When I was a kid, I often fantasized about being Superman. 
I would tie a towel around my neck – like a cape – and run around the house like I was chasing after bad guys. When I got to the couch in the living room, I’d jump and take a flying leap …
Landing on the couch, full stretch, I’d close my eyes and picture myself flying across the skies, on my way to saving a damsel in distress.
At that moment, I had become like a god … able to move “faster than a speeding bullet … more powerful than a locomotive … able to leap tall buildings in a single bound …
“Look, up in the sky …”
Yes, some of you will know what I’m talking about. Others? Google it.
Suffice it to say that as a young boy, it was pretty cool to pretend that I was a super hero … just like in the days of Paul the apostle, it might have been very tempting to pretend to be a god.
Monday’s first reading from Acts 14 5-18 tells of the story of how the people of Lystra saw a miraculous healing while Paul was preaching.
At Lystra, there was the miraculous healing of a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked.
“He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.” He jumped up and began to walk about.”
It was the kind of miracle that is still possible today. How many times have we read stories about miraculous survivals of tragic events, people overcoming cancer and other diseases and others who come out of coma’s when the rest of the world writes them off?
“When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in Lycaonian, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form.’ They called Barnabas ‘Zeus’ and Paul ‘Hermes,’ because he was the chief speaker.”
So they immediately treated Paul and Barnabas as gods, rather than giving glory, praise and thanksgiving to the true God … Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Paul was clearly not happy about this.
“The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.”
And there you have it.
Rather than putting on a cape and pretending to be the superhero, Paul set the example of refusing such accolades and instead pointing to God as the source of all things good and miraculous.
Imagine if you truly had the power to instantly heal.
How fun that would be.
But how dangerous, once people found out.
I’m recalling the Stephen King movie, The Dead Zone, in which a man finds himself with the power to see the future. It doesn’t really end well. And it’s a good lesson for all …
Yes, it would be nice to be able to play god, or superhero, and save the world. But the truth is that we cannot handle such a responsibility. It’s better to let others share this responsibility – to share the good news of what God has given, but to always point to heaven, rather than ourselves, as the proper source of these miracles.
The world won’t be happy about this. People seem to want a hero. A superman. A god they can see.
Paul was not having any of it.
“Men, why are you doing this?”
Why … do we always search for some sort of way to elevate a man, woman, child, to that of a god?
Why can’t we be content with praising the One God in heaven?
That is what we need to strive for … to recognize the lessons of our faith, our history, and direct all of our praise and adoration to the God of heaven and earth.
He is not a doctor who works miracles in a foreign country.
He is not a scientist who finds a cure to a disease.
He is not a preacher who claims to have powers of healing.
He is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who continues to direct us and guide us closer to Him.
He is God … plain and simple.
