Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
There is something in us that likes to assess blame. We like answers. We want conclusion. Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, raised the issue concerning the crucifixion of Jesus. Some who saw the film thought Mel's answer was that the Jews killed Jesus. Thus, the complaint began that the film was anti-semitic. In a sense, the charge is legitimate -- after all, Gibson says that the major source for the script is the gospel accounts themselves, and the truth is that the gospels can also legitimately be charged with being anti-Jewish.
