Unusual Movie; Predictable Result

A commentary by David Treybig
United Church of God pastor, St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida

With great publicity, particularly in religious circles, Mel Gibson's latest movie, The Passion of the Christ, opened in movie theaters this past Wednesday evoking a wide range of response. With the graphic portrayal of Jesus' suffering, viewers' emotions are guaranteed to be assaulted. Passion plays have been around for a long time but given Hollywood 's ever-increasing access to technology used for ever-more powerful effects, this movie seems destined to make an impact. But what will that impact be?

Financially, it seems the film is headed for profitability. Although industry analysts had at one time considered it a risky endeavor, most now believe the estimated 220 million Christians in the United States and 2 billion worldwide will give it widespread support. Of course, the desired impact is more than financial.

In a recent interview on ABC's Primetime, producer/director Mel Gibson told Diane Sawyer, "I wanted it to be shocking, I wanted it to push the viewer over the edge.so that they see the enormity-the enormity of that sacrifice-to see that someone could endure that and still come back with love and forgiveness, even through extreme pain and suffering and ridicule."

Anticipating the emotional state that will be created by viewing this film, many Christian organizations see this as a timely opportunity to reach out to the public in an attempt to bring more people to Christ and their respective organizations. "The most powerful evangelistic tool of the 21st century" is the way some describe it. In communities around Tampa Bay some churches have bought up large blocks of tickets and then given four tickets apiece to their members with instructions to give at least one away as an evangelistic tool. A church near me sent out a massive mailing last week suggesting people go see the movie and then come to that church to discuss it.

Those who have seen private showings of the movie prior to its public release have had mixed reactions. While Christians, in general, have given positive reviews, many Jews fear the film will fan the flames of anti-Semitism—hatred of Jews—particularly in international areas where stereotypes of Jews as "Christ killers" have been emerging once again.

"'I saw it twice, and it made me and many others physically sick,' said the Rabbi A. James Rudin of Sarasota , senior interreligious adviser of the New York-based American Jewish Committee. 'The Christians in our screening came out of the theater moved and emotional. But the Jews had stomachaches and headaches. We saw defamation, violence and old stereotypes brought to life'" (" Movie Stirs Outreach Plans From Churches," by Michelle Bearden, Feb. 22, 2004, TBO.com News).

Everyone, it seems, has an opinion of the film. But let me ask a more important question. Will it cause more people to obey Christ's commands? Ironically, by using the word "obey" in the preceding question, I've already alienated a sizable part of Christianity that mistakenly thinks Christ liberated us from obedience. And herein is the point: Christians today are all over the map when it comes to agreeing upon what Christ expects us to do. Take just about any subject and we find people arguing over what the Bible really says or allows.

Confusion over what to do has long been the trademark of those who recognize Jesus as Lord. In Luke 6:46, Jesus asks, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" Compounding the problem, many people today mistakenly believe there are many roads to eternal life-that God and Christ are so desperate to have people in Their coming Kingdom that They will take just about anyone who has a good intention at some point in his or her life.

"Not so," says Jesus. Notice His sobering words: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23).

Clearly understanding and obeying Jesus' and the Father's expectations of us is critical to our entrance into the Kingdom. This is an important story that needs to be told and sadly, one that Christianity can't clearly tell because it is so divided on this most important issue. Just experiencing the emotionally numbing effect of the crucifixion and admitting that Jesus is Lord won't take us into the Kingdom. Simply put, there aren't many roads to this Kingdom; there is only one, a narrow one. As Jesus explained, " narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:14 , emphasis added).

Given Christ's words, I can already predict the spiritual impact of The Passion of the Christ . Few will really take Christ's words to heart. Many will acknowledge Him as Lord; few will obey His Word. If you want to understand what Jesus taught and what He expects us to do, request your free copy of the United Church of God's new booklet, Jesus Christ: The Real Story .

Reading the booklet is easy. Doing what Christ said will take courage. In this booklet you'll discover what Jesus really taught regarding the law. You'll discover things about Jesus Christ you never knew-things that mainstream Christianity has never taught. You'll learn about His activity in the Old Testament and things about His nature as both God and man. Instead of just going to the movie, why don't you order and read the booklet? It can help you receive eternal life.

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