Where would we be without Christ?

I may have the flu, but at least it’s Charlton Heston day on TCM (so if you’d rather not watch the Obamessiah rise from the earth to his temple tonight, you know exactly where to turn). William Wyler’s greatest film is currently playing, and this is one of my favourite parts of the movie. Are we not all dying, thirsting, imprisoned, abused by our adversary, having sold ourselves into slavery when Jesus Himself beckons, when He blesses the unworthy, the rebellious with living waters?

Taken away by his captors, Judah cannot take his eyes off this Stranger, this Man who singled him out and revived him, restored him with a gentle touch, and an expression of compassion we can only imagine. For the rest of his life, Judah recalls that Man with wonder, until the film reaches its rending, glorious ending.

Even after we submit to Him, even after coming to salvation, we are still subject to the adversary, satan, to sickness, pain, death, want, loneliness…But that single touch from the Master turns the evil heart toward Himself. That single touch from Him enlivens dead, stone hearts to hope.

It’s doubtless entirely fictional. But perhaps this is such a touching scene because it doesn’t really seem out of character for Jesus to do such a thing as we see in this film.

The reaction of the centurion when he looks upon Jesus is marvellous as well, almost stunning in its realism.