Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. – Jeremiah 17:14

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 13, 2017) Jeremiah 17

As a kid, I loved superhero shows. I loved the “Adventures of Superman” with George Reeves (although I have to admit that I am too young to actually remember the original run of the 1950’s T.V. series, I had to be content with the reruns of the show more than a decade after the last episode of the series was shot). I was infatuated with Adam West in “Batman.” (For those who are wondering about my “Spiderman” addiction, both Adam West and George Reeves predate my Spiderman days.) So during the day I would grab a towel and pin it around my shoulders and pretend that I was one of the heroes that I had watched on T.V.

Looking back, I still love my superheroes, although now I hope I have a much more balanced look at the role models of my youth. But one of the things that I have noticed is that the plot lines of the characters in the shows of my youth were fixated on the heroes of the story. In Gotham City, when trouble struck it was not marines that were called in to handle the situation – or the S.W.A.T. Team or even extra off-duty police officers. The first response was to run to the roof and activate the “Bat signal” – and call the Caped Crusader, and the Boy Wonder into the situation. No one else would do. And in the “Adventures of Superman,” Lois Lane never called the police when she was in trouble – Lois quietly whispered the name of her hero – Superman. There was no one else that could do the job – not even the ever pining Clark Kent that wanted nothing more than to hear Lois call his name. But as far as Lois was concerned, no one but Superman could come running at her call.

Jeremiah has fixated on his hero – his God. In the midst of the trouble that was now threatening to overtake Judah, the mistrust that Jeremiah held for the officials of the nation meant that and there was no other authority to whom he could run. God was the only answer; the only hero that could hear the call. And that sense of desperation was only heightened with the enemy about to appear on the doorstep of the city in which he lived. If Jeremiah was going to be healed, there was no one else who had the ability to heal him. If Jeremiah was going to be saved, the only name that could be whispered was that of his God.

Most of us who grew up with our Superheroes have watched them tarnish over time. At some point, we found out that the Batsignal only works in Gotham City and Lois is the only one that can call Superman to her side. Even George Reeves lost his race against a speeding bullet. But the God of Jeremiah remains. He is still the only one who can heal and the only one who can save.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 18