The Black Panther in The Light of Christ

As we watched the Black Panther movie in February 2018, some of the lessons that struck out to me while watching it were:

FIRST LESS0N:

T'Challa had the opportunity to destroy his opponents—Baku, Klaw, and Erik Killmonger—but he chose to let them live, despite the fact that they had nearly killed him while attempting to usurp his throne. What T. Challa did to his enemies, dubbed "grace," is what Christ has already done for us. Realize that Christ, as the Son of the Creator of Heaven and Earth, possesses the power and authority to instantly remove all of us from the face of the earth since we are wrongfully acting toward Him. We are continually opposing and breaking God's moral laws, which is something an adversary does, hence we are classified as enemies. You see, God created a good world up until Eve allowed Satan's temptation to enter, which poisoned and tainted the entire human race. And it is because of this "fall," when Adam and Eve disobeyed God's instructions, that God's wrath is justified. As wickedness deserves punishment, trespasses merit a penalty, and violations warrant a fine, therefore, as humans who are inherently evil, trespassers, and violators, we should be given what our deeds are worthy of. Yet the fact that I am writing this blog and that you are reading it serves as evidence that neither of us was punished by God... No, and not just yet, because God is indeed good and gracious. He is giving us many chances to come to Him and repent of our sins. By HIS grace, we are still alive, enjoying HIS provision of air, strength, health, wealth, family and friends, and everything else. God's forgiveness over revenge is very evident and indisputable. His mercy and compassion are no doubt new every morning.

Going back to the movie, T'Challa had the chance to kill his enemies, but he chose to spare them.  Notice that all T'Challa had granted them was the right to live. He didn't give his life for them, yet I'm already impressed by what he did. Guys, hold on; this is just a movie. Shouldn't we be more amazed at the one who actually did this heroic act for us? to the one who gave His life so that we might live. 

The crucifixion is a punishment for criminals that we, rather than Jesus, deserve. We should be the ones hanging from that cross because our wickedness demands it. Nevertheless, Christ consented to being crucified (for our sake). In truth, life is in the blood, and Jesus offered to shed His blood to reclaim our lives from Satan and spare us from the never-ending agony of hell.

Can you ever imagine how awful it must have been for Jesus to be treated brutally and viciously (by people He made to exist) right there and then? He was being scourged 40 times, a crown of thorns was placed on His head, people insulted Him, spit on Him, and He was beaten up to the point of death on the cross, where He eventually died. Despite this, Jesus is very dedicated to carrying out His purpose of salvation for mankind. Willingly, He gave up His life in order to win us back as His own. And His grace did not end with the laying down of His life; for even now, Jesus continues to show us His overflowing tender mercies and lovingkindness that extends unto eternity. (But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8)

SEC0ND LESS0N:

Gen. Okoye (Danai Gurira, who also played "Michonne" in The Walking Dead TV Series), told Erik Killmonger, "Your heart is full of hatred; you're not fit to be a king."

We are all kings and queens in our domains, but how do we practice the power and authority vested in us in our own kingdom? How do we rule people?

Husbands and fathers are the kings in our households, responsible for meeting the requirements of each member of the family, not just their physical but also their spiritual needs. As God's designated leaders in the family, do you tend to your flock through a family devotion time in your home with your wife and children—praying, reading, and reflecting on God's word every day for them to develop a relationship with God? Regrets that many men put their wives and kids on the back burner in favor of their careers and other self-centered concerns. And while the physical needs are being met, the spiritual needs are being ignored.

How do you use your power and authority to serve the country and your constituents if God made you a public servant? See that the people who elected you did so because they want and expect you to lead the country with honesty and integrity, to enact laws that are concerned with the wellbeing of the residents, and to promote activities that benefit the welfare of the weak, the oppressed, the orphans, and widows. Are you that kind? Are you opposed to evil? Do you despise corruption and injustice?

As employers or business owners, we have workers or assistants who report to us. How do we look after and help people who are beneath us? Do we treat them with the same respect and consideration as we would a member of our family? Or do we see them as nothing more than tools to be used with no regard, dahil "binabayaran" or "pasahod lang naman natin sila.

Are we, as God-anointed priests, pastors, church leaders, and ministers, attracting people to God by inspiring them to regularly attend church and hear God's message? Will they be encouraged to join a fellowship and Bible study groups as we emulate Christ's servant leader attitude through our acceptance of them without condemnation and as we make ourselves available to meet them at their lowest point? Will they consider our presence in their lives to be a blessing? Will they be grateful to God for bringing us their way, or will it be the other way around?

Most kings live in their own constructed kingdoms, whether at home or at work. abuse their power and authority. Even though their wishes were not always in the best interests of the people, everyone was obligated to obey them. They lord it over people to follow their self-imposed norms that benefit only themselves (as Erik Killmonger does). Unfortunately, dealing with a selfish king  poses a risk because of the negative tendencies that come along with it —anger, arrogance, and greediness, to mention a few—and these unpleasant characteristics are what make a king unfit to manage a kingdom (just like the dialogue between Gen. Okoye and Erik Killmonger). Doing evil is an abomination to kings because righteousness establishes the throne. — Proverbs 16:12. 

JESUS, the King of kings and Lord of lords, lived with us and became one of us with total humility. He has treated us exactly the opposite of what our haughtiness, and cruelty deserve. The King did not arrive on earth like a ruler, claiming entitlement to His identity as the Son of the Highest and demanding that His people serve Him. Instead, He is the one who served us with His sweat, blood, and all of His—everything that he has, He has given up for the sake of you and me. Christ even performed duties typically done by maidservants, such as washing His followers' feet (Mark 10:41–45). Do you know a modern-day king like him? Extremely low-key. It is humiliating for someone to act as if he owns the world when all he has are simply temporary things. Whereas Jesus, the owner of heaven and earth, is so humble  that He has more than ever placed our welfare over His own. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves—Philippians 2:3.

Recognize that each of us is a king or queen in our own right, and how we manage our kingdom is extremely crucial because we affect and impact individuals in our spheres of influence.So we ought to be humble, considerate, and forgiving (just like Jesus). As stewards and overseers of God's people on this planet, we must be above reproach and not conceited, impatient, or greedy for power, fame, or money. In whatever domain and position we are assigned, let us act lovingly just as Jesus did, let us serve and not expect to be served. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." -MATTHEW 20:26-28

THIRD LESS0N.

Erik and M'Baku sent a war challenge to T'Challa in an attempt to dethrone him. In real life, we too have an opponent like Erik and Mbaku, a spiritual enemy, who tempts us with the mission of leading us astray and robbing us of our identity as God's children. He came to steal our joy, to thwart God's plan for our lives, and to kill us (John 10:10). And he will try everything in his power to shatter us and tug us away from our Father's kingdom. But like T. Challa, who took the challenge head-on, we also must not back down but fearlessly face our opponents. As God's children, we already have the victory, thanks to Jesus Christ, who overcame death, the grave, and the world and was resurrected on the third day. We are overcomers—more than conquerors because of Jesus. We only need to put up a good fight of faith because we are already victorious in Christ. (1Corinthians 15:57; Romans 8:37)

Hail to the one true King in Heaven and on earth and under...JESUS CHRIST!