In the Gospels, Jesus uses a method of teaching known as parables to communicate principles about the kingdom of God. A parable compares two things by placing them side by side. By using parables, Jesus compares the unfamiliar, the kingdom of God, to the familiar, nature and life experiences. Matthew 13, for example, contains the parable of the sower and several parables about the kingdom of heaven.
For me, what we are about to read is like a parable. It’s a natural fictional example that teaches several spiritual principles. I call it “A Parable of Contradictions.”
In the last season of the original Star Trek series, the episode “The Spectre of the Gun” aired. It was a recreation of the shootout at the O. K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881 between lawmen Wyatt Earp and his brothers, Morgan and Virgil, and Doc Holiday, and Ike and Billy Clanton and outlaws known as the Cowboys.
Captain Kirk and members of his crew – Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty and Chekov – are involuntarily transported to Tombstone because the Enterprise had violated Melkotian air space. Kirk is Ike Clanton, Chekov is Billy, and Spock, McCoy and Scotty are the Cowboys.
Morgan Earp kills Chekov before the shootout and Kirk is furious. But Spock reminds him that Billy Clanton did not die at the O. K. Corral. Spock reasons that there must be a way to change the outcome of their situation. For the next few hours they try to figure out a way to avoid the confrontation. Finally, McCoy develops a rudimentary tranquilizer and tests it on Scotty (“Beam me up Scotty!” Who hasn’t heard that? 😊). It doesn’t work. But it should have. Spock understands the situation immediately.
What I’m about to read is the dialogue that Spock has with McCoy and Kirk after the tranquilizer fails.
Spock: Physical laws simply cannot be ignored. Existence cannot be without them. We are faced with a staggering contradiction. The tranquilizer you created should have been effective. Doctor, in your opinion, what killed Chekov?
After Chekov is killed and the tranquilizer doesn’t work, Spock evaluates the situation and says “We are faced with a staggering contradiction.” What was the contradiction? Chekov is dead, but in real history he did not die. And, in any other situation, the tranquilizer would have subdued Scotty. What Spock saw disagreed with what he knew to be true. It was a contradiction.
Now let’s look at an example from scripture. Turn with me to Matthew 17.
After His transfiguration, Jesus comes down from the mountain with Peter and James. When they reach the multitude, a man runs to Him and kneels at His feet. Let’s pick up the record in verse 15.
(15) Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for oftentimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
(16) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
I have a question for you: “Why would the father bring his son to the disciples?” I believe the answer is in Matthew 10.
(1) And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power (authority) against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. …
(5) These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not.
(6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,
(7) And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(8) Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye received, freely give.
Jesus had sent the disciples only to those who were considered part of “the house of Israel.” The father had heard about the miracles at the hands of the disciples. He didn’t believe he had to wait for his son to see Jesus to be cured.
Now grab a hold of this: the father didn’t think he needed to wait to see Jesus because he had seen the power of Jesus operating through the disciples! Folks, the same should be true today for every one of us here and in the body of Christ as a whole. We need the power of Jesus operating and flowing through us! Back to Matthew 17.
(17) Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me.
Jesus is not only talking to the father; He’s also talking to the disciples. We know this because the father brought his son to the disciples, but the disciples couldn’t cast out the devil. So Jesus addresses the issue.
Now, I want you to understand something.
? This is not an authority issue. Jesus had given the disciples the authority to cast out devils.
? This is a faith issue.
? This is a what you do you truly believe issue.
The disciples were faced with a staggering contradiction.
With the new birth, God has given each one of us the authority to heal sickness and disease, to raise the dead and to cast out devils. This is our birthright. But far too often, we also are faced with staggering contradictions that we don’t understand. We rationalize our lack of power by saying “It’s not God’s will. It’s not God’s timing.” That’s baloney! Jesus tells us in John 14:12 that we can do the works that He did. Did Jesus lie to us? I think not!
So, why are we not doing the works of Jesus? I’d say it’s a staggering contradiction, wouldn’t you? Jesus is the Word made flesh. Jesus is the Truth. So, when the Word tells us Truth and we are not seeing that truth manifest in our lives, we are staring at a staggering contradiction.
In verse 19, Jesus rebukes the devil and the child is cured and afterwards the disciples come to Him privately to find out why they couldn’t cast the devil out. They were confused because they had witnessed a contradiction. They had cast out devils before so not being able to cast this one out contradicted what they had witnessed firsthand.
