Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" is very powerful! For some critics, it was exaggerated a bit, in terms of the violence exposed in the images of the lashes, the crown of thorns, the blood and the face of suffering of a dying and impotent Jesus, facing what was still waiting for him .. The cross! or what is the same, death! "It did not take that much morbid ..." some people thought. "Hollywood makes this kind of movies, because blood and violence always sell!" Others thought; And there was no lack of who, apparently, more sensibly, supported the filmic material, because "Surely this reflects with greater fidelity, the moment that Jesus lived in his agony" In short, each with his opinion on the matter.
Source
When I saw this film, like most viewers, I could not contain my tears. In addition to the scenes of Jesus, being tortured terribly as I mentioned before; and to see a mother suffer, as she witnessed in horror, the cruelty that was unleashed upon her innocent son ... and (she was not even justified if she were guilty!), she tears one's heart. Jesus was an exemplary son, from every point of view. His only sin was to walk the dusty streets, from north to south and from east to west, healing, liberating, forgiving and changing lives, as he did with the Gadarene. That man appeared before Jesus, naked, dirty and bound with heavy chains and his feet fastened with shackles. When he left his blessed presence, he made him clean, clothed and in his full judgment ... Healthy and free for the glory of the Father!
What I did not know at the time of seeing the film, and perhaps many still do not know it, is that the true agony of Jesus, the "Passion of Christ", did not start there with lashes. The word "Agony" comes from the Greek, and means: "Extreme pain" At what moment, Jesus began to agonize? ... When He began to feel that extreme pain in his body and in his soul? I think it was, from the same moment, that he knew the true purpose of his life. I believe that his agony began when he understood that: Before dying for humanity, it was his own humanity that should die in him! To die to his "I"! ... to the temptation to resist the goal for which he came to Earth. His agony reached a critical point, when he prayed in Gethsemane "And being in agony, he prayed more intensely; and it was his sweat, like great drops of blood that fell to the ground "(Luke 22:44) He was dying there, while he was struggling on his knees. He was fighting against his humanity! ... (Hebrews 12: 4)
He was agonizing when, in an attempt to save himself from the bitter drink, he exclaimed: "Father, if you want, this cup passes from me; but not my will be done, but yours. "(Luke 22:42) Sometimes I believe that, we take the Passion of Christ, in a very superficial way. We are more "soul-searching" than spiritual. We feel pain and even cry for Him when, once a year and coinciding with Holy Week, we see films that touch the most intimate fibers of our hearts. We should be less "sentimental" and understand that his real agony began when he understood that to live, it was necessary for him to die! And even more, go through a horrible and extremely humiliating death, to give life to you and me. Hopefully we can have our own Gethsemane, fighting there on the knees, until the will of the Father can prevail over ours. May pain, sadness and loneliness lead us to pray, so as not to enter into temptation! Let us not try to escape, sleeping, as did the disciples who accompanied him in Gethsemane (Luke 22:46) Surely, this will also be for us, a painful process in the extreme; A true agony! but let's do like Him ... let's pray more intensely!
If we feel our forces abandon us, then trust! Because, certainly, an angel will appear to strengthen us as he did with Jesus! (Luke 22:43).