A Look At Spider-Man, Christianity, And Faithful Christians
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles
The younger generation now know about Spider-Man, in the wake of the Spider-Man series of movies, featuring the legendary comic book character. For those who didn’t grow up reading Marvel comics — as this writer did (it’s how I motivated myself to read), Spider-Man is the story of a high school student (a shy, bookish kid by the name of Peter Parker), who is bitten by a radioactive spider, gaining some of the spider’s abilities, such as incredible strength and agility. He has tiny spines on his hands and feet that enable him to climb sheer walls, and (in the movie version, at least) the power to spin spider-like webs.
Why has Spider-Man remained such a popular icon for the past forty years? Peter comes from a working-class family (unlike most comic heroes before him, who were always independently wealthy), is considered a nerd by his peers, has a boss who underpays him and overworks him.
In short, when he’s not swinging across New York City chasing criminals, he’s an ordinary guy with problems and weaknesses — just like us!
Christianity is the faith of ordinary people. Jesus had some well-to-do and prominent disciples, such as Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Lazarus of Bethany. But most of His followers were average folks. Fishermen, like Peter, Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee. Tax collectors, like Matthew and Zacchaeus. Even beggars and other social outcasts. As Christianity spread following the ascension of Jesus, it was these ordinary people who carried the gospel message to the world. They were “uneducated, common men” (Acts 4:13 ESV).
Even the apostle Paul, the tireless evangelist, worked as a tentmaker (Acts 18:1-3). Paul often declined financial support from those he taught, choosing instead to make his living by his own labors (1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10).
The Scriptures tell us that the way of Christ has little appeal to the upper crust of human society, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). God uses the lowly to accomplish His purposes. Those who have their own agenda of self-glorification and material greed, are useless to Him (1 Timothy 6:3-5; 1 Timothy 6:9; 2 Peter 2:1-3).
What God wants is ordinary people who will humble themselves to His will, as clay is molded in the hands of the potter. He’s looking for faithful servants, who will take whatever resources He has placed at their disposal, and use them in His service (cf. Exodus 4:10-12). Christians who will say to souls in need of the good news of salvation, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you” (Acts 3:6 ESV).
In the first century, a handful of ordinary men evangelized the earth (Colossians 1:5-6; Colossians 1:23). They used the power God vested in them to “turn the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Brethren, we have that same power in our hands today — not the miraculous power that attended the gospel in apostolic times, but the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16).
To quote the words of Spider-Man’s uncle, “With great power comes great responsibility.” We may be ordinary, average people. But with the powerful gospel in our hands, we too can be spiritual heroes, “if” we are willing to carry out the great responsibility our Lord has given us regarding evangelism (Matthew 28:19-20).
Let’s think about it!