January at the Movies, pt. 4 True Grit Romans 12: 9 - 20

** Clip #1 (leave pic up at end)

Well, here we find ourselves at the last of “January at the Movies”, a series in which we look at Contemporary films that address important themes that we find in our Scriptures. During this month, we’ve looked at ‘free will and human choice’ in the film “ The Adjustment Bureau” , the issue of race relations in the film “ The Help ”, and last week we talked about discerning the will of God in difficult times with the moving film “ Of Gods and Men ”.

I know some of you are already looking forward to next year’s version of “January at the Movies” – because I’ve already received quite a few suggestions of films to put into my ‘queue’ … and others will simply breath a sigh of relief that it’s finally over. But, like I’ve said many, many times here… thank God we’re not all the same! Amen?

So for this last installment (for now, anyway) we’re going to be talking today about our first Western in this three-year series, that is, the 2010 Ethan, and Joel Coen version of “True Grit ”. I found it interesting in reading quite a few viewer’s comments that there seemed to me to be more discussion about the various merits of the first (John Wayne) version of this film vs. this one than about the film itself; which I thought was kind of a shame, as there were most definitely deeply rooted spiritual themes in both of these films, found in the story itself.

It should be pointed out, too, that the Coen brothers were very clear in stating that their intention was not to do a remake of the 1969 film but rather a remake of the 1968 novel by Charles Portis. Most reviewers claim that the newer version of the film is actually closer to the novel than ‘the Duke’s’ version – a novel, which, interestingly for our purposes, is rife with spiritual themes.

From the opening scene, featuring a quotation from the King James version of Proverbs 28:1

The wicked flee when no man pursueth…

Page 1 of 9 January 28-29, 2012 Pastor Steve Donat January at the Movies, pt. 4 True Grit …to the constant background of hymns from the Presbyterian Hymnal (notably “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” which you hear in many different tempos throughout the movie), to the constant talk about ‘justice’ and the Scripture quoting from 14-year-old Mattie, and the film’s narrator, you know immediately that this is a film that wants you to consider these events in light of some sort of spirituality. Or put it like this, they want us to think about this movie spiritually. So, it truly fits our requirements for this sermon series!

A lot of viewer responses and professional reviewers actually saw Mattie as a ‘Christian’ character – i.e., she stood for Christianity in the story. And then, depending on the reviewer, that came across in both in a positive or a negative way.

I had an idea about film before I watched it, which was confirmed more and more as the film played out. I expected this film to be a kind of visual parable about the conflict – the tension – between law and grace. And I thought so even more after seeing it. Just like any good film you can watch “True Grit” simply for entertainment, and be swept along by the story, but if you reflect a bit you realize too, that this film invites you to consider questions like these: “Is justice simply a question of vengeance, the fulfillment of a contract, of balancing the books, as Mattie believes? And what about mercy?” Is there room for mercy in this world?

For a fascinating analysis of the biblical themes in True Grit, I came across Father Robert Barron. He’s a film critic, as well as a Catholic evangelist through his work with wordonfire.org. He loves the Coen brothers and considers them “the most spiritually alert” of today's filmmakers.

Father Barron also sees True Grit (as I did) as a meditation on grace and law, centering around the distinction between “what's given as a gift and what's strictly owed”. Mattie, for Father Barron, is the embodiment of justice and of obligation. In fact, if you watch the film you can’t miss how unusually skilled she is in law and contracts. She repeatedly states to people that she is trying to convince to do something that she wants them to that ‘She has a good lawyer’, although most of the time, she sounds like she doesn’t really need him! The

Page 2 of 9 January 28-29, 2012 Pastor Steve Donat January at the Movies, pt. 4 True Grit opening scene where she negotiates for some horses really sums up her character. Check it out: ** Video # 2 **Blank Mattie’s aim is to ensure, no matter what , that what is owed gets paid. That is the bottom line of her life, that is her outlook. No matter what . You pay what you owe. But look at what happens. Her single-minded quest for justice results in at least half a dozen deaths. She herself is badly wounded. She ends up (as we see in the ‘epilogue’ set 26 years afterward, as a one-armed, still single woman, who (to me) seems rather bitter, and is still looking at life purely in ‘black and white’ terms, making instant and permanent judgments.

So, Father Barron says, her one-sided focus on justice has led to deep disproportion. In fact, it has led her into sin. She dismisses the Texas Ranger , LeBeouf, from partnering up with Rooster Cogburn, the U.S. Marshall that she has hired to track down the man who killed her father, in spite of the fact that his help would be invaluable… she dismisses him because if LeBeouf were to catch this guy, he planned to take him back to Texas to be tried and hanged for killing a senator. Mattie wasn’t interested, then; she wanted him killed – but only for her crime, she doesn’t really care about any others he might have committed. This quest of hers is clearly personal, which then raises the question: is she looking for justice or vengeance?

