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In response to my thoughts on The Last Temptation of Christ

Kerry,

You really ought to read the book. It’s on my list of all-time favorites, not only because it’s well written and engaging, but also because it has had a profound impact on my view of Christ. The book, like the movie, begins with a disclaimer:

"This book is not a biography; it is the confession of every man who struggles. In publishing it I have fulfilled my duty, the duty of a person who struggled much, was much embittered in his life, and had many hopes. I am certain that every free man who reads this book, so filled as it is with love, will more than ever before, better than ever before, love Christ." (Nikos Kazantzakis)

The film wasn’t as successful as the book in this aim, but still has value. Here’s what it did for me.

First, it reinvigorated my belief that Jesus was fully human. Our doctrines tout this belief, yet we have a hard time grasping what it actually means. This film focuses on Jesus’ human side almost exclusively, and that makes us nervous. Jesus is at times uncertain, scared, and even somewhat clueless. I once heard someone say that Jesus was the only man who was good at everything he did. Poppycock! I’m no theologian, but that sounds like a heap of rubbish to me. Last Temptation presents Jesus as FULLY human. He wasn’t born with full knowledge about his divine lineage. He didn’t instantly know what his ultimate purpose in life was. He struggled with these questions, doubted himself, and came to realizations the same way we do. (Another novel that convincingly portrays the development of the Jesus is Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice.)

Second, the film gave me a fresh perspective on the events of the New Testament. I gave a devotional once that compared the scene of the woman caught in adultery from two films: the aforementioned Last Temptation and the 1965 classic The Greatest Story Ever Told. The differences between these two portrayals of Jesus are striking. The Greatest Story presents a flannel graph version of Jesus: a stoic man surprised and angered by nothing. He knows exactly what to say at exactly the right time. He waves his hand and people shush, hanging on his every word. The Jesus of Last Temptation is passionate, stirred to anger, not immune to ridicule. His compassion for the woman is gracious, humble, and genuine. Yet, he’s not universally revered; he nearly gets hit in the crossfire. This is not the Jesus you were taught about in 5th grade Sunday School. This is a real human being, with emotions and passions, who is learning, bit-by-bit, what it means to be God’s agent in the world.

Third, the film gave me some insight into things not covered in New Testament writings. Last Temptation at times greatly embellishes on events from Scripture. For example, Jesus’ most trusted confidant is Judas. The other disciples are fickle, flighty, and nearly irrelevant. Judas is the strong one, the one who most understands Jesus; this undoubtedly makes him the disciple who has the most to fear of Jesus’ agenda, and consequently the one who is most likely to oppose it. Perhaps the greatest cause of alarm among Christians is the sequence that gives the film its name: the “Last Temptation.” Jesus, in his final moments on the cross, is tempted one last time to give it all up, to come down from the cross and live a normal life. The film shows what would have happened had Jesus succumbed. He gets married, has sex (!), fathers a son, grows old, and withers into a pathetic form of a man whose life is wasted. All of this takes about 20 minutes on film, but actually flash through Jesus’ mind in an instant. I won’t tell you how the story ends – you’ll have to watch it, or read the book, to find out.

I’m glad I own this controversial movie. It’s not something I’ll watch on Saturday night with the kiddos. It’s a film I’ll bring out when I need to filter out the glossy view that I’m sometimes fed of Jesus, and when I need to confront some of the outrageous claims this God-man made about himself.

Jeff


Jeff--Thanks for your comments. I think you said what I was trying to get at in my original post but couldn't find the words to say it.

posted by Kerry at 6:25 PM | 0 comment(s)

The Last Temptation of Christ

A summary of the movie can be found here

“Bold attempt to present 'God as the ultimate headache' and Jesus (Willem Dafoe) 'as a metaphor for the human condition' (per Dutch Calvinist screenwriter Paul Schrader).”

“Crosses a certain line, and message overwhelms medium, substance overwhelms style, what you have to say drowns out how you might be saying it.”

Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes

I have to say The Last Temptation of Christ was one of the more interesting portrayals of Jesus’ life and the battle of good and evil that I have seen thus far. The film starts by saying that it is not intended to follow the gospel story of Christ’s life. I think this is the crucial point. If people watch this movie and compare it to the true story they are going to leave being very upset.

On the other hand, if people just take it as a story or a what-if it can be very interesting. It’s definitely a more human portrayal of Jesus. In the movie “Jesus” struggles with anger, lust, and incompetence, among other things. He is portrayed as being afraid and unsure of what he is supposed to do. While I don’t believe this by any means it was an interesting way to look at the life of Christ. An interesting thought as to how “Jesus” dealt with human issues.

I can say that I personally did not find any theological significance from this movie. I do think it is noteworthy to mention that it’s not heretical to watch it. It surely made me think and it gives the disclaimer in the beginning that it is not intended to follow the gospel portrayal of Christ. Ultimately I can just say go see it and see what you think.

posted by Kerry at 5:09 PM | 1 comment(s)