Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Jesus existed. We know this. His story was written and distributed while people who could have refuted it were still alive. Yet they didn't. The timeline simply does not permit Jesus to be a myth or legend. Nevertheless, the story of Jesus follows the same rhythms and structure of every story ever told. Why? Because the story of Jesus, the story of the Gospel, is the one truth myth.         

Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Matthew 4:19

       Once the Hero has defeated the Threshold Guardian and entered the Special World, he finds himself in unfamiliar territory. There are new challenges and she can't face them alone. This is the time when our hero begins to shape and grow, to really show just what he's made of. In screenwriting terms, this step marks the start of act two, which takes up roughly half of the movie. 

              Many movies immediately send the hero to a bar or tavern. (I don't think that has any spiritual significance; it's just kinda neat). Where do the hobbits meet Strider? In a tavern. Where does Luke find Han Solo? In the cantina. When in doubt of where act two starts, look for the watering hole. In order to find a guide through an unfamiliar world, the Hero must go to where the worldly-wise reside. 

       This is also the time where the Hero must prove herself capable of handling the challenges of the Special World, sometimes while gathering allies. Dorothy had to use her wits and midwestern can-do spirit to collect the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. It was those same attributes that got her to the Wizard, and it was those attributes that allowed her to defeat the Wicked Witch. In The Princess Bride, the Man in Black faced three trials: spirit, strength, and mind. In doing so, he earned the respect of his two essential allies. 

       Finally, it is here that we often catch our first glimpse of the villain. Our Hero might be overcoming obstacles and making new friends, but there's something big on the horizon that's going to require more of him than anything else so far. There's a storm brewing, and it's only a matter of time before it hits. 

       Before meeting with the Mentor, John the Baptist, and confronting the Threshold Guardian, Satan, Jesus had lived as a carpenter. Having crossed the First Threshold, he entered the special world of his ministry: "From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" And just two sentences later, Matthew tells us about Jesus calling his first disciples. "While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'" I expect fishermen of the time were much like they are now: a little rough around the edges, wordly-wise, the sort of guys you might find in a seedy bar. 

        The gospel writers spend the next few chapters telling us about Jesus' work and message. He preaches that we are to love our enemies. He heals the sick and lame. Much later in the story, Jesus cries out to his Father on behalf of those who are torturing him ("Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do"). And he overcomes all that is broken by resurrecting himself from death (something miles beyond restoring a withered hand). In screenwriting terms, these moments are called setups and payoffs. In practical terms, we see that Jesus practiced what he preached.

        Here also we see the enemies of Jesus gathering. After healing the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, the gospel writer Mark tells us, "The Pharisees went out and immediately held council with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him." Jesus came to restore the relationship between God and man, and the gatekeepers of the established religious system resented it. We will see that they would do anything, even break their own laws, in an attempt to stop his message.

       No Hero acts alone. Even James Bond gathers a few helpers along the way. Even Jesus gathered a support system of close friends around himself. As for us, the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." A relationship with God is the most important thing in life. But for that relationship to be healthy, we must have relationships with other believers: people who have the same goals (for example, to share the Gospel, and to live a godly, Christ-centered life). Dorothy's friends wanted to get to the Emerald City as much as she did. 

      Enemies are plentiful, and tests come our way every day. But who are the people who keep you going? Do they have the same goals and outlook as you do? How can you be an ally to the people in your life, who are on their own adventures? 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:34-35