What an epic adventure. Unfortunately I had no idea that it would be broken into THREE SEPARATE MOVIES. Will the other two also be three hours long? Money to be made i guess...
The quote that struck me was the concluding statement of the movie. Bilbo cheerfully states: "Yes, I do believe the worst of our journey is behind us," or something to that effect. Oh yeah, except for the conclusion of the battle with the orcs, some gargantuan spiders, greedy men, and a massive fire-breathing flying lizard.
This got me thinking. What lies before us? Maybe you see happiness and peace, or maybe the future looms precariously heavy upon you as a time of hardships and struggle. Either way, I'm sure both would agree that a pleasant, joyful existence is the ideal path. But what would a joyful path look like?
Children, a house, fulfilling job, laid-back lifestyle all come to mind. But Jesus had another joy set before him:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."It seems as if a joyful path incorporates a cross. We end up back at the cross=joy paradigm. The things we crave most in life require the most from us. Holy children are the result of painful discipline. A content spirit is brought about through constant deprivation and loss. Soul-saving worship services are the result of years of dreaming, months of planning, and a multitude of nights wrestling with God in prayer. The realization of our dreams only occurs once we surrender them to his will, and choose the path of joy: the cross.
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