the bible: the movie.

I read the bible.  I have been a student of it for most of my adult life.  I am not a scholar, though I am a practitioner. I am a Lutheran Christian and a Pastor.  I read and think about and interpret the biblical story for personal faith and for the community of faithful people to whom I am called as pastor. The bible tells the story of a people and their God.  It is the story of the Israelites and the Christians.  It is a story of emerging ancient near eastern monotheism that began over 3,500 years ago.  There is a good it of human history in the bible. And the bible has had an impact on western civilization like nothing else.  Not even the invention of the electric light has had as much of an impact on the world.   

I am watching "The Bible" on the History channel, the five-week miniseries meant to visually depict the biblical narrative from cover to cover.  A daunting task. For people familiar with the bible, you must provide enough details from the text to make it worth watching.  For the unfamiliar, you can't get bogged down in too many characters and details.  If the Harry Potter series took eight full length motion pictures to tell it, the Bible is going to take more than five.  

So the trouble with the series is that they are only able to give their audience an edited version of the bible.  And the editing room is where the story goes off the rails for me. The choices to omit or ignore characters, plots, themes, and language tells another story. What they don't show us matters as much as what they do show us in understanding the larger meta-plot.  For example, the highlight Samson and skip Deborah.  They skip the story of Hannah and Samuel's birth---a story that clearly influences the Christmas narratives. If you omit something or someone from the Old Testament, its going to impact your telling of the New Testament story. 

Their version of the bible is much more anthropocentric than the bible itself. That is, the people drive the story. I might suggest that the movie is lacking a main character, a protagonist.  One would think that the LORD, YHWH, GOD, would fit the bill.  But God remains largely hidden, silent, and elusive; speaking only occasionally through the rants of strange men or acting in an occasional violent miracle.  And it has been difficult to connect emotionally with anybody they have portrayed. Neither Moses nor David evoke any strong feeling. If they are Israel's heroes it's impossible to understand why. Thus far, violence is the primary driver of the story. There is violence in the Old Testament. But there is also love and mercy present too. They have chosen violence, because our culture expects to see violence. So, it is a version of the bible people might want to watch, as opposed to a bible people don't want to read.  The series is not theological, which might appeal to the public even if it betrays biblical integrity. God voice is found in the pages, but rarely on the screen.

My hope for any people watching the series is that you read the books from which these stories come and find out what the story means.  Finally, the bible is a community's scripture. It is not meant for individual consumption in front of the flat screen. Find others to watch it with and discuss.  And if a question comes up, ask someone who might know.  

          

coming home

Luke 15. The Homecoming

Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." ' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe — the best one — and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!'Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

When the younger son demands his inheritance this is what happens.  He basically says, “You are dead to me”.  The Father must liquidate his property to divide the inheritance.  He must sell land in Israel.  If you happen to own some, you do not sell land in Israel.  It is the most precious commodity.  Selling it is scandalous.  Did he get top dollar?  Not likely.  Liquidation required that he take what he could get.  Somebody stole that land.  Everyone in the household should be angry.  No father would have allowed his younger son to demand such a thing.    He should be disowned for this. Instead, the father meets his demands and lets him go.    And then this son squanders the money on parties, booze, and women.  When he hits rock bottom, he’s feeding pigs and eating their scraps.  Feeding pigs is dirty Gentile work.  He has made himself unclean. He’s hungry.  Finally, he comes up with a plan to head for home and beg for a job.  Are you kidding?  Has he no shame?  Is he sincere in his contrition or is he coming up with the right words to say to win over his father?

The Father sees him coming and runs out to him, embraces and kisses him, insists on welcoming him back into the family with full honors and privileges.  No head of household would dare run like that or hug and kiss his dirty son.  This Father is a complete fool, bringing shame on his entire family.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.  After what has transpired, the son would most certainly not be welcomed by the community, let alone the father. He is an outcast now.  He rejected  his family identity.  So, they are not expected to receive him as a member of the family again.  And then the father insists on restoring his identity as son with robes and a signet ring, the seal of his sonship.  