Towards the end of the movie the Coens have this dreamlike sequence, complete with haunting music (again, hymn quotes) where Mattie, terribly wounded, is drifting in and out of consciousness and Rooster lifts her up in his great arms and carries her to safety. It is an herculean effort – you hear every gasp as he struggles for oxygen. It’s an interesting contrast as in human terms we see this extraordinary act of selfless love, given without expectation of getting anything in return. This wasn’t part of Mattie’s ‘contract’ – he didn’t have to do it, and he gave it all he had. It was grace, given to Mattie, who was all about ‘law’.

For Father Barron that scene is the clincher that confirms his reading of the film. “

Page 3 of 9 January 28-29, 2012 Pastor Steve Donat January at the Movies, pt. 4 True Grit The hymn that's reworked in Carter Burwell's score and used as the closing theme sings of “the joy divine as we lean on the everlasting arms (of God)”… So, Rooster’s arms come to stand for the very arms of God, “the everlasting arms in which God holds the universe”. The old man’s action shows that his passion for justice is accompanied by, and even surpassed by, “his mercy, his graciousness, his willingness to give even when that giving was not, strictly speaking owed”.

Rooster, of course, was a man of justice, a lawman. But he becomes more than that, he becomes an agency of mercy, compassion and love. He embodies, …says Barron, "the God who is indeed the God of justice but even more the God of mercy". 1

(In a bit of irony, I couldn’t help but notice that Iris Dement sings “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” as the credits roll. This is the first time we hear the words to the song, and we hear them through the voice of a contemporary country singer whose ‘hits’ include this one: “God May Forgive You (But I Won’t)”. I wonder if that’s intentional!)

So, what do we make of this film? At one point in the film the narrator says: “You pay for everything in this world. There is nothing free, except the grace of God.”

This central theme to the film is characterized by Mattie’s measuring out the cost of every transaction in life with such meticulous detail. Which, if you think about it, makes it evident that for Mattie, there is no grace – none given, none expected. But where does that attitude get you, ultimately?

Mattie, at 14 years old is bent on vengeance at any cost. You could say that it didn’t end well for her, and of course, her actions changed little in the end. Her father was still gone… her life was dramatically altered. And the viewer is left to ponder the question: “was it worth it?”

1 http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewmcfbrown/100075661/true-grit-is-the-coen-brothers-most- biblical-film-yet/

Page 4 of 9 January 28-29, 2012 Pastor Steve Donat January at the Movies, pt. 4 True Grit Scripturally speaking, of course, the passage that was echoing in my head throughout the entire film was from Romans 12 which I’d like to read now:

** 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

** 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior.

** 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

When people hear this, some immediately go to extreme cases and try to push the limits – so, I’ve heard people respond to this passage (as well as similar ones like Jesus’ instruction to “turn the other cheek”) with a series of ‘what about…’ or, ‘what if ’’ questions. What about Saddam Hussein… or Hitler… or Jerry Sandusky? Are we supposed to simply ignore them? Just let them be?

This film kind of falls into the ‘what if’ category of questions: well, what if someone commits a crime and they are obviously going to get away with it? What if those in authority are not doing their job, because they can’t , or (worse) because they won’t? I’m obviously not going to be able to answer these questions in the five minutes I have left (not that I could if I had an hour, either) but let me say this…

Jesus’ and the rest of the Scripture teachings about vengeance, forgiveness, and hatred are directed to us personally, not necessarily to society as a whole. I remember back a number of years ago reading after the terrible Columbine CO school shootings that a number of Christian students sat on a hillside afterwards with signs that said, “We forgive you…______”. And I read in a sermon a newspaper column from someone who was totally offended –outraged – by that, basically saying, “They have no right!”

Page 5 of 9 January 28-29, 2012 Pastor Steve Donat January at the Movies, pt. 4 True Grit Now, fortunately I can’t remember how I responded to that at the time… hopefully it was the same as what I’m going to say now: I think that the columnist was right!

** Remember when in the Gospel of Mark four friends lower a guy through the ceiling of somebody’s house (wouldn’t that be a great Farmers’ Insurance commercial? “We cover that!”) because he’s paralyzed and they want Jesus to heal him.

But Jesus first says to him, “Son, your sins are forgiven”. And the people in that house are outraged! Why? Well, they tell us that their belief is that – “Only God can forgive sins!”

I’ve been ‘reading’ (Audio book) a new book by Tim Keller called “The King’s Cross ”, an excellent book, btw. Keller says that when there is an offense, a ‘sin’, there are really only two people who can forgive – the person who is the victim, and God. (All sin, the Scriptures teach, is ultimately a rebellion against God.) But when someone chooses to forgive – whether it is us, or God, there is always a price to be paid.