I mean, think about how truly baffled the disciples were. Can’t you hear them saying to Jesus, “You gave us the authority to cast out devils and we did. So, we know that authority is real and when we told the devil to come out, it should have obeyed us. What are we missing Jesus?” The disciples recognized, now follow me closely, that what they saw – the devil not responding to their command – disagreed with the authority that Jesus had given to them.
Let’s continue with “A Parable of Contradictions.”
Spock: Doctor, in your opinion, what killed Chekov?
McCoy: A piece of lead in his body.
Spock: Wrong. His mind killed him. Physical reality is consistent with universal laws. When the laws do not operate, there is no reality. All of this is unreal.
Spock says Chekov’s mind killed him. Chekov believed the bullets to be real and when he was shot, he died. Are you following me? Spock says “Physical reality is consistent with universal laws.” When a law is universal it will always operate, but with the tranquilizer it did not. Therefore, what appears to be real to McCoy is not real to Spock.
Think about it this way. A universal law of mathematics says 1 + 1 = 2 every day of the week. But the universal spiritual law of mathematics says 1 + 1 = 1. This shouldn’t be a surprise. Do you remember Jesus’ prayer in John 17?
(20) Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
(21) that they may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
(22) And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one;
(23) I in them, and thou in me, that they made be perfect in one; that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them, as thou hast love me.
When we are completely one with Christ – when what we believe, what we say and what we do is exactly what Jesus believes, says and does – then truly 1 + 1 = 1! Can you say the sick are heal, the blind see and the lame walk? Can you say the dead are raised? Can you say nothing will be impossible? 1 + 1 = 1! Hallelujah! I feel some praise coming on!
Now, let’s look at what Spock says through kingdom eyes.
“Spiritual reality is consistent with universal spiritual laws. When the spiritual laws do not operate, there is no spiritual reality.” When spiritual laws do not operate:
? The sick are not healed.
? The lame do not walk.
? The blind do not see.
? The dead remain dead.
But just as universal physical laws cannot be changed, neither can universal spiritual laws. In the case of the disciples, and often times with us, they are simply not in operation. Ouch! That hurt! Trust me, I feel you.
All laws, natural and spiritual, are governed by certain truths.
In other words, in the presence of that truth, the law becomes a reality. Take the law of gravity for example. No matter what you do, the truth of the law of gravity says you will always touch something that’s already touching something else.
Now, with this in mind, why couldn’t the disciples cast out the devil? Let me ask it this way: what truth governs the reality, the manifestation, of spiritual laws in our lives? What truth governs our ability to overcome the staggering contradictions that we face in the natural?
Spock says Chekov believed the bullets would kill him. But, in terms of how universal physical laws operate, their situation is not real. And, if the situation is not real, then neither are the bullets. Let’s continue.
McCoy: But I examined Chekov and he’s dead.
Now ladies and gentlemen, what we are about to read is why we, the sons and daughters of God living in a fallen world, are faced with contradiction after contradiction.
Spock: But you made your examinations under conditions that cannot be trusted. We judge reality by the responses of our senses. Once we are convinced of the reality of a given situation, we abide by its rules. We judge the bullets to be solid, the guns to be real. Therefore, they can kill. Chekov is dead because he believed the bullets could kill him.
Ladies and gentlemen, what Spock says is powerful, especially in a spiritual context.
? “But you made your examinations under conditions that cannot be trusted.” We live in a world that is no longer “very good” (Genesis 1:31). It is groaning because of sin (Romans 8:22) and it bombards us with conditions and circumstances that cannot be trusted when compared to the truth of God’s Word.
? “We judge reality by the responses of our senses.” Too many of us judge reality by what we see and not by what the Bible says. If we judge our reality – who we are in Christ Jesus – based on what we see rather than what is spiritually true, we will agree with the reality we see and live accordingly.
This explains why many Christians lived in fear of COVID-19. They had filled their minds with reports about the infection rates and deaths and developed a fear of being infected. The Bible says the just shall live by faith – by the unseen and we see this in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38.
For God’s children, faith says that whatever we see that is not in agreement with the gospel of Christ, is not our reality. So, instead of allowing the news to determine our responses to life situations, the Bible’s instructions on what to do when faced with such a staggering contradiction should be our guide.
? “Once we are convinced of the reality of a given situation, we abide by its rules.” This is so-o-o powerful. As Christians, we cannot allow our senses dictate what is real and what is not real. When that happens we are living in the flesh. No, I’m not saying we are not going to heaven. But like Chekov, who believed the bullets to be solid and died as a result, if we live by our senses and not by faith, we will die never receiving the promises of God.
Let’s continue.
