JUDAS: Who Do You Say I Am?

BreakPoint with Charles Colson ^ | 5 Mar 04 | Charles Colson

[Mr. Silverback]

On Monday, March 8, ABC will air the latest in a long line of movies about Jesus. What makes this one different is its point of view; it tells the story of Jesus' life and death from the perspective of the man who betrayed him, Judas Iscariot.

While this might sound like a recipe for deconstruction and other religious vandalism, it's not.

The film, titled JUDAS, is the product of a collaboration between Paulist Productions and writer/producer Tom Fontana who won multiple Emmys for shows like HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS and OZ. According to Father Frank Desiderio, the president of Paulist Productions, their goal was to find a new way to tell the story of Jesus while remaining faithful to the Gospel accounts.

The "new way" looks at Jesus from Judas's point of view. Since the Gospels tell us very little about Judas -- only that he was a thief and Jesus' betrayer -- Fontana exercised creative license while remaining true to the biblical Jesus.

As in previous depictions, the Judas of this film is a zealot, a member of the Jewish party that sought to free Judea of Roman control. When Judas first hears Jesus, he believes that Jesus is the Messiah who will set his people free.

Of course, that's just who Jesus was, but not in the sense that Judas thought. Judas's misapprehension is the vehicle by which the audience is invited to answer the film's central question, a question about Jesus: "Who do you say I am?"

As Father Desiderio points out, all of us, including the other disciples, have been mistaken about who Jesus is at one time or another. Like Judas, we attempt to make Jesus conform to our expectations rather than believe His teaching about who He is.

The Judas of the film is so busy trying to push Jesus in the direction he believes Jesus ought to go that he doesn't hear, much less understand, what Jesus is saying. When Jesus looks out on the crowds and has compassion on them, Judas looks out and sees the core of an army.

As Jesus' hour approaches, Judas wants nothing to do with Jesus' words about impending death. As his expectations are frustrated, he loses faith and eventually betrays Jesus.

The question "Who do you say I am?" is still with us. Some of the criticism of Mel Gibson's wonderful film THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST was that it misrepresented Jesus. Critics still want Jesus, you see, to be a sage or an ethical teacher or a political organizer, not the suffering servant the films depict.

ABC is giving viewers the chance to hear what Jesus actually said about who He is and why He had to die. Whether or not they get more chances largely depends on the film's ratings. Father Desiderio and other Christians are ready to provide the networks with content, if the ratings hold up.

It's up to Christians, who rightly complain about the state of American television, to prove to Hollywood that there's a market for films that are born out of a desire to be faithful to Scripture, rather than the desire to twist and distort.

[stands2reason]

What's the cite on those verses?

[cyncooper]

Ping to this article about your movie.

[cyncooper]

Reminds me on an old Talyor Cardwell book.

I just started re-reading my copy of "I, Judas", by Taylor Caldwell. I hadn't read it in years and I am enjoying it.

I'd forgotten her association Jess Stearn in the 70s, however, and I think he influenced some of her references to astrology and reincarnation in the book. She was very conservative and very Catholic.

[cyncooper]

FYI, freeper "karnage" is the director of "Judas" and I pinged him to this article.

[SkyPilot]

I want to see ABC's Dianne Sawyer, or for that matter, NBC's Katie Couric, interview God:

"So Jesus, do you REALLY think that by dying on that cross and being torutured you proved ANYTHING?

[Eala]

As the one who posted the negative review of this, I would love to hear from karnage -- whether publicly or privately. Right now, I have no intention either to watch or record this, but I might be persuadable... *\:-)

[I still care]

Its from John 12. Specifically, verse 6.

People are always trying to explain away Judas's treachery. But from these verses, he didn't care about the poor, and he was stealing from his friends. Plus he betrayed Jesus with a kiss, for money. So he seems like a pretty crummy guy.

[cyncooper]

Well, I anticipated the movie, then read a thread a couple days ago that turned me and others off (I think it's posted here...) and that's when karnage turned up and explained his pov. I then decided as a courtesy to his stepping forward and being a Freeper I'd watch.

If you search his name you'll be able to find his posts, if he doesn't appear on this thread.

[karnage]

Here I am. The "lost my temper" line is the one I'd love to "do over." Otherwise, I stand behind the film and look forward to the comments of all Freepers once they've seen it.

[karnage]

I Freep, therefore I am.

[karnage]

Thanks!

[redgolum]

My mom loved her books, and I have read a good number of them. Pillar of Iron sparked my interest in the Roman world way back in 7th grade.

Some of her stuff kind of worried me. There were some references to astrology and reincarnation that were hard to swallow, but over all I have really enjoyed her books.

Is she still alive?

[VOA]

Father Frank Desiderio, the president of Paulist Productions, did a lengthy
radio interview today with Frank Pastore on KKLA 99.5FM here in Los Angeles.

Just speaking for myself, if possible, I'll watch the show to see which of the
reviews (if any) pegged the show.

I think Fr. Desiderio is booked to appear again on Pastore's show on Thursday
(or Wednesday?) to do a post-presentation debriefing.
Interested parties can listen in to Pastore's show 4-7PM (Pac Time) on 99.5FM in
the Los Angeles area or over the net at www.kkla.com.

Pastore has been doing, on average, about one-half to a full hour of his show
on "The Passion" this week and last week. He's done a good job of elucidating details
and interviewing guests relevant to "The Passion".

[cyncooper]

She died in 1985, I believe. I, too, read lots of her stuff out of my mother's library starting when I was in H.S., and I still have many of her books on my own shelves.

[stands2reason]

Izzat you?

[right way right]

Perhaps we will get the resurrection of Christ and then the account of Judas' death as it occured in the book ACTS.

[Eala]

Thanks! Good luck.

[Elsie]

Jesus was sinless, He never "lost His temper" for Pete's sake!

 

Oh??

 

Matthew 21:12
 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.

 

Mark 3:4-5
 4.  Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
 5.  He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

 

Mark 11:15-16
 15.  On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,
 16.  and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.

 

John 2:13-17
1 3.  When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
 14.  In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
 15.  So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
 16.  To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
 17.  His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

 

Ephesians 4:26-27
 26.  "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
 27.  and do not give the devil a foothold.

 

Hebrews 3:7-11

 7.  So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, 
 8.  do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,
 9.  where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.
 10.  That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, `Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.'
 11.  So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.'"

 

Hebrews 4:3
  Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.'" And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.

[karnage]

I'm the director of JUDAS; Fr. Frank is the executive producer.

[stands2reason]

Sorry I couldn't remember your screenname. I'm good with faces but it doesn't help much here. :-)