Think of it like this (this is Keller’s illustration)… someone comes to your house to visit, and they knock over and destroy a lamp worth $100. You have a choice then, you can say, “Hey, I’ll take cash or a bank check, but you owe me $100!” That is justice. Or, you can say, “Look, forget it… let’s not let this be an issue between us.” That is mercy.

But in order to make that second statement, you (the victim) are either going to have to fork out the $100 yourself and replace the lamp, or, you are going to have to live with diminished light – either way, there is a cost involved for you. It makes no sense for a neighbor to come in and say, “I forgive you for breaking that lamp. Go in peace!” They don’t have the right!

Now, let’s go further and say that the lamp was broken deliberately , in the midst of an altercation of some sort that was witnessed by others. The police were called. They might choose to charge this person for something – and your ‘forgiveness’ or lack of it, becomes

Page 6 of 9 January 28-29, 2012 Pastor Steve Donat January at the Movies, pt. 4 True Grit irrelevant in the matter. It is now about keeping order in society, doing justice in the bigger picture – which is what the Scriptures say is the responsibility of the government.

In fact, the very next verses in Romans after the passage we just read talk about this responsibility (Romans 13):

** 1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God… 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason…

(And, incidentally the next thing after that is…

6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.)

So Paul can say in Chapter 12, Love your enemies, do good to all, forgive those who hurt you – but at the same time in chapter 12 he can support the understanding that there was still may be a debt to be paid to society for certain actions – and in fact, that is the responsibility of the government – to do what is right. To enforce those laws.

You might say, “Well, in Mattie’s case, the government was not doing their job.” But, Texas Ranger LaBeouf had spent months on the trail of the man that Mattie wanted to kill. She could have left this to the proper authorities, even hiring Rooster was OK, there was no need for her to participate.

And I think that’s where Jesus’ teaching regarding forgiveness and vengeance are very profound. Jesus certainly knew the human condition. And of course, we’ve talked about this here before… forgiveness is not necessarily ‘completely letting someone off the hook’ for something.

Forgiveness is a conscious act of turning the retribution over to God. We can certainly forgive someone while at the same time testify against them in a court of law. We are all responsible for our actions. Ultimate justice, however, we leave to God, and when we do that, that is forgiveness.

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Page 7 of 9 January 28-29, 2012 Pastor Steve Donat January at the Movies, pt. 4 True Grit Most of the time, really, the actions we most struggle with that cause us to agonize in trying to decide whether or not to forgive someone else (or trying to actually do it, after we’ve realized we want to forgive) are not criminal offenses… they are issues of harsh words, mistreatment, abandonment and the like. Not that these don’t hurt, and not to say that someone’s deliberate action did not negatively affect our lives, and our family and more. They likely did.

But when we withhold forgiveness, we end up punishing ourselves. We are chained to that person – forever. We make our happiness conditional on their repentance – or their finally desiring to make restitution, or something like that. Something that may not ever happen. And we become their victim – again.

I said earlier that all sin is an offense against two beings – the victim(s) and God. But in ways that go deep into the meaning of life, ultimately, all sin is only an offense against God. So David can write in Psalm 51, “Against you, you alone have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” He sinned against Baathsheeba, and Uriah, and his soldiers, and the people in his kingdom, on and on… but it was all rebellion against God.

I just finished reading through the Bible for the third year in a row last December. This third year my reading plan was a bit different, instead of plowing straight through, I’d read 2 – 3 Old Testament chapters, and one New Testament. I chose that different method because, frankly, I was getting so bogged down in the summer and fall reading the Old Testament Prophets – Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the ‘minor’ prophets.

After about 200 chapters of descriptions of God’s judgment and wrath, after all the detailed descriptions of God’s anger against sin, and how that wrath would be satisfied… well it wore me out! Got a little depressing, to tell the truth.

But I read something recently that put this in a whole different perspective for me. Zechariah 3

** 8 “‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, you who are symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.

Page 8 of 9 January 28-29, 2012 Pastor Steve Donat January at the Movies, pt. 4 True Grit You read this and realize: All those passages about wrath and judgment, they’re true. God is offended by our sin! Yet in love, God wants to forgive us. And so, there is a payment necessary – there’s a cost. But it wasn’t paid by us . It was paid by God himself.

In that Zechariah passage, God speaks to the High Priest Joshua and says “You are symbolic of things to come… I will remove the sin of this land in a single day!” “Joshua” is simply the Hebrew version of another name very familiar to us: Jesus . The One who took on himself the price of our sin in one day … and then tells us- “now as I have forgiven you, you forgive one another.”

Jesus says “go into the world and learn to share the forgiveness that I have given to you.” Leave the ultimate judgment to me… and if in the end I choose to show mercy, remember that I paid the price to do that… for all people… and be glad!” Enjoy the freedom that I offer you through Christ… and as you live, share a new way of life. A way of love, following his example.

Page 9 of 9 January 28-29, 2012 Pastor Steve Donat