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Christ Church Covington
Proper 16
August 24, 2003
The other evening I went to the Imax Theater in New Orleans to see a movie
that I’d been wanting to see since it first came out in May. That movie
was The Matrix Reloaded, the long-awaited sequel to the cult classic from
the late nineties, The Matrix. Both of these movies have been much hailed
because of the incredible special effects that have revolutionized
film-making, and believe me seeing Reloaded at the Imax really blew me
away. I literally had to hold on to my seat – it was that dizzying.
However, I am a Matrix aficionado not only for the special effects, but
more so because there is a philosophical dialogue, a disguised theological
conversation threaded throughout both movies. The essence of this dialogue
is at least as old as Christendom – it is an exploration of the
predestination versus free will. That is to say, the Matrix movies ask the
question over and over again: What choices do we really have in this
world? Are there any decisions that we really make on our own?
In the first movie, the main character, Neo, portrayed by Keanu Reeves,
discovers that all but a handful of the entire human race are living in a
dream world. Not a metaphorical dream world, but literally a dream world.
You see, Neo is shocked to find out that despite all appearances to the
contrary, computers have taken over the world, and all humankind has been
subjugated and wired together so that they are all living in a happy
virtual reality while they actually exist only to serve their computer
masters. In other words, every decision he thought he ever made was made
for him by the computers. So when given the opportunity by a band of
rebels, he chooses to become unhooked and live in freedom albeit in a much
more challenging real world, so that he can assist others in entering into
the life of freedom.
Now, I assume everyone who is going to see Reloaded has already seen it,
so I’m going to give a little of it away. In Reloaded Neo is told that
even his big decision in the first movie was decided for him. The
computers had even designed his rebelliousness – an unthinkable
proposition for Neo one that leaves him reeling and anguished about who he
really is and what his mission really is.
In today’s Gospel, we are confronted with these very same issues. What
choices do we really have in this life? Is salvation voluntary, something
we can decide we’re going to do? The action in the Gospel reading hints at
the real decisions that are laid before us.
Today’s reading comes at the end of what is called the “Bread of Life”
discourse, which comprises the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, which
we have been slowly making our way through over the past three Sundays. In
it Jesus lays down for his disciples in metaphor and allegory and in prose
exactly who he is. He is nothing less that the means by which humankind
and God relate to each other. This is apparently too tall an order for
some of the disciples. Perhaps they can’t accept the fact that they can’t
go it on their own, that they need someone else, that they need Jesus
Christ if they are going to have the fullness of true relationship with
God. So they part ways with Him. Please notice, Jesus doesn’t go running
after them, saying, “wait up folks, we can negotiate on this. Don’t go.”
He lets them decide.
The twelve, however, respond differently to Jesus’ assertions about
himself. As Peter eloquently says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have
the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are
the Holy One of God?” The disciples have made their decision too.
So the real decision to be made is not whether or not to follow Jesus
Christ. The real decision is whether or not we believe he is who he says
he is. That is the decision that governs all subsequent decisions. For if
we do not believe he is who he says he is, then we are fools to follow
him. But if we take Jesus at his word, we like the twelve have nowhere
else to go. When you think about it like that, it’s not really a decision
is it?
Amen.
The Rev’d Robert M. Odom
M.Div., Curate
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