In the Charles Yu short story collection, Third Class Superhero, Nathan lives in a world full of super-powered beings. But he’s not good enough to be one of them. Oh, he has a power—of sorts. But it’s too meager to qualify for full-time heroics. So, instead of zooming to the rescue of someone in desperate need of saving, he works a thankless job that barely covers room and board.
What’s a third-class superhero to do?
I know actual people like Nathan. They don’t have special powers, not even third-class powers, but they do suffer from a similar problem. Life has been signaling something to them—for a while:
They’re just not good enough.
It’s hard to accept that the thing you’ve invested yourself in—that goal you’ve had for your life, that career you’ve been working hard to build, that relationship you’ve been pursuing—is never going to be a reality. That window of opportunity is not just closing, it’s nailed shut. And, as hard as that is, there’s worse.
It is difficult to face our shortcomings. It is even worse to have to hear about them from someone else.
That’s what happens in this week’s selection from the Gospel of Matthew. John the Baptist looks out over the crowd and gives the most unusual “altar call” I have ever encountered: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” As unwelcome as this sounds, I believe John was doing them a kindness. He was shocking them into a realization. Like the prophet Malachi before him, John saw them for what they were:
Not good enough.
John knew their need, even if they had not yet grasped the situation. What sounded like cruelty was necessary for them to understand their need for Jesus, and why repentance was the beginning of fulfilling that need. God had not been “in their midst” for hundreds of years—and they were the reason why.
They needed an entirely new approach.
When we read this same story in the Gospel of Luke, we learn that many responded to John by coming forward and asking: “What then should we do?” The shock treatment worked: They began to see their need.
This is an Advent lesson for us, too. As we look to the coming of the Lord—to a time of rejoicing, singing, shouting, exulting, thankfulness, and prayer—we must first acknowledge our need. We must recognize that part of preparing for the coming of the Lord is accepting that we need Him.
We, too, must be willing to ask: “What then should we do?”
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PHOTO: Adobe Express filtered through Photoshop Express
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We're back from our Thanksgiving hiatus and looking forward to hearing everyone's Turkey Day tales. Join us Friday morning if you can on Zoom* or at Our Breakfast Place. We meet at 8:00 for an exceptional hour. We visit, eat, read scripture, and engage in a robust exchange of ideas.
Kryptonite must be checked at the door…
Many Blessings,
Steve
*Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414
SCRIPTURES FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (DECEMBER 7, 2025) AND THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=17134&z=a&d=2
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Ax_SecondSundayofAdvent.pdf
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
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