Gladiator with Paul McDonald and Pablo Ceron
Paul McDonald and Pablo Ceron explore the epic movie Gladiator (2000) starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. We compare and contrast Maximus and Commodus as reflections of our own hearts. How can we move from Commodus, who chased love and validation from the crowd, depending on them for his identity? How can we become more like Maximus, who knew who he was, and had a home worth fighting for? We’re going deep.
Join us as we discover God’s truth in this movie.
About Pablo
Pablo was born and raised in Colombia and moved to the U.S. in 2000, where he married his loving wife Juanita. After a long journey through the desert, and into their "promised land", they now live in Colorado with their two wild sons, Mateo (10) and Lucas (5).
Pablo has been a speaker, teacher and leader of men’s ministry initiatives for over 10 years. He's the Founder and President of WILDSONS, a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration of the hearts of God's people.
Website: wildsons.com
Podcast: Wildsons Podcast
Events: Muster
Quotes
Maximus and Commodus both reflect the conditions of our hearts.
Maximus fights from his idea of home. It’s his center. It’s where he comes from and where he is going.
Commodus thinks, “If I have power, they will love me.” Turns to work to fill the void and lack of love and validation from his father.
Throughout the movie, Commodus says, “If I do this, then they will love me.”
Lack of attachment leads to a scarcity mindset, “He loves Maximus, so he must not love me.” There’s not enough for both of us. “If you have more, that means I have less, so I have to fight to get everything I need.”
Our questions and brokenness shape those around us, especially those closest to us like our wives and children. “The failings of the son are really the failings of the father.”
I was building my resume without realizing my impact on the people that I loved.
The man who doesn’t need power is the perfect person to be entrusted with it because he doesn’t need it for himself. He will use the power for the sake of the people because it doesn’t define his identity.
What Commodus wants is his father’s approval, and when he doesn’t get that, he looks everywhere else.
In Commodus we see the voice of a boy crying out to his dad, “Would you please love me?”
There was a war against his heart, and he was a casualty of that war, eventually becoming a part of the war as the evil one.
We are forced into the lowest seat by circumstances outside of our control, and that becomes a test for what kind of man we have become.
Maximus feels like he failed to protect his family, but it’s possible that it rescued him from something far worse.
Maximus would’ve gone to Rome, but that would’ve killed him.
I want to know who I am, because if I know who I am, then I can begin acting accordingly, and God can lead me in the process of initiation to become who I am.
Maximus acts according to his identity.
Maximus turns around, removes his mask, and lets the world deal with the weight of who he is. “This is my true identity, whether you like it or not.”
When we operate out of our true identity in God in bold ways, we’re giving permission to people to do the same.
The harder we try to hold on to things, the more they slip through our grasp.
I don’t have to strive for love and validation, but I live from love and validation. I can bring my strength in love because I have nothing to lose.
The seed planted in my heart is good, and therefore my heart is good, and I can bear good fruit if I go through my journey of restoration and initiation.
Themes
Identity and validation drive a man to become either a great man who brings his strength in love or to become a monster.
Contrast between Maximus and Commodus major element to the story.
Maximus: Soldiers respond to him, not out of fear, but out of love. He cares for his men, reminds them of the larger story they are a part of, recognizes beauty in the battle, fighting from home and from his identity, recognizes the responsibility for the hearts entrusted to him (the primary ones are his wife and his son), seeks the eulogy traits, resists greater power when offered, content, has what he needs, knew his place in the Larger Story, his identity does not come from his title or power, stripped of everything he loves, loses his power from his titles, protector of the people around him, knows his true identity (Protector),
Commodus: Fights for his identity, has no secure sense of home, has not received love and validation from his father, seeks glory from the people, seeks resume traits, chases love and validation from his sister/people, becomes incapable of receiving the love that he desperately seeks, says, “What do I need to do to get what I believe is rightfully mine?,” has a need for power, scarcity mindset, the monster is born with his father’s rejection of him, arrives at Rome as a hero, needs distraction to appease the crowd, gets his name from what others think (wants to be considered merciful), hates the world because it loves Maximus more than him, has been afraid his whole life, believes that winning will gain the applause and love of the crowd that will soothe the ache of his heart.
Home is the center and source of who we are.
When we don’t receive the love and validation we need, it is devastating to our souls. We seek that attachment in other ways that feel like life, but will lead to death.
Commodus couldn’t receive what his father didn’t have. We can’t pass on validation to our children if we don’t have it ourselves.
“I would butcher the world if you would only have loved me.” Commodus voicing his longing for attachment to his father—he would do anything to get it.
In the absence of love and validation from his father, Commodus looks everywhere else to find it—work and women.
When handed the power, Commodus sees the problem as being other people (the Senate) preventing him from doing his work, when in fact they are exposing him for what he is, for not having what it takes. He provides games to the crowd to distract them from his weaknesses, his fears.
Maximus true identity was protector, but he had to respond to failing to protect his family.
There is power in acting according to our identity.
Maximus is not driven by the crowd.
There is a risk in removing our mask, revealing our true identity. When he has been stripped of everything, the thing he can’t be stripped of is his true identity.
Maximus could take control of Rom with his army and give it away because he has taken the journey of initiation and he knows who he is. He doesn’t need the power to fill the void that Commodus has.
Even if he had beaten Maximus, Commodus still would’ve lived with the fear that he wasn’t enough, and the shame that he won unfairly. Shame- “If they know who I really was, they would reject me.”
A good seed produces good fruit.
Our journey takes time. But who we are right now is now who we were at the beginning, and is not who we will be at the end.
Maximus’ goal at the end was keeping Lucius safe. He sacrificed himself for the people he loved.
Resources
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? - Matthew 16:25, 26 (ESV)
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. - Galatians 5:24 (NLT)
Final scene of Gladiator on YouTube
Questions
How would you describe the size and scope of your kingdom, the area where you have power and influence?
How do those in your kingdom (wife, children, friends, people at work) respond to your leadership?
What is the difference between leading from your identity and leading for your identity?
How would you describe home?
What is the difference between resume traits and eulogy traits? What would be on your resume? What would be included in your eulogy? How are they the same? How are they different? Which ones matter more?
What do you receive praise, positive responses to?
Where are you mocked, criticized, receive a negative reaction?
Where do you turn when you’re feeling insecure (food, work, porn, anger, control)? How do you try to soothe your aching heart?
Where do you believe, “If I do this, then they will love me?”
How do you respond when offered higher positions, promotions, increased responsibility? Where is that response coming from?
How do you seek approval? What do you do when you don’t get it?
What answers did you receive to the questions you took to your father: “Do you love me? Are you proud of me? Do I have what it takes? Am I the real deal?”
What messages (from your father, mother, figures you looked up to and admired) have you received that damaged your heart?
In what situations do you feel attacked? How do you respond?
Looking back, how has what appeared as a setback or failure in the moment actually been a rescue? How has it been both/and, both devastation and a rescue?
Who did God think of when He thought of you?
What names have you accepted from the enemy, from the world, from your friends/family?
What makes you afraid? What do you fear happening most?
What do you fear people say about you when you’re not around?
What do you hope they say about you?