More on the Da Vinci Code: A Godly Response to Mockery

"Now as [Jesus] drew near, he saw the city [of Jerusalem] and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes" (Luke 19:41-42).

"Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in all their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:35-36).

In some ways I wish the Da Vinci Code movie was out now, while the Danish cartoon controversy is so hot, so that the full contrast of the situation would be apparent.

Part of Jesus' mission was to endure mocking, as John Piper has already reminded us. This is how Christ is treated in the book and will be in the movie. I don't know with what kind of apparent respect they will treat the man Jesus on film, but if he is to be portrayed as father of a royal line as in the book, it will make mockery of who he really was and what he came to do.

Yesterday I recommended Christians read the book and see the movie, provided we also carefully study the true history of the events. I must add another qualifier. Remember how Jesus felt about those who rejected him: he wept. He was not surprised or shocked, he was not vengeful, he was moved with compassion. Yes, he was sometimes angry, but only at extreme misuse of true religion by religious leaders and merchants in the temple: those who had every reason to know better and who manipulated the weak.

This movie and book are not in that category. Dan Brown should know better about the history he wrote about, but he's not a religious leader. I know, I cannot tell anyone--probably not even myself--not to feel some anger over lies and deceptions on this scale, but I'm praying that anger will be far overshadowed by something else.

The false portrayal of Jesus in The Da Vinci Code is bound to upset those of us who love Jesus Christ, but let the upset be that of grief. Consider those who say such things as men and women for whom Christ died; consider those who watch and read as being on a spiritual search as we also have been, and share the truth of Christ with them in compassion and Chestertonian humility. Weep for those who are misled, and love them by showing them the marvelous reality of Jesus Christ.

Let the world see a different kind of response to the mistreatment of a founder of a religion.

Posted: Sun - February 12, 2006 at 07:25 AM |

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More on the Da Vinci Code: A Godly Response to Mockery

Thinking Christian by Tom Gilson