The Star Wars Sagas
I have a confession to make. I am not a Star Wars fan.
I was in college when the first Star Wars movie premiered, the one where we first met Luke Skywalker, Princess Leah, Chewbacca, and Han Solo. To give the younger readers an idea of how long ago that was, neither the DVD nor video cassettes had been invented. Fans who wanted to see the movie again had to buy another theater ticket. Hardcore Star Wars buffs shelled out their money at the theaters twenty or more times to watch it.
A Little too Cliché?
I went to see the first movie twice (my brother paid for my ticket the second time), but to me, the story line felt like a string of clichés. George Lucas, the creator of the series, said that he and his writers had scoured all the dramatic battle scenes and adapted them to the movie. It showed.
But there was one moment when the story grabbed me in the gut. It came after the Death Star was destroyed, and the galaxy was freed from its threat. Princess Leah was restored to her office, the time had come to honor the heroes.
In one of the final scenes of the movie, the Federation staged a planet-wide ceremony to honor them. Luke, Han, and Chewbacca stood front and center. As thousands upon thousands of people cheered them for their heroism, Princess Leah, now the highest-ranking person in the galaxy, personally awarded them for their gallantry.
The picture follows the classic tale of the hero’s journey. Ordinary people are called to embark on an extraordinary adventure. They must make great sacrifices to achieve their goal, but when they succeed, they bring great gain for their people and great honor for themselves.
The Desire for Glory
The Star Wars scene depicts the hero’s recognition. It awakened an ache in my soul, and the desire has never gone away. Someday I want a reception like that.
What must a celebration of that magnitude feel like? More importantly, what must it be like to be able to accomplish something so great as to merit that degree of honor?
Our Hero’s Journey
In truth, we are created for such an honor. The Apostle Paul hints at this glory in Romans 8. Here is what he writes concerning our present relationship with our God:
Romans 8:14-17 (ESV)
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
In these verses, Paul views our position with God from two angles. The first involves our standing. The truth is in force now, but we will have to wait to see it when we stand before the Lord in eternity.
- In verse 14, if we are led by the Spirit of God—and we are if we have the Spirit of God in us—then we are the sons of God. The word for sons means adult sons and daughters. We stand fully accepted before our heavenly Father. Think of a corporation in which a son or daughter is brought in as a as co-executive with the father. They possess the same standing as their father. This is our standing with our heavenly Father.
- Verse 15 develops this idea further. We do not live under fear, but under full acceptance. The term Abba is a familiar term fore “father.” Sons and daughters have the right to use this term.
The other half of the truth occurs in verses 16-17. Now we see the Holy Spirit in ministry with the Father as he bears witness that we are the children of God. The word children signifies little children. Even as children, we are God’s heirs with Christ.
In the second half of verse 17, Paul brings a potentially confusing phrase. “…provided we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him.” Does this mean that we must undergo an elitist ritual of suffering before we can share his glory?
I do not think so. In the original language, the word translated provided is written as an intensified word. I believe that rather than being a conditional term, it causal—“because we suffer with him…”
In simple terms, Paul tells us that everyone who belongs to Christ shares in his hero’s journey.
Paul concludes the thought in verse 18. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
Sharing in the Glory
Our walk with Christ covers everything we experience, not just “spiritual” suffering. Because we suffer the same sufferings that Christ suffered, we will be glorified with the same glory that he is to receive.
One day the Crown Prince of the Universe personally will reward us for the suffering we endured in our calling. Of course, Jesus is ultimately the one who is glorified, we share fully in his glory. Every saint in heaven will be glorified, and their reception will make the victory scene in Star Wars look like Saturday morning cartoons. Our eternal hurrahs will never end.