A Lesson from Lesser Characters
The following article can also be found at www.pop-culture.org...
A Lesson from Lesser Characters by Craig Mattes
This may come as a surprise, but in this review of The Nativity Story I wish to draw you nearer to the supporting cast of this drama, namely, the Persian astrologers, popularly know from Christmas lore as the three wise men.
The lives of these men and the journey they undertook are inspiring. Certainly artistic license has been taken for that which is not detailed in the Biblical account, but I believe the filmmakers present a plausible depiction of who these men were and what they would have experienced on their journey to Judea where the star shone brightest.
Here you have a group of men, not of Jewish descent, not among God’s “chosen people,” investigating whether or not the Jewish prophecies they have studied are true. Put yourself in their shoes. To take on this mission, these men would have given up lives that they were accustomed to. No matter how primitive or extravagant their lives were, they were leaving some sort of comfort zone. They traveled through distant lands and strange cultures for the prospect that a miracle would happen as promised by the God of Abraham. They traveled asking the big question, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2).
Instead of dismissing the prophecies and claims of God, they embarked on a journey to investigate the truth—a noble mission indeed.
Maybe you do not believe that there is a God. Maybe you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God sent to this world to later sacrifice his life to save the world from sin and death. Maybe you live your life on the premise that there is no more to life than what can be seen by our human eyes here on Earth.
But have you asked yourself, what if it is true? What if there is a God? What if God did come to this world to save us from sin and death? Wouldn’t it be worth the investigation? What is it worth to you to receive unconditional love? What is it worth to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 2:18)? What is the real cost of investigating the claims? Leaving a little bit of comfort?
If the Bible is accurate, if God does in fact exist, if it is true that “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), I believe you will discover that it is well worth the cost (if that cost is even just a short period of your life) to investigate these claims?
Would you embark on this journey and follow the star? Find a Bible and open up to the Gospel according to Luke or go read online at http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=1&version=31. Blessings on your Christmas journey!
A Lesson from Lesser Characters by Craig Mattes
This may come as a surprise, but in this review of The Nativity Story I wish to draw you nearer to the supporting cast of this drama, namely, the Persian astrologers, popularly know from Christmas lore as the three wise men.
The lives of these men and the journey they undertook are inspiring. Certainly artistic license has been taken for that which is not detailed in the Biblical account, but I believe the filmmakers present a plausible depiction of who these men were and what they would have experienced on their journey to Judea where the star shone brightest.
Here you have a group of men, not of Jewish descent, not among God’s “chosen people,” investigating whether or not the Jewish prophecies they have studied are true. Put yourself in their shoes. To take on this mission, these men would have given up lives that they were accustomed to. No matter how primitive or extravagant their lives were, they were leaving some sort of comfort zone. They traveled through distant lands and strange cultures for the prospect that a miracle would happen as promised by the God of Abraham. They traveled asking the big question, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2).
Instead of dismissing the prophecies and claims of God, they embarked on a journey to investigate the truth—a noble mission indeed.
Maybe you do not believe that there is a God. Maybe you do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God sent to this world to later sacrifice his life to save the world from sin and death. Maybe you live your life on the premise that there is no more to life than what can be seen by our human eyes here on Earth.
But have you asked yourself, what if it is true? What if there is a God? What if God did come to this world to save us from sin and death? Wouldn’t it be worth the investigation? What is it worth to you to receive unconditional love? What is it worth to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 2:18)? What is the real cost of investigating the claims? Leaving a little bit of comfort?
If the Bible is accurate, if God does in fact exist, if it is true that “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), I believe you will discover that it is well worth the cost (if that cost is even just a short period of your life) to investigate these claims?
Would you embark on this journey and follow the star? Find a Bible and open up to the Gospel according to Luke or go read online at http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=1&version=31. Blessings on your Christmas journey!
posted by mattes at 6:46 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home