Difference between revisions of "Sermon for February 9th, 2014"

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Mark 10:42-45

42So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

Faith & Film: Man of Steel

Three Minute Film Summary

Just as it almost always has since its origins in the late 1930s, the Superman story begins on the dying planet of Krypton. Jor-el is a prominent scientist on Krypton, and his wife Lara gives birth to a son, whom they name Kal-el. In order to save Kal-el from the destruction of the planet, they place him in a small spaceship and launch it toward the planet Earth.

The spacecraft lands on a small farm in Kansas, and is found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, farmers who raise the child as their own, and name him Clark. Clark Kent. They don't know where he came from, but they know that he is special, and as he grows, they learn he is capable of remarkable feats of strength and speed. They instill within him a strong sense of moral values, but also encourage him not to reveal his secret to the world until the time is right.

As a young adult, Clark Kent wanders for some years away from home, trying to learn more about his origin and his purpose. In this version of the story, he discovers a spaceship buried in the arctic snow. The military is also investigating the site, as well as a reporter from the Daily Planet by the name of Lois Lane. Clark and Lois both beat the military to the ship, running into each other in the process, and Clark saves Lois' life for the first of many times. The spaceship turns out to be an ancient probe ship from the planet Krypton, and through the ship's computer, Clark encounters a holographic representation of his biological father, Jor-El, who tells him his true name, his history, and his purpose.

Jor-el is played by Russel Crowe in this film--but here I'm going to jump back to the 1978 version of the movie, where Jor-El is played by Marlon Brando. Both film versions of Jor-el tell Clark (or Kal-el, rather) similar things, but I like Brando's quote better. He says: "The people of Earth can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all...their capacity for good...I have sent them you, my only son."

Back to the 2013 film. Jor-el gives Kal-el the iconic suit and cape we all know, he flies around the world a few times just for fun, and Superman is born. Meanwhile, Lois Lane is hot on his trail, eager to find out the identity of the man with supernatural powers who rescued her. She finds him and eventually befriends him, deciding keep his identity secret for now.

Right around this point is when the bad guys arrive. Apparently, Kal-el/Clark/Superman is not the only one to have survived the death of the planet Krypton. General Zod, a banished military leader, all-around-megalomaniac, and arch-enemy of Superman's father, along with a few evil minions, have managed to escape their imprisonment and have come seeking vengeance. General Zod demands that the people of earth hand over Superman or else be destroyed along with him.

Superman surrenders himself, only to learn that General Zod plans to destroy the earth anyhow, killing its inhabitants and turning it into a new Krypton of his own design. Much fighting ensues, and with the help of Lois Lane, American military forces, and the spirit of his father, Jor-el, Superman is able to defeat General Zod and his minions, save the earth, win over the hearts of its people (especially Lois Lane) and even land a good job with the Daily Planet for his alter ego, Clark Kent.

American Messiah

Alright, this is it--our LAST film of the series: This is your final exam! Remember, our goal was to become armchair theologians, watching the films that so often reflect and mirror our culture, our values, and our beliefs. Watching them through the lens of our faith, looking for points where they intersect with scripture, as well as places where they don't. I chose this film as the last one, the final exam, because I thought it would be pretty easy. but don't worry; if you don't pass, we'll do it again next year!

Alright, here's the test. A baby is sent to earth from the heavens. He is raised by earthly parents; good people. As a child, he demonstrates remarkable abilities. As a young adult, he demonstrates miraculous abilities. He wanders in the wilderness for a time, and emerges with a sense of purpose, a sense of calling. He is immersed in water. He does more miracles. He shows his love for his adopted people, for humanity. At the age of 33 he confronts a great evil, the enemy of his father. He gives himself up to the people, and the people turn him over to his enemy. He is struck down, but he rises up again to defeat the enemy and save the world.

Here's your final exam question: Is this the story of Superman...or the story of Jesus? The answer, of course, is Yes. It's both.

Now for the bonus question: Jesus, Superman...and who else? I'll give you a hint: The original creators of Superman were named Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. They were both children of Jewish immigrants. Remember the story about the baby who was put in a basket and floated down a river to save him from destruction? He was adopted and raised by Egyptian parents, grew up to do miracles and to save his people? That's right...Moses. Superman's creators were Jewish, so it should be no surprise that his birth-name, Kal-el, is Hebrew. El is one of the Hebrew names for God, as in Elohim or El Shaddai. It also shows up in several Jewish names: Ezekiel, Gabriel, Israel. Kal is the Hebrew word for voice, so Kal-el means "voice of God." The prophets, like Moses, were considered to be the voice of God. The prophets also fought for truth and justice...sound familiar?

But this Superman, the superman of the 2013 film, Man of Steel, is definitely more Jesus than Moses. Several times in the film, he is referred to as "Kal, son of El." Instead of the voice of God, in this film version he has literally become Kal, the son of God.