The Nativity Story

New Line Cinema
2006

Those of you who know me well also know that I do not like films that depict Jesus Christ, mainly because I do not think films do justice to that which the Scripture reveals to us but also because I get an uncomfortable feeling that I am walking on the line and coming close to a violation of the Second commandment. The movie that most arouses my ire, of course, is “The Passion of the Christ,” that Mel Gibson production that was more an ode to Catholic traditions than to the Word. About the only redeeming thing that movie holds (in my humble opinion) is the bloody depictions of the whippings and the crucifixion…but as I’ve written in another post, the Word of God alone should be sufficient to strike our hearts with love and awe at what Jesus did for us on the cross. And yet, I do not judge my brothers and sisters for watching the film. I will never watch it, and my sons will have to wait until they leave the family home if they wish to see it, but to each his or her own! I do, however, reserve the right to have my own opinion as well!

Anyhow, back to the subject at hand…and another disclaimer! There is a movie that came out in 2003 called “The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John” which from all reports is supposed to be a great Protestant representation, by which I mean faithful to Scripture. I will probably never watch it due to my own personal biases, but if someone MUST watch a mere man portray our Lord, then at least I can say that they should watch that one rather than the one approved by the Vatican.

About a month ago I watched “The Nativity Story.” Mainly because my sons had watched it with some dear friends of ours and I wanted to see whether I should address any misleading aspects of the film. I watched the movie on my computer with my Bible in front of me and my notebook ready! Anyhow, I must confess that I was impressed by it and while I cannot go so far as to say everyone should watch it, I thought it was well done. Obviously there was much speculation in the movie, for the actual narrative in the Word does not a two hour movie make! The speculation, however, was extra-biblical though certainly not UN-biblical. We all speculate on matters where the Bible remains silent…like wondering how Mary felt carrying our Lord in her womb…or what Joseph might have thought as he beheld his wife and her baby. Nothing wrong with that. But how does this movie do as far as Scriptural accuracy and proper portrayal of the main characters?

The movie does a good job of positively portraying the biblical characters and as I’ve already mentioned it gives us a peek into what Mary and Joseph MIGHT have thought as they went through all of the experiences they did.

What kind of people were they?

There is a scene, during the annunciation, when Mary kneels to the angel Gabriel…and she is not rebuked by him. She is not told not to kneel before a messenger nor is she told to never bend the knee to him again. However, her kneeling does NOT necessarily imply worship. Kneeling before a king, for example, does not imply worship so much as acknowledgment of power. In any case, I was bothered by this scene but cannot say for sure that the film makers intended to show Mary worshipping an angel.

In another scene, Mary is traveling to visit Elizabeth and along the way some men are seen running as they attempt to escape from the soldiers of Herod. The men are aided by other Jews who block the path to prevent the Herodian troops from catching the runners. The crowds shout out their trust that Messiah will come to deliver them from such oppression…I thought this scene did a good job of demonstrating exactly what it was the Jews of that age were expecting; a conquering, temporal, political redeemer rather than the Savior that was in their midst (within the womb of Mary).

A few other powerful scenes in the film include:
When Zechariah is struck dumb in the holy of holies
When Mary’s family finds out she is pregnant

There is also a scene where Joseph and Mary are sitting around talking…wondering what it will be like to be parents to the Son of God. Joseph wonders whether he will ever be able to teach anything to the child and Mary wonders at what point they will know that He knows that He is the Son of God…as I watched this scene I could well imagine them having had such a conversation in real life…for how could they not!

The worst scene for me, and it only lasted for a few seconds so even now I don’t know exactly what I saw…but it was when Joseph and Mary make their way into a city. This woman takes Mary by the hand and appears to read her future. As I said, the scene lasts seconds and from Mary’s puzzled look it is clear she herself doesn’t submit in any sense to what might have been a palm reading, but I found the scene totally unnecessary and I’m sorry that it was included. Without being able to read the script I cannot say what the director’s intention was with this scene but, again, it lasted all of 3 seconds so the reader must determine for him/herself whether to watch or not watch the film. I would not dare say to someone “don’t” because I myself am not sure what happened in that scene, and as I’ve said, the scene is pretty clear that Mary in no way sought nor approved of what the woman did to her.

This being December and with all of us preparing to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, I know many will turn to this movie. All I want to say is that I exhort every one of you, if you choose to watch the film, that afterwards you go to the Gospels and read them. Even though it was almost midnight when I finished watching the film, I stayed up an extra hour ‘cause I couldn’t stop reading! May the Lord bless each and every one of you and may you have a wonderful Christmas Day!