Authority, Worthiness, and Marvel Comics’ Thor
Rev. Murray Speer - May 20, 2011
One of my guilty pleasures is to watch comic book movies. The current top film at the box office is Thor, based on the comic book character which is, in turn, based on classical Norse storytelling. In the movie, Thor and his people are extra-terrestrials who live in a paradise city called Asgard and can use a portal to travel to different worlds. Thor’s father Odin is the King of Asgard, and is preparing to hand the throne over to Thor. Thor, however, is proud, arrogant, impulsive, and vain. When Thor’s actions reopen an ancient conflict, his father declares him unworthy, strips him of power, and banishes him to Earth.
What is it that makes us worthy of trust and authority? We all have areas in our lives, small or big, where we are trusted by others. We all have to make decisions that will affect people around us. Unfortunately, sometimes those who have authority are not worthy of it, while those who are most trustworthy are silenced.
Jesus tells a parable of an unjust man – destined to be king - who gives three of his servants money to trade with and then departs (The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19). When he returns, two of the servants have made great returns on the funds while the third hasn’t even earned basic interest. The King gives enormous authority to the first two, making each the governor of a large region. The third, who was unwilling to risk losing the money, is deprived even of his own wages.
Every time we look at a parable we can see something different. What I see is that the King did not ask the first servant exactly how he managed to double the money. Was it by honest means? Was anyone harmed in the process? Was there criminal activity? The King declares him “trustworthy” without any hesitation. The King is described as a hard man, reaping where he does not sow, so perhaps he approved of ruthless means. The third servant may have been unwilling because he didn’t wish to abuse, exploit, or manipulate others for his own gain. Perhaps it was out of compassion that he buried that fortune.
Thor had everything necessary to be the King of Asgard, but he wasn’t ready to be a good king. When he was banished, his hammer Mjolnir was also sent to Earth, with this enchantment: “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall wield the power of Thor.” Late in the film, when mortal-bodied Thor is able to have compassion for others and to selflessly offer his death, his hammer finally returns to him.
Sadly, power is not always accompanied by wisdom, and authority is not always tempered by compassion. A message of Jesus’ parable and the movie Thor is that if we are wise, we will always consider the effects of our choices, act with compassion, and try to be worthy of the power that we have.
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