Something for the weekend. One of the most powerful depictions of Christ on film from the movie Ben Hur (1959). A wonderful melding of music and dialogue as Christ goes silently to the aid of Ben Hur and gives him water. The wordless encounter between Christ and the Centurion was amazing, as the Centurion’s face registers bewilderment, shame and curiosity as he has a totally unexpected encounter with the Divine. Whatever the actor who played the Centurion was earning that day, it wasn’t nearly enough.
Jesus The Water of Life
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 41 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Very moving clip.
The centurion telling Jesus; “No water for him”…and the look, the double take. Very moving.
“God help me.” Amen.
Wonderful. I’ve never seen that movie – that scene blessed me. Movies are such a powerful way to teach- and D. McClarey seems to be able to find the best stuff.
“WHO” is the only designation to be assigned to the sovereign person. Otherwise, all human rights and immortality are denied, since the immortal human soul is denied. Use of “which” or “that” as designation of the sovereign person is the denial of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. (John 4: 28, 29)
Ben-Hur may well be the greatest movie of its genre, the gorgeous, cinematic movies set around the background of the Roman Empire, that no one seems able to make anymore.
The other encounter between Jesus and Judah Ben Hur that I’ve always found moving is when they’re looking at each other across the valley as the crowd gathers for the Sermon on the Mount. The camera starts behind Ben Hur looking across the valley at Jesus on top of the hill, then, as he starts to walk away, the camera cuts to behind the head of Jesus, Who follows Ben Hur as he walks across the screen. And you just know the He knows what’s in Ben Hur’s heart at that moment.
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One of my all time absolute favorite movies. Not even Gore Vidal could ruin it for me.
The author of the book “Ben Hur”, Gen. Lew Wallace, was an avowed atheist whose original intent in going to the Holy Land and investigating was to prove that Jesus was a fraud. He instead discovered the Risen Christ, a division surrendered to Him.
Charlton Heston was a great actor and a good man, His performance in that scene is unforgettable and the depiction of Christ wonderfully reminds us He is always there when we need Him, ever there at our side, at our right and left before us behind us, ever all around us.
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