3 of 12 Christian Basics: Heaven and Earth
Many people have suggested basic concepts for Christianity. In fact, Jesus himself taught 12 basics of theology in his Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). In the first article of this series on Christian basics, I listed the 12 I found there.
In this third lesson on Christian basics, I note that Jesus referred to “heaven and earth.” In the Bible, both nature and the supernatural are accepted realities. There seems to be less resistance to this idea now than when I first wrote the study back in 2015. Still, we twenty-first century westerners tend to think of the supernatural as the product of superstition and imagination.
Consider, though, the story of the healing of a demon-possessed boy in Mark 9:14-29. A desperate father brought his demon-possessed son to be healed by Jesus’s disciples while Jesus was elsewhere. The boy suffered seizures and rigidity. Jesus’s disciples, who were available, were unable to heal the boy and an argument ensued. When Jesus returned, he first asked, “You unbelieving generation … how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
The story continued:
When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
The authors of the Bible took for granted the existence of what we call the supernatural. The unseen world of demons and spirits was a source of fear and uncertainty to the general populace. Even today, the shamans and witch doctors, who supposedly have control in the unseen world, wield power in their tribal cultures through fear. Judging from movie box office receipts, we today love horror shows in which the devil has overt control.
In the passage in Mark, Jesus instructs his followers that “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Ordinary humans like us have no command over such spiritual forces. In the story, Jesus himself exerted authority over the evil spirit, easily and directly.
Even these days, my wife and I have experienced malevolent spiritual power—and Jesus’s authority over it. Though rarely overt, often times malevolent spiritual power is exercised in a subtle, almost undetectable way, requiring those who wish to resist it to be alert. However, being alert is not enough. The power of Jesus is required against the “roaring lion, seeking for someone to devour,” our mere human strength is inadequate. Jesus is the one with authority over heaven and earth.
You can see the entire study on the 12 basics of Christian theology here.
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