This past Friday my wife and I went to see the new movie
“Risen”. Although I am not a believer, I found the movie to be quite
compelling. I think Joseph Fiennes, who played the lead role of Roman military
tribune Clavius, deserves an Oscar nomination for best male lead. He did an
absolutely fabulous job in this role.
Clavius is a tribune working for Pontius Pilate. Early in
the movie, he is assigned the task of making sure the three men being crucified
that day had their legs broken so they could die early. Of course those three
men were Jesus and the two thieves. Later when Jesus’ body turns up missing
from its tomb, Clavius is ordered by Pilate to find the corpse quickly before
the disciples could start claiming Jesus had risen from the dead.
Clavius, being the loyal tribune he was, obeyed. But as the
evidence unfolds, he begins to believe it might be possible that Jesus was
indeed actually alive. When he ultimately finds all the apostles together in a
room with Jesus in their midst, he is compelled to cast aside his doubts and
embrace Jesus’ resurrection. However, this creates quite a dilemma for Clavius,
given his position.
I will leave you with three main thoughts that stuck with me
during the movie.
1. Joseph Fiennes is a fine actor.
2. Oftentimes people can get caught up in doing bad things
while thinking they are being good. This struck me during a scene where Clavius
has his men cremate fallen soldiers after a brutal battle with some Zealots. As
one of the bodies was going up in flames, I had a sudden thought that that poor
soldier probably died thinking he was a good man and a loyal Roman, being
willing to give his life while defending the Empire. Yet, we now look back on
those times and view the Roman occupation of Israel as being an evil thing. It makes
me wonder how many times I have done something thinking I was doing good but will
one day be seen as bad?
3. It is okay to doubt the reality of an incredible claim
from the past. Clavius becomes distraught upon finding a risen Jesus. He was having
a hard time believing his own eyes. He ultimately did, but it was hard
accepting that which he had long believed impossible. As you may recall from
the Bible, the apostles, and especially Thomas, were skeptical of Jesus’ resurrection even
though the New Testament tells us that they had witnessed a number of
resurrections and had even performed some themselves. At one point Jesus asks
Clavius, “Are you having trouble believing your own eyes? Just think of all
those who will be asked to believe, but do not see.” Yes, what about those
people, of which I am one? If it took an actual physical appearance of Jesus to
convince his followers he had risen from the dead, then why is it wrong for us
today to require the same? Jesus did not condemn their lack of faith; he simply
provided then with the proof they needed. Why must we today have to depend on
supposed eyewitness testimony from centuries past? We don’t. We can ask for the
same level of proof that the apostles asked for.
If you get the chance, go see this movie!