Helen and all,
Interestingly enough, it would be amazing if an actual scourging, all 39
lashes, could be completed in fifteen minutes. That would come out to one
blow every twenty to twenty five seconds. The centurion would have to be
in fantastic shape to accomplish this. In fact, from what I’ve read, a
scourgin usually wasn’t done by just one soldier, but they took turns
because it was tiring. Also, many victims did die from a scourging and
just their corpse was nailed to the cross. Never say that a Roman doesn’t
follow through on the formality of the execution. On the other hand, Paul
tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:24, that he survived this punishment five
times so death wasn’t a certainty.
In Philippians 3:10-11, Paul says, "I want to know Christ and the power
of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings,
becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the
resurrection from the dead." I’m not saying this about any of you on
echurch, but I’m sure that we all know people who are very interested in
having the power that Christ had in the resurrection, but run from the
idea of Christ’s sufferings, or even worse, gloss over it as if it were
no big deal. Maybe this movie will correct some of that thinking in some
people, enabling them to begin to truly appreciate the depths to which
Christ was will ing to go to redeem us. If you don’t need to be made
aware of this, praise God that your heart is so tender toward him
already. All I need to do is think about Jesus’ praying in the garden of
Gethsemane and I begin to get emotional about it. I guess you could say
that I don’t really need the wake up call that this movie may deliver,
but for others, it will cause them to think about something that they
haven’t really before. It may be a tool that will enable them to
appreciate more fully the fact that we are the guilty party and that our
redemption wasn’t cheap. Maybe, just maybe, it will help some to put some
real meaning into their thanks to God for the price He was willing to pay
for their souls and move their praise from the shallow ground into deeper
waters.
I just have one more thought about movies based on the bible in general.
I personally am so glad that drama is starting to come back to the
church. It can be a very powerful tool and it is a whole other area of
creativity that can reflect the creative nature of God. I know that it
isn’t for everyone. Helen doesn’t really enjoy biblical movies and I can
accept that, but I on the other hand really enjoy that form of outreach.
I know that dance, too, is another area that is coming back into the
church and has controversies with it as well. I just am so grateful for
even more new areas in which to worship. That’s what it is to me.
In Him,
Kathy

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