Percy Jackson: The Last Olympian – the power of yielding

Hello, my friends, and welcome back to another episode of The Gospel According to, where we connect all the stories and songs we love with Biblical truths and themes. This week’s topic completely BLEW MY MIND and had me a little bit misty-eyed because of its beauty… and it came from a series about the Greek gods! Who knew 😆 So here’s a discussion of the goddess Hestia and her quote about the power of yielding in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian. Enjoy!

Fandom: “Not all powers are spectacular… Sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding.” – Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home, The Last Olympian, page 102

Verses: 1 Peter 3:3-4, 1 Timothy 2:1-6, Matthew 5:5, Matthew 11:28-30, Zechariah 9:9, Isaiah 42:1-4, Philippians 2:3-4

Truth: Just as Jesus was gentle and meek while He was on earth and is exceedingly patient with us, we should humbly accept His teachings and treat others with gentleness as well.

The Fandom: Hestia, the one Olympian who isn’t self-centered or arrogant

Hestia probably isn’t considered a main character in the Percy Jackson universe. She only shows up a couple of times, and then it’s only for a couple of paragraphs. Goddess of the hearth and home, Hestia often shows herself as a young girl in a brown robe, or as a woman in simple clothing, kneeling by the hearth in the middle of the throne room on Olympus. She is described as having eyes “filled with flames– but not like Ares’s eyes. Hestia’s eyes were warm and cozy” (p. 100). She is a nurturing character, providing a good meal and warm conversation, as well as advice that will turn the tide of the war. Here’s what she says in one interaction with Percy and Co. in The Last Olympian:

“Not all powers are spectacular.” Hestia looked at me. “Sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding. Do you believe me?”

“Uh-huh,” I said. Anything to keep her from messing with her flame powers again.

The goddess smiled. “You are a good hero, Percy Jackson. Not to proud. I like that. But you have much to learn. When Dionysus was made a god, I gave up my throne for him. It was the only way to avoid a civil war among the gods.”

“It unbalanced the Council,” I remembered. Suddenly there were seven guys and five girls.”

Hestia shrugged. “It was the best solution, not a perfect one. Now I tend the fire. I fade slowly into the background. No one will ever write epic poems about the deeds of Hestia. Most demigods don’t even stop to talk to me. But that is no matter. I keep the peace. I yield when necessary. Can you do this?”

The Last Olympian, p. 102

There’s so much that I could over-analyze about this little piece of dialogue. I don’t know if Percy realized this, but Hestia’s words here may have turned the tide of the war between gods and Titans. Because it was his choice to give Luke the “cursed blade,” his choice to recognize that he wasn’t the hero of the prophecy, that saved the world. He decided to step down, refuse the opportunity to gain all the glory, and trust his friends and Annabeth to make the right decisions. And when offered the chance to become immortal, Percy chooses to look out for the interests of demigods, even those who became his enemy, as well as his own. And we’re sure glad he did, because Percybeth never would have become canon if one of them were immortal (that would’ve been a real tragedy bc they are LEGENDARY 🤩😻😤💖).

The Verses: I Am is gentle and lowly in heart

Now that we’ve sufficiently over-analyzed the Percy Jackson series in its own right, I want to talk about all the verses I found that express similar themes and go even further into the idea of yielding, gentleness, and humility:

Do not let your adorning be external–the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear– but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV

I started with these verses because they were the first ones I thought of when thinking about the themes of gentleness and yielding. If you’re a girl who grew up in church, you probably memorized or heard them at least once or twice during your growing-up years. You might have assumed, like I did, that being “gentle and quiet” meant never stepping on any toes or speaking loudly, repressing yourself for the sake of making space for others. But as I’ve gotten older and studied these verses more deeply, I’ve realized that they mean so much MORE than that!

The word “gentle” in Greek is praeos, which means roughly “That disposition of spirit in which we accept God’s dealings with us as good, and therefore without resisting” (from Blue Letter Bible’s Interlinear tool). Another definition I found for this word was “Displaying God’s power under His control” (Wild and Free by Jess Connolly). In other words, being meek or gentle and quiet doesn’t mean being weak or suppressing our own strength or gifts for the sake of others. I would argue that it means the opposite, which is exactly what Hestia says in The Last Olympian: “The hardest power to master is the power of yielding,” and that makes a meek and gentle person one of the most powerful of all.

