It’s been great having all the boys home over Christmas break. We’ve spent some quality family time together and we’ve watched a few movies. One movie we watched was Ben-Hur.
Apparently, Ben-Hur is a film from 1959 starring Charlton Heston. It was remade in 2016 and we rented it from the Redbox.
Ben-Hur is a fictional story about a man named Judah Ben-Hur who is a Jew. Trying to find his way, his adopted brother Messala, becomes a soldier in the Roman army under Pontius Pilate. The movie is set in Jesus’ day, with a storyline of Jewish life, harsh Roman rule, and the man of Jesus intermixed throughout the story.
The movie goes like this…
Judah Ben-Hur is falsely accused of treason by his own adopted brother, who has become a Roman army officer. He is taken away from his family and made to be a galley slave — a ship rower. For five years. He is chained and whipped. And every day for five years he rows a warship to the beat of a drum. Can you imagine?
After a turn of events allows him to escape the galley, he ends up racing chariots…against his brother. (BTW, chariot races are historically known to be very dangerous.) But before the big show-down, he is reunited with his wife who has come to know Jesus. In one scene she whispers to Ben-Hur, “you made it through because of your faith.” Ben-Hur said, “No it wasn’t my faith, it was my hate that got me through.”
I surprisingly enjoyed this flick greatly and it made me think about some things.
Somehow I make the days of Jesus sort of “Little House on the Prairie-ish” in my mind. On one hand, I KNOW it was evil, but on the other hand, I make it black-and-white. Simple and innocent. Andy Griffith-like.
But it wasn’t. It was evil. Completely.
The Jews had waited 1,000 years, through many faults of their own, for a Savior. Now they found themselves under Roman rule. Harsh. Dishonest. Heavily taxed. Cruel. Murderous Roman rule. The movie does a great job portraying this kind of oppressed life. No wonder so many wanted a Deliverer who would come with the sword, conquer the Romans, and Make Israel Great Again!
Many knew exactly what kind of Messiah they wanted, and when Jesus showed up speaking love and forgiveness and humility, they rejected him.
What kind of Jesus are we looking for in 2017? What kind of Jesus will we turn away? We’re not so unlike those Jewish people. We went a Jesus who gives us enough money to live a comfortable life. We want a Jesus that will at least keep the ones we love the most healthy and safe. We want a Jesus that keeps our cars going, keeps us employed, and allows for at least one, maybe two, yearly vacations. Anything less than and we demand where is Jesus? Doesn’t he care? Is He not there? Where is His love?
The line Ben-Hur said to his wife really struck me. “No it wasn’t my faith, it was my hate that got me through!”
What are we going to let get us through 2017? What is going to drive us? Our ambition? New Year’s resolutions? Our fear? Our hate?
In the end, Judah Ben-Hur is in the crowd watching Jesus’ crucifixion. He is won over by Jesus’ love and forgiveness.
And…his family is reunited! Yay!! I love a good ending! And Morgan Freeman narrates some beautiful words! “As time passed, forgiveness and understanding had reunited the family. To give hope and promise for a better way. To fight the good fight. To finish the race. To keep the faith.”
Roll credits. Clean up the popcorn. Take the movie back to Redbox.
But Ben-Hur leaves me with this hope. That I will turn my eyes on Jesus. I will take His words to heart. I will not put Jesus in a box nor make him into my version of a Savior. I will finish the race not through hate or expectation, but by love found only in him!