Barabbas

In tonight's RST 135 film section we watched the movie "Barabbas," which is based on the novel of the same name. It follows the life of Barabbas, the thief and murderer who was set free by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus. It was a much darker film than the ones than we have watched thus far in terms of the storyline and cinematic treatment, but it was very compelling in the way that it constructed a very intruiging story of Barabbas' struggle towards faith. The story picks up with Barabbas' release from prison, and after settling back into his old ways of thievery and murder is arrested once more and sentenced to work in a sulfur mine. While down in the mine, he is chained to Sahak, a young Christian who at first despises Barabbas for his "role" in Christ's death, but eventually grows to become his friend. They are eventually removed from the mine and put into gladiator training, to serve a spectacle for the emperor.

Throughout the whole story, Barabbas tries to come to grips with why Christ was pardoned instead of himself. An interesting twist in the story is that because of Christ's death on the cross instead of his own, Barabbas physically cannot die, surviving for over 20 years in the sulfur mines and defeating Rome's most fearsome gladiator. But the most compelling facet of Barabbas is his struggle with faith over the course of the story, his hard heart trying to comprehend the sacrifice of Christ on his behalf. And for most of the movie, it is a struggle that he loses.

The point in the story where this struggle comes to a head is while Barabbas and Sahak are training to be gladiators, and Sahak is overheard talking to the other gladiators about the reality of the one true GOD. They are brought before their owner to plea their case, and Sahak stands on his faith, while Barabbas answers, "I believe in no god. I tried to believe." Barabbas is set free, and Sahak is executed. After Barabbas wins his freedom, he goes to the pit outside of the city where they left Sahak's body and he takes it down to the Christians in the catacombs, for a proper burial. One of the Christians confronts him with this: "Why do you stand up for him now that he is dead, but not when he was alive? What does your 'faith' matter now?"

The part of the movie that was most moving was Barabbas' meeting with Peter at the end of the movie. Peter says this to him: "I know that you've struggled for faith all these years, and you should know that GOD has been with you while you have wrestled with your faith; in all these years, he has never left you." It's easy to believe, it's easy to know, but faith; faith is hard. Faith is a struggle. Faith requires of us blood, sweat, and tears - a daily conviction that we will believe, in the face of fear, adversity, and unbelief. We stand in the truth that though we are fickle and frail, we are loved by a GOD who faithfully loves his children, despite their unfaithfulness. And though there are times when the flame of passion in our hearts is battered and blown by the winds of this world, our GOD is right by our side - he is there for us in joy, in mourning, in faith, in faithlessness. He is there. He is here. And he's not going anywhere - he's right by my side. Good movie.

"Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified." (Matthew 15-25)

What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." (Romans 3:4)