Sermon for January 5th, 2025

Philippians 2:5-11 (NT p. 197)

5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, assuming human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.

9Therefore God exalted him even more highly and gave him the name that is above every other name, 10so that at the name given to Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Faith & Film XIII: Gladiator II

The famous theologian, Karl Barth, once said that a Christian should approach the world with a Bible in one hand, and a newspaper in the other. What he was getting at was this: To reach the world, we must also understand the world, we must be able to speak in its language. In Karl Barth's era, the newspaper was the best tool for accomplishing that. Today, I think it's the films, the movies, the blockbusters that we flock to see in the millions. Films are the great literature and storytelling vehicles of our era. Sometimes those films are good; sometimes they are bad, but always they reflect (and sometimes shape) our culture. Films are mirrors and magnifying glasses to who we are and what we aspire to be.

As Christians, it is our job to be aware of the places where our faith converges with the themes and stories our culture tells, and where we part company, too. It's my hope that in doing this series on faith and film, we can all learn to see the world through the lens of our faith wherever we go, to be amateur theologians, armchair theologians, connectors and interpreters of the scriptures we hold dear, and the world we live in.

With that, let's take a look at our first film this season, Gladiator II.

• Film Clip #1: Trailer

Three-Minute Film Summary

I like to begin each film with a brief summary, without giving away too may spoilers. This film in particular has a lot of complex character arcs, but if you get lost, don't worry too much--it will come together.

Sixteen years after the death of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, corrupt twin emperors Geta and Caracalla rule in Rome. Meanwhile, far away in the Kingdom of Numidia, a hidden heir to the Roman throne lives--Lucius Verus Aurelius, the grandson of Marcus Aurelius, and the son of the the famous gladiator Maximius. Lucius lives a peaceful life with his wife, until one day Numidia is invaded by Roman General Acacius. Lucius is enslaved, and his wife is killed. He is taken to Rome and forced to fight in the Gladiator's arena. His owner--the stable master Macrinus, is impressed with his skills, and promises him vengeance against General Acacius.

Meanwhile, General Acacius is hailed as a hero but secretly conspires with his wife Lucilla, to overthrow the twin Emperors. Lucius, unaware that Lucilla’s is in actuality his mother, channels the spirit of the legendary Maximus—his father—to win repeatedly in the arena. When Lucilla recognizes him and tries to reconcile, he bitterly rejects her, blaming her for his exile and the death of his wife.

Factions clash in Rome. Several Senators join the conspiracy, but Macrinus, seething with resentment toward Rome, betrays them to curry favor with the emperors. Lucilla and Acacius are arrested. In a public showdown, Lucius refuses to kill Acacius, but guards execute him anyway, sparking riots across the city. Macrinus manipulates Caracalla into turning on Geta and gains power over the Praetorian guard, pushing Rome toward chaos.

As Caracalla’s behavior grows more erratic, Lucius unites with his mother at last, taking up the sword and armor of his father to inspire the other gladiators. Macrinus orchestrates a final, bloody spectacle in the Colosseum to kill Lucius and Lucilla, hoping to seize control. Meanwhile, Acacius’s army approaches the city, setting the stage for a climactic confrontation. The outcome will determine whether Rome collapses into tyranny or rises under the virtuous leadership of Lucius.

Strength and Honor

Early last year, there was a viral tik tok challenge that had women ask their husbands or boyfriends how many times a day they think about the Roman Empire--and then record the answer. What made it funny was how surprised the women were when their husbands generally said they thought about Rome at least three or four times a day. Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising, though. The image of Rome in our collective imagination--swords and sandals, military legions, giant statues and colosseums--is all very hyper masculine. "Strength and Honor" is the rallying cry heard throughout the film--and yet, sometimes those two virtues seem to be at odds with one another:

• Film Clip #2: Hero's Welcome

I would actually argue that all the principal characters in this film fall into one of two groups: The Strength group and the Honor group. The "bad guys" (The emperors, Macrinus) advocate for use of strength with no honor. And the "good guys" (General Acacius, Lucius) are actually advocating for honor that relinquishes strength and doesn't rely on it, that works instead for peace.

As Christians, this should remind us of two things: First, of Jesus, who frequently told his disciples that the first will be last and the last will be first--that if you want to lead others, you must first serve them. The second thing is from the Book of Isaiah: "He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

The Dream of Rome

In both this and the previous Gladiator film, there were frequent references to something called "The Dream of Rome" that is usually attributed to the Philosopher-Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Lucius' grandfather in the film). Here's a clip explaining it:

• Film Clip #3: Dream of Rome

And of course, here's the opposing view:

• Film Clip #4: Power

St. Augustine writes about the City of Man--which has at its core the goal of dominating other cities, other people but as it achieves this, it becomes itself dominated by that very lust for domination--so it can never truly be free. He contrasts this with the City of God--or what Jesus calls the Kingdom of God--where true freedom comes from loving other people, other cities, and a willingness to lift up the weak and powerless rather than strike them down.

The Dream of Rome, as described here is probably more of a Hollywood invention than an actual historical Roman one--and yet its appeal speaks to our longing for a more perfect and just world--something that is also baked into the core of our Christian story.

A Great Physician

Even though Christianity existed in the period in which this film is set, it only gets a passing mention in a comment about crucifixion as a form of punishment. But there's actually a character in the film who embodies Christian virtues, and who gives hints that he may, in fact, be a Christian.

• Film Clip #5: Ravi Introducton

In the Hebrew language, Ravi is the same word as "Rabbi." It means "my teacher"--and the title given to Jesus by his followers. Here's another clip of Ravi talking about forgiveness and salvation:

• Film Clip #6: Ravi and Rivers

For a middle eastern Christian, the river was the place of baptism, of conversion and transformation. And in many ways, Ravi functions in this story as an agent of transformation for Lucius, the main character. He helps Lucius to let go of his rage and embrace his legacy. Transformation and Conversion are actually key themes in all six of our films this year. More on that next time.

Panem et Circences

In the Roman Empire, during the time depicted in this film, there was a government policy of providing two things to the people in order to keep them occupied, to keep them from rioting or other mischief: Panem et Circences--bread and circuses. The whole movie is about the circuses--the violent entertainment in the gladiator arena. At one point in the film, you can actually see them passing out the free bread, too.

In the world of the film--the bread and circuses are mostly about diversion, distraction, placating people and keeping them superficially happy. I think that happens in our world today, too--we often use cheap food and entertainment to distract us from our problems, and the problems of those around us.

Contrast that with the central sacrament in Christianity: Not bread and circuses, but the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. Rather than placating us, the bread and the wine remind us of the suffering and the sacrifice made by Christ for our sake. Rather than distracting us from one another, we gather together around a common table, and in that way we see each other, we recognize each other, and are given the opportunity to love and care for each other as we share this ancient ritual together.