The elder son is angry and acts in a way that we might expect.  If his brother returns and is welcomed back, the remainder of the father’s inheritance will have to be shared with him.  The elder son is being cheated out of his half.  The younger son brings shame on the entire family, having lived as a gentile. The elder son’s words betray his resistance to the father’s insane behavior; For years I have worked as a slave for you and never disobeyed your command. Yet you have never even given me a young goat to have a part with my friends. But when this son of yours comes home, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you kill the fatted calf for him!”          

In the context of this story, the Prodigal son is Jesus.  The Pharisees are the elder brother.  Accused of eating with sinners, Jesus says that God rejoices over one repentant sinner more than 99 in need of no repentance.  Jesus will be crucified by Gentiles, a sign to his people that God has rejected and cursed him.   I was lost.  I was dead.  Jesus has been accused by the pastors of eating with tax collectors and sinners.  That is to say:  He is not living the way a good religious teacher should.  He is failing to fulfill the law.  He is jeopardizing his own relationship with God by spending time with the wrong people. He spends more time with people outside of the religion than inside.  His behavior will get him killed. But he will live again.  Jesus is the Prodigal son.  He was dead and is alive again.  Lost and found. 

The elders are those who see themselves as obedient slaves to God.  They are not liberated children, but slaves obeying a master’s commands.  Many people think God is a taskmaster and religion is their obedient service.  They do not get this Father.  He is not a slave driver. He loves his children enough to let them go far away from him and come back again.  Love sets us free.  Love welcomes us home. 

 This story suggests that God the Father accepts both the unrighteous sinners, with whom Jesus spends his time; and the righteous religious leaders. God loves both of them.  Pharisee and tax collector.  Saint and sinner.  Addict and counselor.   Who are you in this story? Are you the Prodigal son? Have you abused your freedom with choices that have taken you away from God?   Have you pushed away from those who love you?  Have you walked away, citing irreconcilable differences?  Have you abandoned others to please yourself?   Have you let your selfish ambition, your pride, your folly, your ego, your appetite for destruction prevent you from living the good life?   Have you made choices that you regret, choices that have hurt others?  Are you trying to find your way back home, back in, back to the way things were?

Are you the elder son?  Hard working.  Dependable.  Responsible.  Right. Do you judge those who have made a mess of their lives, saying they get what they deserve?  Have you abandoned others because they have made bad choices?  Do you avoid people who are abusing their bodies?  Have you felt unappreciated, unrewarded for good behavior?  Should bad behavior be punished and good behavior be rewarded?  Is that the game of life for you?  Has your sense of rightness and responsibility prevented you from enjoying what you have?  Are you expecting God to reward you for a good life? 

Jesus knows us.  Knows the human condition so well and describes us with such honesty here. Still, we can’t believe the end of this story.  The end of the story is a Father embracing both of his sons and welcoming them in because love reaches further than we can go.  Love digs deeper than we can bury ourselves.  Love is the home we can never really leave. 

Finally. this is a story about a homecoming, a welcome home party.  How do we go home?  If home is where we are loved fully and unconditionally.  If home is the place you have left, the place to which you long to return. If home is where you are safe and secure.   If home is where your family welcome s you , embraces you ,kisses you, feeds you, accepts you as you are.  How do we go home? 

We need a home.  We need to be welcomed like those sons are welcomed. We need to turn off the voices in our heads that count ourselves as less than worthy or better than anybody else.   You are no better or worse than anyone else.  We are the same.Brothers,  Sister. Children.  Rebels.  Lost.  Hungry.  Hopeless causes.  Egotistical busybodies.   We need to hear these words. God is always with us. Everything that God has is ours.  We are always welcome.  Nothing we can do can make God loves us less.  God lets us go and receives us back again.  Everyday.  Every week.     Every Sunday is a homecoming.