Why Jesus Is My Hero #29 of 52
I absolutely love “Due South“, the classic TV show about a Canadian mountie who ends up in Chicago following the trail of his father’s killer. Without doubt, one of the most compelling features of the show is the mountie himself, Benton Fraser – a true gentleman, a man of integrity and kindness who has little regard for his own concerns and who is constantly risking his own life for the sake of others. And he has a cute wolf, too.
Maybe it’s just me, but I find characters like Fraser inspiring because they paint a little picture of what I know humanity was supposed to be. I should be that man of integrity, I should care more for others than I do for myself, I should be above reproach in the way that I relate to women such that they feel safe in my presence. Maybe I should start wearing bright red mountie uniforms out in public too. But though humanity was created in the image of God, designed to reflect his perfect nature, that image has been marred and spoilt by sin. We still catch glimpses of the character of God reflected in our lives from time to time, but so often we see selfishness and jealousy and ugliness instead.
Ultimately, I love Benton Fraser because he reminds me of Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that “He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Jesus is the true man, the true picture of what humanity was designed to be. He is the perfect image of God (Colossians 1:15) without flaw and without blemish. And what a sight to behold he is!
Gloriously, graciously, in the gospel we have the promise that God is at work to conform us to the likeness of Christ. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God is using all of the circumstances of life to mould us and shape us to be more like him – perhaps especially through our suffering. And day by day, as we meditate on the perfect humanity of Jesus, God will change us – so says Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:18:
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
So next time you’re tempted to despair at all the ways in which you fail to live up to the ideal, turn your gaze away from yourself and towards Jesus – and ask that God will make you just a little bit more like him each day.
Thank you kindly.
P.S. As an added bonus, let me direct your attention to this awesome song by Canadian band The Crash Test Dummies which was featured in the pilot episode of Due South and which, let’s face it, is ultimately all about Jesus: