Violent Night with Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney
Coming up on the Men at the Movies podcast, we kick off our Christmas season with Violent Night. Like Santa, we feel burned out, unnecessary, valued for what we provide more than who we are. The only way to fix it is to get involved in messy, costly situations, pulling a past we’d like to forget into the present to engage where our presence is most needed. It won’t be easy, it will get ugly, but it’s the only way to get our purpose back. Let’s find our ho, ho, ho’s, and discover God’s truth in this movie.
Quotes
This movie is a mix of Home Alone, Die Hard, and John Wick.
The Christian life is not without conflict or correction, but how will we receive it?
What made the difference between David and Saul is how they received correction.
God takes us away from the lie we’ve been living to receive the truth.
Who you are is not as important as what you do—a lie the world tries to tell you.
He gets caught in a crisis, and no one wants to be in a crisis…except for God.
Santa Claus has a calling but he’s forgotten his why.
Everyone suffers when we don’t get involved.
Part of our restoration of ourselves is the integration of the whole, which includes the past with the present.
When we get personally involved in rescuing others, we remember what we were rescued from.
We need those things we struggle with, not just to keep us humble, but to keep us going back to him.
God can take everything I accumulated in pursuit of myself, and as He integrates me fully, He can use it again because I’m not tied to it.
Jesus came down as a person because people need to see an example of what it looks like to live heaven on earth.
Themes
When you know what you are, be that: This movie pays homage to those prior movies, and does it well without apologizing for it.
God doesn’t expect me to be perfect, but to accept correction
David vs Saul
Saul tried to kill Samuel when he confronted him.
David responds with contrition when confronted by Nathan.
We relate to Santa Claus in the movie
Burned out by the world.
He’s forgotten his “why,” his purpose
The world tells us, “Who you are is not as important as what you can do.” And what we do is never enough—the world is always greedy for more.
It takes a crisis to get us involved, to remember our purpose.
When you find yourself in a situation you want to run from, ask yourself, “What would a brave person do? What would a loving person do?” And do that.
There is a consequence when we don’t get involved.
We are called to get involved because that’s what Jesus did.
His past is necessary to provide freedom in the present
Even as we engage in our reintegration, we will face resistance
The ones who we ministered to will help us in our times of need.
Resources
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
“If God doesn’t build the house,
the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn’t guard the city,
the night watchman might as well nap.
It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,
and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don’t you know he enjoys
giving rest to those he loves?” - Psalm 127: 1-2 (MSG)“When they found him back across the sea, they said, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered, “You’ve come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs—and for free. “Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last.” - John 6:25-27 (MSG)
“There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’ What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?”
“The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded.
Jesus said, “Go and do the same.” - Luke 10: 30-37 (MSG)
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” - Matthew 25: 31-46 (NLT)
“Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave can’t come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.” - John 8: 34-35 (MSG)
“It is not our talents or abilities that make us useful to God, but our willingness to be used by Him.” - Watchman Nee
“And doubtless I even count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”- Philippians 3:8 (JUB)
Questions
What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Why do you love that one?
How have you received correction in the past?
Where are you driven to produce?
How do you provide value for work? Your family? The world?
What is the difference between presence and production?
When have you been caught up in something you don’t want to be involved in?
When have you walked away and it cost something?
More info
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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster
Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston
Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).
Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock.
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