This week's sermon intro brought to you courtesy of Time magazine

In the midst of prepping for Sunday's study in the Gospel of Luke, I noticed that once again news agencies are crowning the next political savior.  And it gives the perfect illustration for our text this week, Luke 3:15-22.

Of course, for anyone who has followed American politics even casually, this comes as no surprise. It's as silly as it is embarrassing, but it seems something in our nature longs for the perfect political savior.  Obama was hailed as the savior long before he was sworn into office. 

Of course, some can sweep this away as mere exaggeration, but more recently, actor Jamie Fox referred to the President as "our Lord and Savior" leaving little doubt that some people look to mere mortals to fill this role.

Time Magazine decided to go ahead & name its next Messiah, or at least the Republican's Messiah.  

The new issue of TIME, featuring Sen. @marcorubio, hits newsstands Friday. See the cover | twitter.com/TIME/status/29…
— TIME.com (@TIME) February 7, 2013

I've often wondered what politicians think of this attention. No doubt some of them enjoy it. At least they make it easy to suspect it. 

But I'm glad that Senator Marco Rubio clarified the issue. In case there was any doubt, Rubio took to the fastest way to disseminate info:  Twitter.

There is only one savior, and it is not me. #Jesus
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 7, 2013

  Senator Rubio does here what John the Baptizer did in ancient times.

Luke 3 tells us,

"As the people were in expectation [of the coming Messiah], all were questioning in their hearts concering John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, 'I baptize with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sanles I am unworthy to untie.'"  

Like Rubio, John pointed people away from himself to the true Savior of the world.

And when anyone points away from themselves and point to the true King of Kings, #Jesus, there is true hope.

____

UPDATE:

My friend, Sean, alerted me to this song by Derek Webb, "A Savior on Capital Hill."



I’m so tired of these mortal men
with their hands on their wallets
and their hearts full of sin
scared of their enemies, scared of their friends
and always running for re-election
so come to DC if it be thy will
because we’ve never had a savior on Capitol Hill

you can always trust the devil or a politician
to be the devil or a politician
but beyond that friends you’d best beware
‘cause at the Pentagon bar they’re an inseparable pair
and as long as the lobbyists are paying their bills
we’ll never have a savior on Capitol Hill

[Bridge] all of our problems gonna disappear
when we can whisper right in that President’s ear
he could walk right across the reflection pool
in his combat boots and ten thousand dollar suit

you can render unto Caesar everything that’s his
you can trust in his power to come to your defense
it’s the way of the world, the way of the gun
it’s the trading of an evil for a lesser one
so don’t hold your breath or your vote until
you think you’ve finally found a savior up on Capitol Hill