Spiderman is a fictional character.
That seems like a statement which one would read and think to themselves, “Duh.”
Three Bolivian brothers, ages 12, 10, and 8, didn’t quite understand the concept of Spiderman not being real…until recently.
The boys found a black widow spider and decided that, since Peter Parker became Spiderman after being bitten by a spider, they, too, would develop superpowers if they let their spider bite them.
So, each boy prodded the black widow with a stick until he received a venomous bite.
Their mother found all three of them crying in pain, experiencing fever, tremors, and muscle pain.
The brothers were finally able to go home from the hospital after about a week (New York Post, May 25, 2020).
Hopefully, those boys returned home a little wiser.
Allowing oneself to be bitten by venomous spiders isn’t the best of ideas.
There might be an application in this bizarre story for a Christian to glean: Allowing the venomous “spiders” of life to bite him doesn’t give special abilities.
The bite from the “spider” of gossip will poison the Christian: The justification for partaking of the venom might be that the sharing of information about brothers and sisters keeps each other connected. The biblical truth is that partaking of the venom of gossip separates close friends (Proverbs 16:28), causes quarrels (Proverbs 16:20), and renders his religion worthless (James 1:26).
The bite from the “spider” of materialism: The justification for allowing this spider to inject its venom might be that having “stuff” makes one important and keeps him relevant. The biblical truth is that life does not consist of worldly possessions (Luke 22:15). 1 Timothy 6:9-10 warns us that those who desire to be wealthy fall into a dangerous trap that will plunge the Christian into spiritual ruin and destruction.
The bite from the “spider” of pride: The justification for allowing this spider to inject its venom might be the desire to be recognized for the worldly looks and abilities one might possess. The biblical reality is that the proud don’t seek God (Psalm 10:4), are self-deceptive (Galatians 6:3), and will be opposed by God (1 Peter 5:5).
There are more venomous “spiders” of life out there in the world.
Toying with and allowing oneself to bitten by those spiders isn’t the best of ideas.
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