Bravery/valor, Courage and Dedication: Qualities of a Hero

“A true hero is someone who exhibits all or most of the following qualities – bravery, courage, determination, dedication, endurance, perseverance, valour, selflessness, sacrifice and humility. They go beyond the call of duty to help someone in need. Heroes are courageous because they act even when they are afraid, they are selfless and act without concern for themselves, and they are determined to do what is right.” (Heroes and Role Models Task Sheet, 2019). Jesus Christ is regarded as a hero by both catholic and non-Catholic peoples. This is due to many stories about Jesus published in the bible and parables that depict his actions throughout his short life. Through Jesus’s miracle work, teachings and sacrifices he exhibits the qualities of a hero as mentioned above.

Sacrifice and selflessness are at the center of the qualities a hero shows. Selflessness is the act of putting someone else’s needs before your own for the good of the other persons, even if you may be affected negatively. Sacrifice is the act of giving up one’s own property, life, belonging, intentions etc for the sake of helping someone or something else. Throughout the bible Jesus provides teachings about the importance of selflessness and encourages others to do so. In a scripture John says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). Jesus laid down his life in this fashion to save everyone on Earth from their sins. He died on the cross to save humanity from their sins (suffered under Pontius Piolet, [and] was crucified” (Matthew 27:1-2). His death lasted hours and was extremely brutal and painful. This is the ultimate sacrifice and selfless act. Despite knowing his fate Jesus still stayed for his conviction and didn’t yield in the face of death because he knew he must die to save others.

A hero exhibits bravery/valour, courage and dedication. They must be able to show courage in the face of fear and act on this courage making them brave. Jesus showed these qualities when God informed him that he must die on the cross to save humanity and open the gates of heaven. Jesus pleaded with God as he feared dying, especially through crucifixion. However, Jesus although desperately afraid went to prayer and accepted what his father asked, 'Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.'(Luke 22:34). Through this he showed the dedication he had to the people he served and showed great bravery and courage even in the face of death. For this reason, Jesus is regarded as a hero by all who hear the story.

Hero’s show perseverance in their determination to serve the good of others. Perseverance is the act of continuing with a task despite facing difficulty or delay. Jesus showed perseverance throughout his everyday life for his entire life. In the 23 years he was alive he continued to provide teachings despite often being rejected or attacked even with violence. Even when he faced death, he continued to stay true to his cause and didn’t not give up even until the end. This shows how Jesus had never ending determination and preservice.

Jesus is still to this day a hero to those who both catholic and non-catholic. He displayed every characteristic of a hero in his everyday life for the greater good of the people he served. Jesus acts as a role model to many people and inspires heroic acts around the world everyday through his action’s centuries ago.