| Choice: Spidey has big fights
with Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2, but really, the movie is more about
the battle inside Peter Parker. Being a superhero isn't easy. He
can't pay his bills, the girl he loves falls for another guy, and
he can't even find time to study. He just wants a normal life. And
so, he chooses to walk away from being Spider-Man
As Peter Parker discovered, it's hard to do what's right. jesus
described choosing the right thing as the "narrow" path
-- not many people choose it. He said, The gate to destruction is
wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of
people go through that gate. But the gat of life is very narrow.
The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people
find it.
So why would superheroes, like Spider-Man, ever choose the hard
way when they could just be happy? Peter's Aunt May explains it
in a speech that inspires him to go back to his hero life. She says,
"The world needs heroes: courageous, self-sacrificing people
[who] set examples for all of us. I believe there's a hero in all
of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble,
and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we
have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even
our dreams."
Aunt May's lesson reflects what the Bible teaches. In Matthew 16:24-25,
Jesus says anyone who comes to him must deny their own life. That
means, as Aunt May says, giving up some things we want for something
greater (1 Corinthians 7:24)
Weakness: Superman can fly, outrun trains and stop bullets,
but he still has a weakness: Kryptonite. It makes him weak and vulnerable.
in a way, I havekryptonite in my life too -- things that weaken
me or damage my ability to use my gifts for God.
The Daredevil (Matt Murdock) is blind, but other strengths help
him excel as a superhero. We, too, aren't strong in every way, but
are given certain gifts and abilities by God (Romans 12:6-8 and
Ephesians 4:7-13). Being weak in some areas allows us to rely on
God (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) Our weaknesses also show us we need
to lean on the strengths of others. In Romans, Paul describes the
church as a body, where each part performs a different duty (12:4-5).
Groups of superheroes like the X-Men, The Incredibles or the Fantastic
Four are like this too. Each person has different strengths. Together,
they make a fully working body.
Sometimes, like the kryptonite, our weakness seems just too strong.
But there's still hope. Having faith in a God who's there for us
can enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things. In Matthew
17:20, Jesus says, "If you have faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and
it will move. Nothing will be impossible to you"
That verse is so empowering! In fact, it kind of means God gives
us superpowers. We aren't relying on just what we can do. We have
help. Jesus told the disciples: If you have faith in me, you will
do the same things that I am doin. You will do even greater things,
now that I am going back to the Father. Ask me, and I will do whatever
you ask.
Temptation: In X2, something sets teenage mutant John Allerdyce
-- or Pyro as he's called -- apart from the other X-Men. While they
try to only use their powers when necessary, Pyro flexes his abilities
whenever he can. And in big ways. When a cop tries to apprehend
Pyro, he says, "You know all those dangerous mutants you hear
about in the news? I'm the worst one." He then shoots fire
at the police and destroys two squad cars.
It's obvious Pyro is tempted by a desire for power and pride. He's
not alone. many superheroes are tempted by their emotions and wants.
Hulk wrestles with anger, Batman with revenge, and others fight
fear or greed. James 1:14 says, We are tempted by our own desires
that drag us off and trap us.
Pyro's desires do drag him away. Magneto, theX-Men's arch-enemy,
fuels Pyro's hunger for power by saying, "You are a god among
insects, never let anyone tell you different."
Temptation can easily lead us down a dangerous path, too. You see,
superhero movies aren't far off when they suggest a world full of
supernatural fights of good and of evil. And Satan will do all he
can to use our inner desires to pull us to his side, just like Magneto
recruited Pyro for the bad guys. That's why the Bible says this:
Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself
against the devil's deceptions. We are not fighting against humans.
We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers
of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.
Mercy: At the end of X-Men, Professor Xavier visits prison
to see magneto. Magneto asks Professer X why he would visit him. After
all, Magneto tried to kill Professer X and all the X-Men! The professer
explains that he still has hope for Magneto. In spite of everything
Magneto did to the X-Men, Xavier continues to love him.
This kind of mercy and compassion is exactly what Jesus talked about
in Matthew 5. He said, You have heard people say, 'Love your neighbors
and hate your enemies,' but I tell you to love your enemies and pray
for anyone who mistreats you. if you love only those people who love
you, will God reward you for that?
X-Men hero Nightcrawler is another example of this. In X2, Storm is
bitter and angry about the way some humans treat mutants. Nightcrawler
tells her: "Most people are afraid of me. But I dont hate them.
I pity them. Do you know why? Because most people will never know
anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes." This
reaction is similar to how Jesus approached life. He had an eternal
perspective and could always see that there was more to this life
than what the world had to offer. he knew that when the things of
this world were gone, the great figt of love would still be around.
(1 Corinthians 13:13
So What Does This Mean? These are just some of the ways
in which we see that faith in God -- and the strength, mercy and
armor that come from Him -- kind of make us superheroes. When a
new heroic film comes to a theater near you, there are some questions
you can ask to help think through what the movie is saying -- and
to talk to friends about your faith.
What does the movie say about mercy, temptation, choice and weakness?
How else does the movie support or conflict with the Bible?
What is it about the superhero that makes people look up to him
or her? Is it a superpower or something else? Is it a quality that
anyone could have?
What choices does the hero make? When have you made a decision
comparable to this or felt the emotions of the hero? What did you
do?
Peter Parker's Aunt May was right when she talked about heroes.
She said: "People line up for them, cheer them, scream their
names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain
for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to
hold on a second longer." I learned that lesson from Christ
and I'll continue to wait in line to see superheroes who give me
a glimpse of Him and what He taught.
--Scott La Counte |
