Spider-Man, Christianity, And Faithful Christians

In growing up, one of my favorite comic book heroes was Spider-Man. The story behind this infamous hero, is that he was a shy high school student by the name of Peter Parker. He was supposedly bitten by a radioactive spider which allowed him to gain some of the spider's abilities, such as incredible strength and agility. He was able to climb sheer walls and the power to spin spider-like webs.

Why has Spider-Man remained such a popular icon for the past fifty years? Unlike most comic heroes before him, Peter Parker comes from a working-class family, 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 just an ordinary guy with problems and weaknesses, just like you and me.

Similarly, Christianity is the faith of ordinary people. While Jesus had some well-to-do and prominent disciples such as Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Lazarus of Bethany, most of His followers were average folks. They were 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 made up of the "uneducated, common men" (Acts 4:13 ESV). Even the tireless evangelist apostle Paul, 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 (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 6:3-5,9; 2 Peter 2:1-3).

What God really wants is ordinary people who will humble themselves to do His will, as clay is molded in the hands of the potter. He is looking for faithful servants who will take whatever resources He has placed at their disposal, and use them in His service (Exodus 4:10-12). In the first century, a handful of ordinary men evangelized the earth (Colossians 1:5-6,23). They used the power of God that was vested in them to "turn the world upside down" (Acts 17:6).

As Christians, we too have that same power in our hands today. Not the miraculous power that attended the gospel in apostolic times, but "the power of God to salvation" (Romans 1:16).

To quote the words of Spider-Man's uncle, "With great power comes great responsibility." While we may be ordinary average people, with the powerful life-changing 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 (Matthew 28:19-20).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets