15 April 2016
Friday of the Third Week of Easter
Risen is a 2016 biblical drama movie that takes the point of view of Clavius, a skeptical Roman commander serving under the rule of Pontius Pilate. In Risen, Pilate assigns Clavius to make sure that Jesus was really dead on the cross, and, indeed, he witnessed the death of Jesus. After the resurrection, Pilate asks Clavius to investigate the disappearance of Jesus’ corpse. Failing to find the body, Clavius unexpectedly finds the risen Jesus with his disciples. The encounter with the Risen Christ immediately transforms the life of an unbelieving, pagan, Roman, and powerful military man to someone who follows Jesus and his disciples.
You may be shaking your head at this point, asking yourself, “Why another Jesus movie?” The fictional story of Clavius is like the story of St. Paul who encounters the Risen Christ and hears a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Jesus also speaks clearly, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Can you imagine having an experience of meeting Jesus in person? What kind of a radical change could you imagine yourself making after meeting Jesus? We may not have an experience like Clavius or St. Paul who met Jesus so directly. Do you need see the light like St. Paul? What grace do you need to see Jesus more clearly in your everyday experiences?