The anti-gospel

"300" was a movie that intrigued me. I don't like a lot of gore, but I do like movies that present the underdog fighting for honor, freedom, justice, and love. To be honest, every time I watch "Gladiator" I cry. So tonight I watched "300" and discovered the anti-gospel.

From the very beginning they make very clear that the weak, disfigured, small, and worthless are discarded. Those who are found worthy are raised to be strong, violent, and proud. Love for country and people are instilled, but because they feel they are better than anyone else. When Sparta is threated by the Persians, the king leads a small group of men out to war. People from other parts of Greece ask to join in, they are allowed to join after being insulted and treated as inferiors. A Spartan who is horribly disfigured asks to help in the battle, and is insulted and turned away because he isn't up to standard. In order to try to get the council to send the whole army, the queen surrenders her honor as a bargaining chip. After the commander of the army's son is killed, he tells the king that his heart is filled with hatred, and the king praises him for it. The idea of 300 men fighting to defend their land and their people has the appearance of something glorious, but it speaks to me nothing worthy of any glory or honor.

To contrast, I love the movie "Gladiator" and feel that in many ways it shows us many things about Christ. Maximus is the leader of the Roman legions, but he does not glory in that role. He faithfully serves his emperor and is a good leader to his men, showing that he respects them and cares for them. When the emperor wants Maximus to take over as emperor after he dies, rather than his son, he does not desire this. Rather he wants to go home to his family and live a simple life. He agrees to be steward of the position long enough to turn power back to the senate in Rome. When the emperor is murdered and they try to execute Maximus, he escapes. He returns home to find his family murdered. He is then taken as a slave and sent to Africa. There he is sold to become a gladiator. He does not desire to fight and is tired of killing. However, he chooses to lead the other slaves in battle so that they might survive. Eventually he is sent to Rome and battle in the Colleseum. There he is brought to confront the new emperor and takes his stand. I don't detect hatred in his motivation, he is not dead set on destruction at the cost of his life. He seeks justice, to restore the people to power and to make things right again. The men he fights with are not the pure bloods and the best, they are slaves, misfits, foreigners, and the least of these. He instills them with pride and worth. He does not fight the evil on the basis of hatred, pride, violence, and strength. He fights evil with love for family and his people, justice, and awknowledging the worth of the life of each person. He fights and gives himself for his people. When given the chance to make a move on the wife of the emperor, he rejects even the possibility. When given the chance to take revenge on his friend who betrayed him, he forgives. I cry at the end of this movie because I see a man who lived his life based on love, honor, justice, and forgiveness. He did not seek his own glory, but it was given to him because he was worthy of it.

That speaks to me so much because that's who Jesus is. Though Jesus deserves all glory, honor, and praise He chose to come on a rescue mission to earth. He set aside everything that He deserved and came as a nobody. He surrounded Himself with people who, in the world's eyes, had no value. He instilled value on every person He met and He stood against the injustice of this world. His actions were guided by love. Jesus could have come as the new emperor of Rome, had all worldly power given to Him, had riches and pleasures beyond our imagination. In doing so, he would just be another tyrant. He came as nothing to show us that He deserves the glory due Him, because He came to serve others and lift them up. His motivation was love and justice and the value of every human soul. He came because He saw that this world was broken and that His people were suffering. He wanted to help them, and He knew that could only happen if the people knew that He was doing it for them and not for Himself.

I think "300" made for a really interesting contrast to the gospel. I can't say I felt for any of those men because they represent what is wrong with this world. We could do with a lot less Spartan kings and a lot more men like Maximus. More than that, we need a lot more people who are living the life of Jesus in this world.