Tell Me the Story

With the amazing success of House of David on Amazon Prime, we can be reminded of the power of Biblical stories.  And, what is depicted in the Bible - events that actually occurred - can provide direction for us in our lives and show evidence of God's hand in history. Paul was appointed to advance the narrative of Jesus and His work, writing in 1st Timothy 2:
5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle--I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying--a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Movieguide ran a story recently that reminded me of an earlier day in faith-based entertainment, when a couple was beginning to roll out faith-based movies and television programs.  Mark Burnett and Roma Downey became known for such releases as The Bible and A.D. miniseries, the movie, Son of God, and...a remake of the classic film Ben-Hur in 2016.  The article says:

BEN-HUR co-producer Mark Burnett explained how the team approached the making of the movie to create a high-quality movie that also happened to promote faith.

“I feel that for a movie to have a message of faith in it, the movie needs to stand alone as any other movie. There’s no free pass because you happen to have a faith message…” Burnett told Movieguide®. “You have to make high quality television, plays, books or movies, in this case, and it happens to have a faith message through it. That’s the way to approach it, not to think that you got a free pass.”

“Often times you can have the story of Jesus, or even actually Jesus within a movie, and it doesn’t in any way denigrate the quality of the experience,” Burnett continued. “So, holding faith films to the same standard as any other successful Hollywood film and having an audience get used to that.”

The article notes: "BEN-HUR hit the mark on this aspect, creating a very entertaining movie that intersects with the story of Jesus. Judah, the main character, has an encounter with Jesus early in the movie that impacts his worldview and later watches the crucifixion and seeks to provide comfort to Jesus as He dies."

But, four years before that, according to another Movieguide piece, the Burnetts were involved in the project, The Bible, which was aired on the History Channel.  It grew out of a "dinner conversation," sparked by Roma's comments.  The article goes on to say:

...Downey reminded him, “The Bible story is all the things that great television should be. It has adventure, it has drama and it has redemption.”

The couple decided it was an opportunity they couldn’t miss and moved forward on the monumental task, which has since been adapted into the movie SON OF GOD.

“Doing this ‘on the screen’ would allow millions of people to discover the Bible. We knew we couldn’t teach it, but we could create an emotionally connecting dramatization that might make them open (or reopen) the Book,” Burnett shared.

“God’s hands were on this series,” he reflected. “We would tell the world’s most powerful story with the greatest emotional connection possible.”

“For that is what the Bible is,” he concluded. “A story, the story of God’s love for his people, the greatest love story ever told.” 

And, as we reflect on where the Christian message in film has come from, consider another story of Jesus that impacted millions.  The Passion of the Christ, a 2004 release, garnered a worldwide box office of over $610 million, over $370 million in the U.S., according to Box Office Mojo.  And, Variety reports:

Mel Gibson’s long-awaited sequel, titled “The Resurrection of the Christ,” will start shooting in August at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, CEO Manuela Cacciamani has announced.

Cacciamani, in an interview with Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore, said Gibson and Icon Productions have set an August start-of-shoot date for the follow-up to his 2004 biblical blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ,” which became the largest-grossing independent film of all time.

The article notes that Jim Caviezel is expected to reprise his role as Jesus.

Gibson told Joe Rogan on his podcast that, according to another Variety article, "he’s 'never read anything like' the script, which he penned in tandem with 'Braveheart' screenwriter Randall Wallace."

The stories of the Bible, and specifically the stories of Jesus, are intended to open our our eyes and minds so that we might know Him better.  The Bible tells us that we are to follow in his footsteps.  So, not only is He our example, but we learn more about His deep compassion for you and me and all humanity as we observe His interactions and reflect on His teaching.  

He even used stories to paint beautiful images of His truth, so that people might have a deeper understanding of His ways and the ways of His Father.  Some have said that Jesus is a good teacher but do not follow His teachers.  We must, as James exhorts us, be doers of the Word and not only hearers - we should always look to Jesus, described as the "author and finisher of our faith," and consider how His stories and the stories throughout the Bible, can help us grow in Him.