February 24                                                                                       Romans 8:  1-10

 

Deliverance from Bondage

    1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
    9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

 

It took me a bit of time to think of a reflection on this passage.  At first, I had to do a little research to make sure I understood the meaning, but many of the writings I found seemed too scholarly and academic.  Then my thoughts turned to my favorite medium, film.  Either by coincidence, or design, we have recently been watching some classic movies, directed by Frank Capra.  The light bulb went on over my head, and I realized that these stories, from sixty to seventy years ago, captured the meaning of the above passage, and can speak to us today.

           

In “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” (1936), Longfellow Deeds is a small town poet and tuba player.  A relative dies and leaves Deeds twenty million dollars.  The relative’s attorney moves Longfellow to New York City, where he plans to get control of the money and cover up previous embezzlement.  Deed’s also becomes an instant target for city slickers, embezzlers, moochers, fundraisers, and phonies.  He falls in love with the women actually responsible for making him look like a fool.  He does not realize she is a reporter looking for the ‘big story’.

 

The 1938 film “You Can’t Take it With You” pits the wealthy Anthony P. Kirby against Grandpa Vanderhof.  Vanderhof is the last hold-out against Kirby’s plan to buy up the entire neighborhood, kick out the inhabitants, and build a manufacturing plant.  In the meantime, Kirby’s son Tony has fallen for his stenographer Alice.  He does not realize she is Vanderhof’s grand-daughter.

 

And finally, everyone’s favorite Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), in which George Bailey is on the verge of committing suicide and is saved by Clarence, the angel trying to earn his wings.  George does not realize the impact his life has had on his community and people in it.

 

So how do these examples relate to the passage from Romans?  In all, there is a character of faith, which lives in the Spirit and not in the temptations of the world.  There is also an opposite example of one who lives in “the flesh”.

 

Longfellow Deeds lives in the spirit of goodness and simplicity.  At one point he declares, “I don’t need the money”.  His goal is to give all the money away to those who really need it.  He sees through the charlatans and turns them all away.  The characters which desire the money, those “of the flesh”, force him into a court sanity hearing to have him declared incompetent.  In the end, the reporter realizes what a good man he is and confesses her sin.  The evidence against him is shown to be flawed and Deed’s is declared the “sanest man in the room”.  His righteousness is restored.

 

Grandpa Vanderhof and Tony Kirby are filled with the spirit of love.  Vanderhof includes all in his household equally.  Alice’s play-write mother, her fireworks making father, the Russian dance instructor, and the inventors in the basement are all made part of the family.  Tony has no interest in taking over his father’s company.  He is in love with Alice and her family, with all their quirks.  In the end, the Sr. Kirby “sees the light”, the error of his ‘living in the flesh’ and forsakes his previous path.  The movie ends with him breaking bread with the Vanderhof family.  The Sr. Kirby is converted to the spirit of love.

 

George Bailey evokes the spirit of sacrifice.  He has given up much in his life to help others.  In a moment of despair, he doubts his faith and tries to kill himself.  We often think of the movie just in terms of George’s life, because that is how Clarence shows it.  But as a reflection on Romans, it shows the effect on a community of faith of a life lived in the spirit of Jesus’ teachings (George) versus a life lived in the flesh (Mr. Potter’s greed).

 

How can I summarize this as a reflection for Lent? 

 

First, that a life of faith and living in the spirit of Christ’s teachings is rich and rewarding.  Each of the key characters at some point remarks on how lucky they are to have so many friends.  We nurture the love and support of friends by living with compassion, love and sacrifice for others.

 

Second, that there will be tests of our Christian beliefs in our lives, but if we are firm in our faith, God will see us through them.  Romans tells us that a life in the spirit will save us from condemnation, but not from the trials of life.  Each of the characters went through a trial of their faith. Each was redeemed in the end.  We all undergo trials daily.  Sometimes we falter.  But if we remain faithful to the spirit, we will be O.K.

 

Finally, we should be open to the word of God no matter how it reaches us.  Whether it is through old films, a favorite song lyric, something we read in a novel or newspaper story, or one of Denise’s sermons.   There are many little golden nuggets out there which remind us we are children of God, and He loves us.

 

 

~ Les Kurz