Holy Fear
Ben-Hur is my favorite movie because it captured my youthful imagination about the life of Jesus. A great film, with outstanding cinematography, it won many awards for good reasons. And of course, being a Christian film, it’s shown every Easter season.
What I like most though, might surprise you. It’s not the chariot race.
It’s that the movie never showed Jesus’ face. The genius was to reveal the reactions of those who met Him face-to-face, from a Roman centurion to Pontius Pilate to Judah Ben-Hur himself.
The centurion’s reaction is telling, as Jesus defies His order to not give the slave Ben-Hur any water. The Roman draws back to strike Christ, then an awful fear comes over his face.
He is terrified then humbled by Jesus and changes his mind.
He isn’t sure whom he’s dealing with. He looks between Judah and Jesus and senses there’s a deeper relationship he’s unable to grasp. What the centurion demonstrates is what we call “holy fear.”
One can fear God in two ways. An unsaved person like the centurion may fear the wrath of God and the subsequent separation/damnation in hell, away from the presence of the Lord forever. Or, one can have a healthy respect, almost a dread if you will, of the unapproachable holy.
If Jesus had instead stood inside the Holy of Holies, the centurion would’ve been slain by stepping past the curtain. As would anyone, other than the acceptable Jewish High Priest. The priest’s garment hem had little pomegranate-shaped bells that tinkled to remind him he walked on holy ground, literally at death’s door if God decided to not accept the sacrifice.
God certainly didn’t need the sound of bells to know His priest approached.
In the movie, the centurion sees no real threat in Jesus, other than defiance of Rome and his order, which he wisely chooses to let pass. Ben-Hur’s reaction is stronger. At first, all he can think of is water, when he falls on the ground and prays to for God help. He’s done for, and ready to die. Unknown to him, the God of Israel stands there and wets his head to revive him. Judah doesn’t know who touches him.
He drinks, then looks in Jesus’s face. Judah also has a “holy fear” reaction, but his is curiosity mixed with reverence. Who is this man of Nazareth? Judah spends the rest of the movie finding out.
His entire outlook is changed. He arrives beaten and dehydrated into dust, then leaves, head held high, constantly looking back at the man who saved him with a cup of water. As we approach this Resurrection season, let us demonstrate the holy fear of Judah Ben Hur and also the real man after God’s own heart – King David.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Do you believe you are a person after God’s heart? If not, what is stopping you?
2. Do you have a healthy fear of God? What does that fear look like? If it is unhealthy, ask God to show you how to have a healthy fear of Him.
3. Are there secret sins you hide from others that you need to confess?
