In 1880, the author Lew Wallace wrote the novel Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Since the time that he wrote this book, it has been made into five different movie versions: two different silent versions of the film were made in 1907 and 1925; in 1959 the Academy Award winning version of the film with Charlston Heston was made; an animated version of the film was made in 2003; and last week a new version of the film was released in the theatres. At the heart of this story is the way that Christ changed the hatred and resentment that social division had created in the lives of two people who at different times in their lives were either superior or inferior to the other. In the end, the love of Christ brings those who were separated by social status and different circumstances to believe that because of Christ’s love for them, they too ought to love one another.

When a movie has been re-made as many times as Ben Hur, I do not think I have to worry about ruining the story for anyone by telling how it ends. The 2016 version of the movie begins in the house of Judah Ben Hur. He is a rich Jewish prince living in Jerusalem at around 26 A.D., while the city is occupied by the Roman Soldiers. The movie is said to begin at about the time that Jesus is beginning His public ministry, even though this does not correspond with the time given in the Scriptures. Judah Ben Hur has a very close friend who he treats like a brother. This friend is a Roman citizen whom Judah Ben Hur’s family adopted because his father was disgraced during his time of service in the Roman Army. His name is Massala and despite the friendship that exists between Judah Ben Hur and he, Massala is definitely treated as an inferior, because he is a Roman living in a Jewish home and and does not share the royal blood of Prince Judah Ben Hur. Because he is clearly not treated as an equal, Massala decides to return to Rome and make a name for himself serving in the Roman Empire. As he goes off to fight in many wars, he becomes a high ranking Roman soldier and returns to Jerusalem as an officer serving with Pontius Pilate.

As Massala returns to Jerusalem, he asks his friend Judah Ben Hur to help him calm the city and prevent the Jews from rioting as Pontius Pilate enters the city. Because Ben Hur is rich and powerful, it is actually to his advantage to try and keep peace in the city. It is only the poor who are really suffering under the Roman occupation. However, the plot is complicated as his sister takes sympathy on the poor who are revolting against the Romans and helps an injured Zealot by letting him stay in the home of the Ben Hur family. This young Zealot, who is hiding in the Ben Hur home, attempts to assassinate Pontius Pilate as he comes into the city. Because he does so from Judah Ben Hur’s home, Pilate has the entire family arrested and Judah Ben Hur is enslaved in the galley of a Roman slave ship. Massala is the officer who betrays his friend and sells Ben Hur’s entire family into slavery. Judah Ben Hur’s friendship with Massala is turned to pure hatred as his friend refuses to help and defend his family. After losing everything and serving five years as a slave, the ship is sunk and Judah Ben Hur washes up on shore somewhere in the Mediterranean. Through an unlikely chain of events, he becomes a great chariot racer and returns to Jerusalem to challenge Massala to a chariot race. The purpose of the race is that it will allow him to defeat and disgrace Massala and win his freedom back. When he returns to Jerusalem, the status of Massala is completely changed. He is the one in power as Pilate’s number one officer. It is now Judah Ben Hur who is without power and has his life in the hands of Massala. The only reason that Judah Ben Hur has tried to stay alive through all of this is to seek revenge on Massala and kill him.

Of course because it is a Hollywood movie, Judah Ben Hur wins the chariot race and Massala is injured in the race. Although he does not lose his life, Massala does lose his leg in the race and is left a helpless invalid in a society that does not have medical care for those who cannot look after themselves. Once again, the situation is completely changed. At the end of the movie, Massala has become completely powerless and has nothing or any hope of survival without a family to care for him. After his own victory and having gained freedom, Judah Ben Hur is brought by his sister to witness the death of Christ on the cross. Jesus is seen a few times during the movie and speaks words of love and forgiveness. At the time that Judah Ben Hur was being condemned to slavery, Jesus gives him a cup of water. This time as Jesus is being brought to be crucified on the cross, Judah Ben Hur gives Him a cup of water. As Judah Ben Hur witnesses the death of Jesus on the cross, his heart is changed. He realizes that we are all forgiven by Christ’s death and we are all brothers and sisters because of His mercy. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we will all have a seat at the eternal banquet and the only reason we will be there is because we are brothers and sisters in Christ. The movie ends with Judah Ben Hur going to see his crippled friend Massala. Massala thinks that Judah Ben Hur has come either to kill him or to gloat about his victory. As he shows Judah Ben Hur his wounds, the injured Massala asks him who will carry him now that he is injured and has no family to care for him. Beautifully, Judah Ben Hur answers him that he will carry him and care for him because he is his brother. And with this, the point of the movie is made, we are all of us, no matter who we are, brothers and sisters in Christ because of the mercy of God.

The point made in this movie, is very similar to that which is made in today’s Gospel. In this life, we all enjoy different titles, amounts of wealth, health and honour. This can change with time, success and situations. In the end, the only thing that really matters, is that we are brothers and sisters through God’s mercy. Everything that we do and have comes to us from God. Humility calls us to recognize the truth about ourselves. This truth is rooted in the fact that everything that we ultimately have is a gift from God. We might want to deceive ourselves and think that we have earned things on our own merits, but in reality we have only developed the skills and talents that God has given us. For that reason we should never look down on those who do not have what we have. The things we have, we are invited to use to help and assist others.

This is one of the beautiful things that we see each time we come to the Eucharist. At the Eucharist, whether we are rich or poor, famous or unknown, Jesus feeds each of us with the same piece of bread that has become His Body and we drink from the same wine that has become His precious Blood. There are no distinctions. He has become the meal itself, so that we might be made brothers and sisters through His mercy. At the Last Supper, Jesus the Son of God, not only gave us a meal to remember Him; He also made Himself the meal so that we might experience the degree that He would go to to show us His love. By the washing of the feet, our Lord and Master gave us the example as to how we too ought to see in others another brother and sister in Christ. The second reading today speaks about how in the Old Testament the people of Israel were not even allowed to approach the sacred mountain for fear of getting too close to God. Through the New Covenant, we are invited to consume the Body and Blood of Christ, so that He might actually dwell within each of us. As He comes to dwell within us, He shows us how we are to recognize in each other men and women who have been made our brothers and sisters through the mercy of God. This reality should cause us to receive every good thing we have as a blessing from God and cause us never to look down on a brother or sister. It should also cause us to seek to care for them as best as we are able by using the goods we have received from God to do so.

The funeral ritual also provides each of us with beautiful reminder of who we are. At a funeral, the same white garment is used to cover the casket. There is not a different garment for the rich and a different one for the poor. Just one that is used for everyone. It reminds us that we are all sons and daughters of God on pilgrimage to the same eternal banquet. God invites us all, no matter who we are. When we get there, a poor single mother may well find herself seated next to jolly Saint John XXIII. There will be no good or bad seats. Just as we are all fed with the same Body and Blood of Christ at the Eucharist, so too, we will all be seated in the same section of Heaven. There will be no separate dining rooms for the rich and educated. We will all be one, brothers and sisters through Christ’s mercy. Given this truth, Jesus reminds us that humility calls us to start to live this reality today. As Christians, there are to be no distinctions among us, only the love of those made brothers and sister through the mercy of God.

Fr. Michael McGourty
Pastor—St. Peter’s Parish, Toronto