Man on Fire with Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney
This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we wrap up our unintentional series on the heart of a warrior with Man on Fire starring Denzel Washington. We find that being a professional, doing our job from a sense of duty and obligation will eventually turn us into the villain. Thankfully, love has the power to transform lives and heal broken hearts. Love shows us how to live again. Don’t be a sad bear, but let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.
Quotes
The conflict is between doing something because it’s a job and doing it because of love.
We want to give up much sooner than God wants to give up. And it takes the hand of God to prevent that from happening.
Being a professional, duty and obligation are the pathway to becoming the villain.
Love doesn’t try to profit off of you.
Being an uber tough guy is out of balance and twisted. Children are introduced to bring out the tenderness and nurturing aspect of the warrior.
The nurturing element in the warrior gives purpose and meaning to the warrior. It redefines and redeems who the warrior is.
When I do stuff because I love God, He puts it on his fridge.
Love shows us how to live again.
The heart that empowered, encouraged, trained, listened and taught is the same heart willing to redeem and die for her.
Themes
Creasy is going through a middle age crisis: He’s done a job because he’s good at it, but it left him empty and full of regrets. Doesn’t believe he can be forgiven for the life he’s led. He spent his life in service to an organization, doing something he was really good at, a job he was highly trained to accomplish.
The power of love to transform lives and heal broken hearts. Love gives hope, teaches you the value of all life.
“I’m a professional” vs being motivated by love. Creasy was Pita’s true father: he cheered her on, empowered Pita, trained her to face and rise above her fears, and answered her questions. Her biological father put her in danger, only cared about appearances, tried to profit off of her.
Men need to nurture children. Creasy’s love for Pita gave him back his purpose, she showed him how to live again. The nurturing made him whole.
We are like Pita. We think we need relief—a better job, bigger house, well-behaved kids, curing of a disease. But we need rescue and redemption, freedom from what holds us hostage.
We are called to love those who cannot give back to us.
Resources
“Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.” - Isaiah 49: 14-16 (NLT)
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” - Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34 (NLT)
“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” -Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (NLT)
“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.” - Deuteronomy 11:18-21 (NLT)
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.” -1 John 4:7-20 (NLT)
Questions
What regrets do you have in your past?
Do you believe God will forgive you for your actions?
How has the hand of God shown up in your life?
What are you really good at? What training have you received for what you do? Has it taken you to where you want to be?
Where do you take the approach “I’m a professional,” doing your job, doing what your told, but with no heart behind it?
When was the last time you freely played with your kids? What would it feel like to be nurturing to your children?
How do you associate with Pita? What holds you hostage? Where do you need rescue?
What do you give your life for?