This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.
Last week we looked at Spider-man 2, Philippians 2, and saw how they both apply to Lent. This week will look at Disney’s Wreck-it Ralph.
Ralph wanted something that we all want; Ralph wanted friends, Ralph wanted community. Ralph, the bad guy of the video game Fix-it Felix, Jr, wanted to be a part of the community. He simply wanted to be friends with Felix and the others.
When Ralph crashed an anniversary party, he found out that he would only be invited if he was a hero, if he won a medal. The problem was, there was no way to win a medal in his game. To win a medal, Ralph had to “go Turbo;” that meant he had to leave Fix-it Felix, Jr and enter a different game.
In the world of Wreck-it Ralph, “going Turbo” was a very bad thing.
And now Ralph had a choice to make; would he stay in his game or would he “go Turbo” to try to win a medal?
In the context of this movie, it is easy to see that the characters in Fix-it Felix, Jr are in the wrong. What Ralph wants is a very good thing. We are all made to live in a community.
First, we are made in the image of God and God lives in a community.
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness...” (Genesis 1:26)
Before we were even a thing, God lived in a community. God – in the Trinity – lives in a community. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – the holy three-in-one – live in a perfect community. A perfect mix of unity, equality, and submission.
And we were made in his image. It is good for us to live in a community.
Ralph’s desire – his ambition – was a good ambition. Regardless, Ralph still needed to choose between his desire – community – and something greater. That something greater was Vanellope.
Ralph wanted the medal so he could join the Fix-it Felix, Jr community. After he met Vanellope, he had to choose between his own desire and her’s.
He wanted to take the medal back so that he could join the Fix-it Felix, Jr community.
She wants to enter – and win – a race.
What did Jesus want?
So what did Jesus want? What did Jesus give up? I don’t know, to be honest.
But (Jesus) emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:7-8)
We know that he emptied himself and took the form of a slave. Yea, I don’t know everything that this means, but it sounds to me that he gave up being the master. Jesus gave up being in charge to being a slave.
We also know that he humbled himself. The creator God, the God that created even life, humbled himself to the point of death. The Lord – the God of Israel – humbled himself to the point of death.
Jesus gave up a lot.
What do you want?
So what do you want? What are you in the middle of choosing between?
Spider-man wanted the girl, grades, and a job. All good things.
Ralph wanted friends. Certainly a very good thing.
But both choose something greater.
What is your greater?
This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.
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Simon L Smith