The parable of Superman versus the Hulk
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I hear the Spirit of the Most High Originator-Creator-Oversoul talk to me in contemporary stories in my culture. I read a comic book as a kid once that spoke to me. See if you can discern any greater meaning as I describe.
The incredible Hulk was on a rampage and destroying things. Superman came to stop him and they engaged in battle. The Hulk got full of rage with Superman, which just made him stronger and he knocked Superman out into outer space. So Superman decided to change tactics. He came back to earth and decided to stop fighting the Hulk and simply stood there and let the Hulk beat on him.
Once Superman decides to not move, no force on earth can move him. He stood there and let the Hulk beat on him and beat on him but Superman did not fight back. The Hulk got more enraged at Superman's lack of fight and got stronger and Superman was getting close to being knocked out again into outer space, but eventually the Hulk got tired and calmed down. His fists had less power and he got tired, calmed down, and became human again in the form of Dr. Bruce Banner. Then Superman could reason with Dr. Banner and in this way he defeated the Hulk.
Interpretation
But he (Jesus) answered and said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)." To understand parables, one must understand that we live out in our lives every part of the parable, not just the good parts. For example, Matthew 13 records the parable of the sower.
"That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: 'A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Do you see your heart as only the good soil? But we must live by every word of God, so even if your heart is now in good soil, you also lived as the seed along the path, seed on rocky ground, and seed among thorns before you got to this place. And life is a continuous process of growth and learning, so our hearts always are a combination of seed along the path, rocky ground, thorns, and good soil, as we grow and learn to be more good soil than bad.
In similar fashion, we are all first the Hulk before we become Superman (ie like Christ). Jeremiah 10:14, NIV, "Everyone is senseless and without knowledge." In our spiritual immaturity, we are senseless and without knowledge, and ability to think straight, like the Hulk. We are like children or sheep that go astray. We are a brutish, semi-human, thinking beast like the Hulk, angry and raging and unable to control our emotions and initially battle Superman (Christ) within us.
The Christ within battles our Hulk within but even Christ needs time to subdue us in our warfare with Him, and we are strong and knock Him into outer space. Eventually Christ stops fighting us and lets us beat on Him. Even then we rage and beat on Christ and can almost defeat Him but not quite. We tire and transform into a man, and our beastly nature subsides and Christ can reason with us as we mature.
Then we live the life of Superman (Christ) as we have the strength and power of Superman, think like a man, but no longer can the Hulk within defeat us. We are the Hulk first, then Superman, then walk in faith, humility, and the Spirit as we are both Superman and the Hulk at the same time, both within, waging warfare at times, and also at times at peace with only Superman and the weak human Dr. Banner manifesting. We subtly shift from one to the other, and simultaneously live the parable fully and always, while at times manifesting more of the Hulk or Superman as a sovereign God causes us to do.
Poor Superman, so unappreciated!!!