The Hero Behind The Hero

In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, "Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ." 

Corinth was a very worldly, secular city. It was a multicultural, multiethnic city. Close by, the Isthmian games were held, similar to the Olympic games, and it attracted world-class athletes. Corinth was a hub, a bustling metropolis. 

Corinth was a city where people followed the law of self-will and sought to be their own heroes. The Corinthian church grappled with many issues. The Corinthian Christians struggled to know how to follow Jesus and fought among themselves about what Christians were permitted to wear, drink and behave sexually. 

Paul had left his highly religious, pharisaical background and had become a committed follower of Jesus. His life had been transformed. He was confident in how he followed Jesus. Therefore, he instructed the Corinthians, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." 

But Paul was a flawed hero. Paul is not Jesus. As a human, Paul made mistakes. That is why he told them to imitate him as he imitated Christ. The implication is that if Paul is not imitating Christ, then don't imitate him. The only one truly worth imitating is Christ. He is the hero behind the hero. 

This Sunday, I want to talk about the hero behind the hero. It is very likely all of us have been impacted by someone who loves Jesus. Maybe your best friend, a prayer partner, a colleague, a Sunday school teacher, or a pastor. It is also likely we have all been let down by our heroes at some point. 

What do we do when we've been let down? Do we give in to despair? Do we question our faith? Or do we look beyond the earthy, flawed hero to Jesus, the true hero behind the hero? 

Take some time this weekend to ponder Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 11:1. What does it look like to imitate Jesus Christ in the context we are living in right now?