It’s no sacrifice at all…
We finally got a chance to see The Passion over the weekend, and I’m glad we did.
Yes, it’s bloody and R-rated. Yes, there’s a lot of stuff that’s not in the bible. No, it’s not a “feel-good” kind of movie, and though you’d be hard-pressed to call it an “entertainment,” it still seems like the film could have been better-paced (I found my mind wandering during the long sequence of Jesus carrying the cross, then continually falling under its weight).
However, in the continuous uproar over The Passion’s supposed anti-semitism (and the slightly less-publicized debate within Protestant churches over the film’s perceived Catholic bias), one thing tends to get lost - the reality of the sacrifice the movie portrays.
When I think of “sacrifices” I make daily, they tend to involve my own will. They’re really pretty selfish, when it comes down to it. Diets, budgets, and everything else that involves delayed gratification seem like such huge inconveniences, until I realize that money and fitness are temporary at best, and that man-made ideals can’t bear the weight of my “sacrifice.”
Watching the movie made me realize that, in general, we human beings don’t even know the meaning of the word sacrifice. We usually “sacrifice” things out of a sense of duty, not an overwhelming trust in God or overflow of His love.
The most precious thing that I can’t bear to give up is nothing compared to what Jesus experienced on the cross, and is worthless in comparison to the riches God has for us in Heaven.
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