Second Presbyterian Church

From the Pastor's Study
March 2004

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By the time you receive this edition of "What's First At Second" the season of Lent will have begun. The talk of the town is the movie produced by Mel Gibson, The Passion. I have not seen it and, frankly, I have mixed feelings about seeing it, but I am determined to view it when possible. But I need to share some thoughts with you.

First of all the movie is R rated. It depicts the violence of being arrested, flogged, abused (crown of thorns and whippings) and executed by crucifixion. It was an incredibly cruel, painful way to die. Because it is R rated, I do not believe children under the age of 13 should view this movie. Because of its graphic violence I don't believe anyone should view this movie alone and without the chance to debrief afterwards.

The positive aspect of The Passion is that is pictures what our Lord endured when he died on the cross for our sins. Our Lord genuinely suffered for the sake of our redemption; he genuinely felt the pain, not only of this cruel way to die, but of the rejection that he received by having humanity's hatred and bitterness placed upon his life.

This brings us to some of the controversy about whether or not this film is anti-Semitic. Is The Passion a statement against the Jews? Much of the contention concerning this issue has to do with how deeply one understands the crucifixion. Let me explain. If one reviews the crucifixion of Jesus as just an historical, political event, then the Jewish leaders and the Roman cohorts appear to be the ones who killed Jesus. Many of the leaders of that day did want Jesus dead; they viewed him as a threat to their position. Yet even the scriptures reveal that some of the Jewish leaders, such as Joseph of Arimathea, were not against Jesus.

Some Christians throughout its history have tended to place their unprocessed prejudices and hatred on the Jews. And they have abused the interpretation of the Gospels and the New Testament to feed their prejudices. In fact it is reported that Europe is experiencing a significant revival of anti-Semitism.

But as a Christian, the question of Who Killed Jesus is far more profound than the role of religious leaders at the Temple in Jerusalem, or the role of the Roman conquerors. We believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. This means that ALL of us nailed him to the cross, Gentile and Jew. And because we believe this, we are in no position to hold grudges against Jewish people. In fact we are called to hold them in special esteem and in constant prayer, because they are the original children of Abraham. They are the ones who gave us our sense of God, the LORD, the one who would send a Messiah for our redemption. In fact, I believe that we tread on very, very dangerous territory if we find ourselves blaming the Jews for something that we all had as much responsibility as they had.

I believe that the film raises concern, because it demonstrates just how great the sacrifice made by God was for our redemption. The cross is ugly. It is scandalous. It's a turnoff. It is necessary for the heart of our Christian Faith. It also prepares us for the miracle of the Resurrection, first of Jesus Christ, then of ourselves.

Grace and Peace,
The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.
Designated Pastor