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Heroes Of Faith: Defying Authority For The Greater Good

Heroes Of Faith: Defying Authority For The Greater Good

Last updated on: December 21, 2025 at 2:59 am by Henry Karlson

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Heroes Of Faith: Defying Authority For The Greater Good 2025-12-21T02:59:35-05:00 Henry Karlson

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Johann Jaritz: Frescos Heroes Of the Faith From Jesus’ Family Tree– Maria Saal, District Klagenfurt Land, Carinthia, Austria / Wikimedia Commons

We often find our faith is tested throughout our lives. We often have to ask ourselves what we should do in the situations we find ourselves in. We will find our faith is often challenged, and how we deal with that challenge will show whether or not we are truly faithful. The great heroes of the faith are heroes because they lived out their faith, doing things which many, if not most of us, would not do. They took the challenges they faced head on. Many, like Job, questioned why they were placed in the situations they found themselves in, and others, like Jeremiah, show us the feelings we might have while we are being tested. Through them, and many like them, we find that we can raise questions, even questions to God, and still remain faithful. They followed, and even loved, God despite all they went through. They were able to carry, despite such questions because of their faith:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.” He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence he did receive him back, and this was a symbol. By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his burial (Heb. 11:17-22 RSV).

Abraham obeyed what he thought God wanted from him, that is, he was willing to sacrifice his son, believing that God would come through for him and that God would find a way to preserve the promise he received. That is what Abraham thought. If we believe God really wanted Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, we do not understand God nor the purpose of the story. God certainly didn’t want such a sacrifice to be made. It was Abraham, and humanity in his time, which misunderstood God. They believed God wanted sacrifices, including human sacrifices. God worked with that misunderstanding to reveal to Abraham that was not the case. Abraham was stopped from killing his son, showing God really didn’t want such a sacrifice at all. Developing revelation, as seen with prophets, and culminating with Christ, would show us God doesn’t need or want any such sacrifices, human or animal. Humanity had to be led outside of its grave misunderstanding of God. Abraham lived a life of faith; what he learned was passed through generation to generation, and as it was passed, it was developed further. We have learned that instead of sacrificing life, we are meant to protect it. This is why, if and when we find ourselves living in society which demands some (the poor, the outcast) to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the rich and powerful. we must work to change society and help the poor until it does. Moses’ parents learned that lesson, which is why they, full of faith, disobeyed what they were told to do by secular authorities. They were unwilling to have Moses killed, and so, their faith led them to give him up in such a way so that his life could be saved: “”By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Heb. 11:23 RSV).

The heroes of our faith, the saints, show us the limitations of the human condition, especially through the challenges they faced in their lives; but they also show us, through their faith, that we can receive the grace we need to transcend some of those limitations and do things which can be said to be miraculous. When society is bloodthirsty, when society establishes laws to oppress various peoples, those of faith will follow the example of Moses’ parents and defy society (and the governmental authorities which work to execute those laws). If we are not to sacrifice anyone to God, we certainly cannot sacrifice them to society. We must follow God and God’s ways, especially when we find God’s ways are challenged by society. Today, we find ourselves being tested like the saints of old. Today, our test is centered upon how we will treat migrants, the poor, and the vulnerable; they are under constant threat by those who would like to do them harm (if not to have them die). We must, like Moses’ parents, find a way to protect them, even if it means putting ourselves at risk.

Thus, we must ask ourselves, what are we going to do with the oppression surrounding us? How are we going to act when our government tells us to join in and abuse those in whom Christ is to be found? Instead of saying we must blindly obey all our government tells us to do because our government was put in power by God, we must question what authorities tell us to do and disobey them if they tell us to act against the way our faith tells us to treat others. If we want to join in with the cloud of witnesses, with the heroes of our faith, we will follow God’s way over the unjust demands of society. It is why we recognize what Oskar Schindler did: he defied his government to protect and save as many Jews as was possible, even though he also knew it put himself at risk if what he was doing was discovered. If we ask ourselves how we would have acted if we faced a similar situation, we must now acknowledge, we have it before us, with the way migrants (or anyone who even looks “other”) is being treated in the United States; do we speak up and protect them the best we can, do we look the other way, or do we join in on their oppression?

As we prepare for Christmas, let us remember Herod and the way he is portrayed in Scripture as wanting the Christ child to be eliminated from existence. The Magi knew what they had to do as they helped the Holy Family. The Holy Family knew what they had to do, and so they went to Egypt, and there, found themselves unwanted by various authorities (and other people in Egypt); some stood up for them and hid them while the authorities looked for them, while others turned them in, making the Holy Family to be constantly on the move so as to make sure they were not taken in by the authorities. The Magi, the Holy Family did not blindly obey and do what the authorities wanted of them. They did what they could to protect Christ. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, we must ask ourselves, will we be people of faith, following the heroes of the past, doing what is right even if it is not easy, or will we go with the flow, and let the innocent suffer? Will we support the government persecution of Christ, and the Herods of today, or will we be like the Magi?

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N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

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