Here’s a post I wrote this past fall that further expounds upon the idea of Godly womanhood and the “Proverbs 31 woman”

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

1 Timothy 2:1-6 ESV

These verses show what our choice to be quiet before the Lord accomplishes: a peaceful life for us, and the possibility that more people might be saved. It also gives us the prime example of gentleness and yielding for us to follow: that of Christ Jesus Himself, who gave Himself up for our sake.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

These verses show the character of Jesus: gentle and lowly, patient and quiet. All He asks of us is that we surrender and yield to His instruction and teaching, and He promises that it won’t be too much for us to handle. Ahhhhhh… These verses also call to mind the childlike faith of Matthew 19:14, faith that doesn’t resist or question the Word of God. Extremely difficult to do, as I for one know that yielding without argument is about the last thing I want to hear when I’m struggling with doubt or wondering why things happen to me. But it is possible, through Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, and it is more than worth it.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

This verse is another example of how humility and meekness don’t equal weakness or lack of action. It describes Jesus as both Righteous and humble, the savior who comes in peace (which is what riding on a donkey rather than a horse means). And this is Jesus, the Savior of the world, the bringer of salvation and justification and righteousness, showing modesty and humility and patience with His creation.

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Isaiah 42:1-4 ESV

These are the verses that had me teary-eyed, wide-eyed and open-mouthed in wonder. They promise that the Servant (Jesus) will both bring justice AND treat His people with gentleness and care. The word that the ESV translates as “bruised” can also mean “failure,” and the word translated as “faintly burning” can also mean “discouraged”… which means that Jesus Himself doesn’t get discouraged or fail (from the rest of the verses), and ALSO that He cares for us when we fail or feel discouraged. Ahhhhhh so beautiful!!! Here’s a commentary I read that illuminates this passage even further 🤩😊✨

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4 ESV

In light of the character of Jesus described in the verses above, these verses from Philippians make that much more sense, and they’re a good way to start applying what we’ve talked about so far. Look out not only for your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Take care of yourself, and be fed and nurtured by the Word and by physical food and provision, but focus your heart outwards more often than inwards, taking care of others as well. Which is exactly what Hestia represents: exuding warmth and hospitality, taking care of those you love with a warm meal and kind words, and yielding when necessary to make sure their needs are met.

Application: Receive grace with humility and yield when necessary

As we look towards the application part of this post, I wanted to share a quote I found:

“Think for a moment about the modesty of God. He is always at work: He guides the sun, the stars, and the universe. He controls every galaxy. He refreshes the earth constantly. But He works so quietly that many people now try to make out there is no God at all … That is the hallmark of reality in service. God’s artists do not put their signatures to the pictures they create. His ambassadors do not run after the photographer all the time to get their pictures taken. It is enough that they have borne witness to the Lord.”

Redpath, a theologian quoted in David Guzik’s commentary on Isaiah 42

These words were especially powerful to me as a content creator. In a world where everyone wants to gain recognition from others, it’s easy to feel sad or discouraged when my Instagram post only got three likes or my TikTok only got 41 views. That comparison can steal my joy real quick, and leave me dashing to find the perfect sound to use or exactly the right photo to post that will get me the most attention and followers. What I needed to hear today was this: God sees me bearing witness to His truth, and He approves. I don’t need to spend all my time and energy chasing the attention and approval of others; instead, I can keep proclaiming His Word and let Him put that Word in front of the people who need to hear it.

As a way to apply the verses and thoughts above, I’ve started listing out a few “I will” statements that I can act on throughout my day. Here’s what I’m taking away from this Percy Jackson quote and these verses:

In response to this truth, I will…

• Submit to the Lord and believe His Word without resistance or complaint
• Seek to reflect the gentleness of Christ, who yielded Himself for the sake of those He loves
• Ask Holy Spirit to cultivate gentleness and dependence on Him in my heart
• Faithfully proclaim the truth of the Gospel without obsessing over the approval or attention that it brings; trust that He will put my words in front of the people who need to read them, and rest in His sovereignty and provision

I hope you’ve enjoyed this over-analysis of The Last Olympian and the goddess Hestia’s advice on yielding and humility. What did you learn today? I’d love to know!

Happy fangirling!