The Greatest Warrior
One of my favorite movies is The Last Samurai. I have always been intrigued by the Samurai Warriors. Their job was to serve the Emperor, protect his interests and lay down their own life if necessary for the cause. Now in the movie there is one particular scene where the Samurai are preparing for battle against a well trained well armed army. The movie is made up of several characters but three in particular stand out in this scene. As they are preparing for this battle, one is in the temple praying, one is reflecting on his life and one is practicing the techniques it has taken a lifetime to learn. That begs a question; How do you prepare for battle?
We all have battles to fight. Now maybe your battle isn’t against an actual army. Maybe it is against work or people at work or finances or health or bad habits or motivation. You can fill in your own here. Whatever your battle is how you prepare is important. Do you pray? Do you reflect on your life? Do you rely on the techniques you have learned?
As we have just had the Easter season, where we remember the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I am reminded of how He prepared for battle. His reason for coming down to earth was to serve the higher interests of God to protect the promises God had made and to give His life for that cause. Jesus prepared in the same three ways the characters in the movie prepared. He prayed, He reflected and He relied on His techniques of love, mercy and grace. Here is an interesting thought; when Jesus reflected, which means to look back, He was actually looking back at what would become our future. Since He was from the beginning and will be until the end, He transcended time and space and was able to “for the joy set before Him” endure the cross. He prayed that “this cup might pass from me but not my will, thine be done”. So Jesus was real, He knew the suffering he would have to endure. He allowed His love, mercy and grace to be evident even on the cross. He knew that fighting this battle would forever defeat the enemy of our souls.
In the movie only one of characters lives on to pass along a legacy and fulfill the destiny set before him. In the same way Jesus rose from the dead to carry the legacy of Himself, God and through the power of the Holy Spirit helps us everyday to prepare for our battles. When you remember the sacrifice Jesus made for your sins remember that He was and is the greatest warrior!
Matt's Anthology 