Its all about His love

Went and saw The Passion of The Christ last night. I was really worried about seeing it because I had heard so much about the violence, etc., that I was worried about how it would effect me. Violence usually doesn't bother me all that much. Perhaps a bad thing to say, but different things effect different people, and I like war movies, etc. Not slasher violence, or violence just for the heck of it, but I can handle "realistic" type violence I guess. Anyway, I heard so much about people sobbing through the entire thing, and as Tina said, "Heck, you cry at reality shows!", so I was kind of worried it would tear me up.

Oddly enough, it really didn't have that kind of effect on me. I'm still trying to figure out exactly why. Yeah, I teared up. In fact I teared up in the opening moments... and nothing had happened yet.

The biggest thing we are supposed to take away from this movie (from what I've heard from others, Mel Gibson and editorials) is the suffering that Jesus went through to pay for our sins. The struggle he went through to make a way for us to the Father. While that was very evident, I think what effected me the most was the callousness of the human race.

The two major controversies that I have heard are: a) it was too violent, and b) it makes it look like the Jews killed Jesus - and we'll all turn into Jew haters. And then a minor controversy was how much time the movie focused on Mary.

I don't think it was too violent. Yes, it was very violent. But there violence was less than actually happened. He was beaten and tortured so badly he wasn't recognizable (that didn't happen). Also his beard was ripped out in chunks (that didn't happen). So although there was a lot of violence - and in the form of torture, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I definitely wouldn't suggest taking a child to see it. I think a child can grasp that Jesus died for them, without seeing what people can do to another human being.

Does it make it look like "the Jews" were responsible for Jesus' death? Yes and no. Given that the city was an occupied city, I'm assuming that it consisted mainly of the occupying forces (the soldiers, etc.) and Jews. There were other people that traded and lived there, but I'm assuming most of the people that didn't look like Romans were Jews. Not every "common person" was against Jesus. Yes, when Pontius Pilot asked what should be done with him, there was a crowd of Jewish leaders and many "common people" that said to kill him... but there were also many people along the way that reached out to him, that had pity on him, etc. Was it because of Jewish people that he died? Definitely. Was it all Jews? No. And it was 2000 years ago! Its not like it was the person a few cubes over from me who is Jewish. So, it was some Jewish people that called for his death, 2000 years ago. On the other hand, looking at it from a spiritual point of view, it was everyone who caused his death. He died so that we'd be set free from our sin. From that point of view, I'm just as responsible as a Pharisee was 2000 years ago. So I don't get the whole anti-Semitic connection. I don't see how a reasonable person would go there. And if you aren't reasonable... then you'd find a way to hate someone anyway. You don't need this movie to do it.

As for the amount of time focused on Mary... I definitely wasn't done in a "she was a saint" type of way. It was showing her as something super-natural or special... other than it was showing the struggle a mother would go through, watching her son tried, tortured and killed. I think because the movie dealt so much with the torture, and because we all know "the story" so well, it didn't do much character development. It didn't emotionally involve us in these people's lives. I think it counted on the fact that we already know who Jesus is. That we already have an emotional and sported connection with him. Mary brought a "human" side to him. She got us involved... At least she got me involved. The pain and suffering she went through as she watched this. Not because she is a saint or should be revered, but the way she went through it as any loved one would. Especially any mother. For me, it helped make it real. This wasn't "just" the Son of God - who is supernatural and knew what he was doing and was willing to pay the price. This was someone who really was a human as well. Someone who was a little kid, fell down, scrapped his knees. Someone whose mom loved him with all her heart, watched over him and tried to protect him the best she could.

So, that is how I feel about all the controversial things. But what really got me about this movie was the callousness with which a human can treat another human. In one respect, I don't see this in my everyday life. Yeah, I hear about it, but I don't see it. The Nazi's were an example. The ancient chime's. The Romans. Saddam. But it isn't in my face. And it came in three forms. The Pharisees, the Romans, and the common person.

The Pharisees. People whose "job" it was to carry out the law and understand the love of God. How come someone in that position stand there and watch what they did to Jesus. Not only watch it, but ask for it? And then when they brought him back all covered in blood, rips all over his body, say, "Hey... that isn't enough. We want him crucified.?" It really got me how they just stood by and watch it and kept asking for more. And yet we as Christians do this all the time. We are supposed to understand the love of God. Not only are we supposed to understand it, we are supposed to show it to the world. And yet we gossip about each other, we tear each other down. And we go to the world and tell them how much God hates them. We picket and scream at people. We take people who are hurting, suffering, and we yell in their face and tell them they deserve to die. We drive the nail in deeper. And that is just because we feel we are just. Because they have come against God. They have blasphemed him in some way. At least the Pharisees were trying to protect their jobs.

And how could the Roman soldiers do what they did to him? Striking him over and over like that. Laughing and drinking as they ripped his body apart. But again, people do this all the time. There are people that do the exact same thing in other countries, when they torture people. Iraq is a great example of this. We have heard the kinds of things Saddam and his family did to people, just "for the fun of it." But we do it in more subtle (and not so subtle) ways as well. A group of guys get drunk and rape or "just harass" a girl. Not because they have anything personally against her, but "just for the fun of it." Or even a bunch of bullies beat up on some poor kid. Again, nothing personal, but just "to be cool" or for the "fun of it." Or even more subtle, a bunch of "a crowd" talking about someone else and making fun of them. Nothing personal, just "being funny". To the Roman's, it wasn't anything personal. They were just "having fun", "doing their job". We do it every day. They were no more responsible than we are.

And the common people. Some who reached out to him. Some that went along with the leadership. And some that just watched it happened and didn't want to get involved. Again... that's us. In so many ways, we see people in trouble and don't want to take the time to get involved or help. Or we see leadership (in many forms) do things wrong but we don't want to come up against them because of the trouble it might cause us. Would we have told the Romans to stop? Would we have gone to the Pharisees and told them they were wrong? Or would we have just "felt bad" for the person, but "there is nothing we could do"?

That is what struck me the most. I didn't cry that much... but I jumped a lot. After a while, every time they struck his body. Every time they hammered a nail. I jerked. It wasn't like they were physically hitting me... It was just, "Man... how can you do that?" And yet I know it happens in "real life" - both physically, and perhaps worse (because it is so much more subtle) spiritually, every day.

Sounds pretty bad. Does that make "us" scum? No it doesn't. There are good and bad in all of us. And above all else... He died for each and every one of us. He knew what we were like, and yet "while we were still sinners, He came and died for us." As He was getting beaten. As He was hanging on the cross... He knew. He knew how we'd reject Him. He knew how we'd spit in His face. But He also knew that some would turn to Him. That some would love Him. That some would reach out to Him and accept the gift that He freely gave. And for that He died. So that right now, right here on earth, we could have that relationship with Him. And that one day, He'd see each and everyone who accepted that gift, in Heaven. And to Him it was worth it. Therefore, we can't be all bad. In fact we must be pretty special.

The thing to do is remember the kind of love He showed us... and try to show it to others, rather than show them what the people showed him in his day. Their callousness, hatefulness, and just complacency. Instead show them His love.