THE SUPERCHRISTIANS

© Carlos Padilla – March 2022

No! It’s not about some superheroes from comics or films of the type of Superman, Batman, Spiderman, the Incredibles, Captain America, or others. It’s neither about a new branch or denomination of Christianity with super powers, not even in the case of the apostles of our Lord Yahshua Jesus Christ, with all the gifts of the Spirit. But along my Christian life I have come to observe two types of Christians that could well be called superChristians. To the first group belong some who would recognize themselves as such, who look at other Christians as if they were of a lower class. To the second, belong a series of Christians who, on the contrary go unnoticed at first sight, but who for their love for God, their fruits of the Spirit, and good works in silence, shine bright even though they do not want to stand out. These are the two groups of superChristians. Do you belong to any of these groups?

THE SUPERCRISTIANS WHO PROCLAIM THEMSELVES

These stand out especially for considering themselves special, maybe because they are part of a particular Christian denomination, and they reject others from other denominations or churches. They are usually elders, this is, leaders of their congregation. In the old ages, in the first centuries after Christ, one of these groups was called Gnostics. These believed that a superior knowledge was needed for be part of the “elite” as they only had access to certain “revelations”, which of course the “common” Christian could never understand. Just the opposite of what the Lord Jesus would do, who being the Master of all, would speak in a simple way to the humble and poor people.

Don’t dear asking for help to these elite superChristians because they are too busy with their own priorities. Don’t count on them if we need to help others; do not think they will want to go and evangelize, nor to participate in good deeds, unless they have establish them and can be accountable to show them afterwards, they are not interested in actions of the type of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25…), because they do not bring points to go higher in their organizations.

Jesus said that when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward, (Matthew 6).

THE SUPERCHRISTNANS WHO ARE ANONYMOUS

To continue with the sample of the simile of the superheroes that I have compared to the superChristians, in their stories we see they are equipped with super powers. Some auto proclaimed superChristians think they have special gifts from their own or super powers by their own merits. However the Bible teaches that the Christian counts on the Armour of God from the letter to the Ephesians 6:11, that far from being own super powers, are the same power of God but humbleness and faith knowing that is God who works in us, if we serve Him and not ourselves and our own interest. Another guide that helps us are the Beatitudes of Matthew 5, in the teaching of Jesus Christ.

I know some Christians who are going through cancer but they give hope to others and don’t lose their faith, who accept the will of God in their lives, who while they work and continue to work, grow their children. I know of a Christian immigrant mother, whose husband left her, she works thousands of kms from her country to provide for her family while her son is in rehabilitation from drugs, and has more faith and hope in Christ that most Christians. The persecuted pastors in countries where persecution is extreme, their churches are burned, they and their families are attacked, but they continue to serve Christ while they ask for prayer and help. A brother from a far country, widow, it’s him and his son, they work and fight to keep going, and their faith is huge, but sometimes he contacts me to talk and seek support, hope and share our Christian life. All of them are superChristians.

I know some Christians of whom I would say they are also superChristians, although they would deny it. I know missionaries, good friends, some president of an international Christian mission, a deed of a theological seminary, professors, translators of the Bible to languages of remote countries with whom to share is being with friends in Christ, who don’t seek their own, but what is of Christ in the brothers, humble, who being academic doctors and important in the people of God, preachers and “influencers”, they don’t show off, they adapt to simple lives of those families whom they share with, as well as their wives and children.

I also know brothers of churches of different denominations who are good friends in Christ, who don’t let a difference in any theological matter will divide us, who will host you in their homes, who take care of you when you visit their city, who humbly share what they have, who don’t impose their criteria, but keep the faith and holiness, being friends.

I know brothers through Internet who are thousands of kilometres away, since many years, with whom friendship, prayer, help and brotherhood in Christ is difficult to find with others who are near. They also help in their cities if I ask help for others, and share Biblical studies of this ministry with their brothers.

I know wives in Christ who care for their homes and their work, who educate their children in the fear of God, who are patient with the families who do not believe. I know of husbands in Christ who work but also help in their homes and share the tasks, who play with their children and teach them, who make plans to share with the wife and children. Couples in Christ who help in the church, who clean the floor, or do admin tasks, and also preach the sermon, teach theology as they have a seminary degree, or do a TV program, and though they are humble and simple, good friends with who share all things.

I know brothers who help the poor, who take them food, who help the pay the electricity bill, or they help them fix their car, who dedicate their holidays to go on a mission with the poor of another country, who visit the prisoners and the sick in hospitals, who don’t do some plan to make a donation and no one knows, but God does know and pays it back. All of them, their example, and the live of our Lord have made me a better Christian; have helped me in my gurney as a disciple of Christ, to be more like them and like the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us all be example to one another: “And of doing good, and of fellowship, be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased” Hebrews 13:16.

These are the anonymous superChristians, who following the only and true Super, who is Jesus of Nazareth, are indeed good Samaritans who don’t seek their own glory, and although they are part of their church and work in their projects, they don’t do it for their own reward, but for others and for the glory of God in Christ.

With them you can go and evangelize, to help who needs, to make a gospel choir for an event, even though of different churches, for a common cause which glorifies God, with whom you can pray at any moment. With these brothers who even though they do not know they are superChristians, you count with friends in Christ. Because even though we may have spiritual gifts, the important is the love of God in Christ from one another, as the Text of the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. ⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. ¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” 1 Corinthians 13.

CONCLUSION

We have seen some whom we can truly call superChristians, but there are others who believe they are without being. The good Christian is worthy of his reward, crown or justice of which the Apostle Paul talks in 2 Timothy 4:8, but this one God gives, when we earn it here before others in a humble way not seeking own glory, but God’s, who sees in the hidden, will make it known in His Kingdom and in the measure He judges adequate.

We have seen the large difference between those who seek their own glory, and those who seek the glory of God. The try Christians humble in heart and in Christ, but courageous in the testimony and in love to God and to the neighbour, to preach the Gospel, to help one another, those with an unbreakable faith, they are superChristians without known it, those who unite Christians and make the church, the others destroy it.

The Bible Text of Matthew 25:31-46 about the attitude of the ones and the others in the Judgment of the Nations, I think is perfect to close:

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: ³² And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: ³³ And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

³⁴ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ³⁶ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? ³⁸ When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? ³⁹ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? ⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

⁴¹ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: ⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. ⁴⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? ⁴⁵ Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. ⁴⁶ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Amen!