This Story Has Only One Hero

Some stories have multiple heroes…

Like this year’s The Avengers movie—featuring Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow. It was a who’s who movie of Marvel Super Heroes.

Honestly, it was a bit overcrowded. They could barely fit all those heroes on the movie poster.

The biblical story of Jonah has only One Hero.

You’ve probably already figured it out…

Jonah isn’t the hero.

He’s a piece of work.

He runs from God.

And when he finally obeys, he “celebrates” by throwing a temper tantrum.

Meanwhile, the Hero of the story is constantly at work—rescuing, saving, and bringing about His good plan.

Our tendency is to paint ourselves as the heroes of our own stories.

But the truth is, we’re not.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. —Philippians 2.13 NLT

This story—your story, and my story—has only One Hero.

When we see ourselves as the heroes of our own stories, we’re giving too much attention and credit to ourselves.

It’s easy to judge where others are at, thinking, “They’re getting what they deserve”.

Watching Jonah get tossed into the sea and immediately swallowed by a great fish, you might be tempted to think, “He’s getting what he deserved”.

But Jonah wasn’t getting what he deserved.

He was getting redirected.

He was getting rescued.

He was getting a second chance—by the Hero of the story.

The bottom line: We’re not the heroes of our stories, because this story has only One Hero.