earth and Krypton,                         particularly our yellow Sun, the boy grows up with incredible strength, invulnerability, x-ray vision, and the ability to fly. He is nearly indestructible – his only weakness being exposure to an element from the core of his home world called kryptonite.

I heard a very interesting analysis of Superman once. The adventures of Superman are indeed stories meant to entertain. But below the surface there is another story being told, a story about ourselves. Most superheroes, whether its Batman, Spiderman, the incredible Hulk, etc., change from being a normal mild-mannered human being into their superhero form. As an exception to this, Superman is one of only a few superheroes  who has to put on a disguise to blend into the human race. His normal state is being  Superman. And how he disguises himself is a telling commentary on us. In trying to look and act human, Superman creates the alter ego of Clark Kent. And what kind of human being is Clark Kent? He’s weak,shy, afraid of his own shadow, passive, and deceitful. In growing up around humans, when Superman tries to become one, Clark Kent is his summation of being human.

Hebrews 7:11 "So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood – for on that basis the people received the law – what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron’s order? 7:12 For when the priesthood changes, a change in the law must come as well. 7:13 Yet the one these things are spoken about belongs to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever officiated at the altar. 7:14 For it is clear that our Lord is descended from Judah, yet Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe. 7:15 And this is even clearer if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 7:16 who has become a priest not by a legal regulation about physical descent but by the power of an indestructible life. 7:17 For here is the testimony about him: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” 7:18 On the one hand a former command is set aside because it is weak and useless, 7:19 for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God." 

As our new and much improved High Priest, Jesus is better than the old priesthood because He has an indestructible life. In conquering death, Jesus is immortal, and our only true Superhero. Like Melchizedek,who was a priest of God from a different tribe, Jesus has come to intercede for us before God. And like  Superman, Jesus took on human form in order to live among us and understand us better. But the form Jesus took on was similar to Clark Kent in that by taking on human flesh he chose to be weak like us, even though he could still  command legions of angels, cast out demons, and heal the sick. Because Jesus is both human and divine, completely in the flesh and at the same time completely God, he is the only Superhero High Priest we’ll ever need.