Kirk: If we do not allow ourselves to believe that the bullets are real, they cannot kill us!
Spock: Exactly. I know the bullets are unreal, therefore they cannot harm me.
Ladies and gentlemen, unbelief magnifies what we can see over what we cannot see.
The disciples ask Jesus “Why could not we cast him out?” “We know that spiritual reality is consistent with spiritual laws. We have operated the spiritual law of casting out devils before. We don’t understand why it didn’t work this time.”
In verse 20, Jesus gives them the reason – “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief …” The Amplified Bible says “Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust].”
The disciples had faith and walked in the authority of that faith because of Jesus. They had previously cast out devils and healed the sick – just as Jesus commanded. What was different in this situation? What happened to their faith? Why couldn’t they cast out the devil?
This situation identifies a key we need to understand when it comes to faith: The faith needed for one situation may not be enough faith for another situation.
Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot allow ourselves be satisfied in our faith walk. We cannot allow our faith to become stagnant. We must make sure that our faith continues to grow because, and trust me on this – the contradictions that we face will become more and more challenging.
Oh how I thank God for this record! Jesus shows us how to derail doubt and unbelief. He identifies the truth that governs all spiritual laws that unfold in the natural world. When Jesus tells us we can do the works He did, He first tells us what governs that truth – “He that believeth on me …”
Our faith in the completed work of Jesus is what enables us to over power the natural with the spiritual.
Now let’s wrap up “The Parable of Contradictions.”
Kirk: If we do not allow ourselves to believe that the bullets are real, they cannot kill us!
Spock: Exactly. I know the bullets are unreal, therefore they cannot harm me.
Kirk: We must all be as certain as you are Mr. Spock in order to save our lives.
Spock: Precisely.
Kirk: But that’s not possible. There will always be some doubt.
Spock: The smallest doubt will be enough to kill you.
As Spock is speaking, they’re transported to the O. K. Corral to face the Earps and Doc Holiday. Kirk says, if they are to survive, Spock will have to do the “Vulcan Mind Meld” – he must join his mind with their minds, his thoughts with their thoughts, so that they will be as certain of the false reality of the situation as he is. And this is exactly what Spock does.
Spock talks with each person. He begins with Scotty. “Your mind, to my mind. Your thoughts, to my thoughts.” McCoy is next. “The bullets are unreal, without body. They are illusions only. Shadows without substance. They will not pass through your body, for they do not exist.” Kirk is last. “Appearances only. Nothing but ghosts of reality. They are lies, falsehoods, specters without bodies. They are to be ignored.”
How to deal with contradictions
In verses 20 and 21, Jesus tells the disciples how to deal with contradictions that they will face and be as certain of the realities of the kingdom of God as He is.
(20) And Jesus said unto them,. For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
(21) Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
What is the mountain that will be removed out of our lives? The mountain of unbelief – the mountain that produces contradictions. And how is the mountain removed? By prayer and fasting.
Jesus identifies two “sub-truths” that govern faith, which governs the manifestations of spiritual laws in the realm of the natural. The more we pray (especially in the spirit) and the more we fast, the more doubt and unbelief are removed from our lives. And when that happens, guess what? No, we won’t have the Vulcan Mind Meld. 😊
We gain more and more access to the mind of Christ, which was deposited into us at the new birth! Turn to 1 Corinthians 2:16.
“”For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
As we continue to grow and mature, we will gain more and more access to the mind of Christ inside of us. Then Mark 11:22-24 will be the reality that overpowers the contradictions that we face.
(22) And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
(23) For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
(24) Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Just as sure as Spock was that the bullets were not real, we can be just as sure that, in the face of staggering contradictions, the promises of God are real. All that’s required of us is to eliminate the doubt and unbelief we have in us about the truth and reality of God’s Word! “I say, staggering contradictions, you will no longer be a wall to the miracle working power of God in my life!”
Ladies and gentlemen, kingdom truth over powers contradictions.
In “The Spectre of the Gun,” the Enterprise crew survive the shootout. The Earps and Doc Holiday fire shot after shot as the crew looks on. Then Kirk rushes Wyatt Earp, wrestles him to the ground, takes his gun, points it at him but doesn’t shoot. When the Melkotians see this, they apologize to Kirk and his crew for misjudging them and return them to the Enterprise.
Ladies and gentlemen, when Jesus’ words become as real to us as the next breath that we take, when our minds want to disagree with the Bible, we will say “The thoughts you are thinking are unreal, illusions, shadows without substance, lies, and falsehoods to be ignored. I know what is real. God’s Word is real! God’s Word is truth!”
