The TARANTINO WAY...or the JESUS WAY?

 

TARANTINO’S SWORD-SONG

Rom. 12:19: “Never take your own revenge, beloved…”

Pastor Terry L. Reese, Valley GBC of Armagh, PA; 2/23/25

 

I enjoy walking along the Conemaugh River through the old Cambria City section of Johnstown, which has a rich ethnic heritage and intriguing architecture. There is, however, one house that always “creeps-me-out.” It has a sign ominously warning potential trespassers that the homeowner is “neo-pagan,” and that “the old gods are less forgiving than the Christian deity.” 

 

This reminds me of Quentin Tarantino, an innovative filmmaker whose movies—saturated with bloodbaths and profanity—are nonetheless masterful examples of narrative storytelling. Contrasted with today’s post-modern, post-Christian Hollywood, Tarantino is sometimes characterized as philosophically PRE-modern and PRE-Christian. Central to his essentially pagan worldview is a seriously explored spiritual ethic of personal VENGEANCE (e.g., Django Unchained, Kill Bill, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, etc.), which demands—in accordance with the inflexible requirements of some universal “divine-principle”—acts of human retaliation whenever a wrong has been committed.

 

Regarding personal vengeance, the Bible speaks of two exemplar men in this regard—Lamech and Jesus.

 

Lamech (Gen. 4:18-24), the 7^th from Cain, composed the first poem to be recorded in the Bible, the grim “Sword Song,” in which he boasts of murdering a young man who injured him. Lamech would be avenged 77 times-over for any wrong!

 

Contrast this mindset with that of the meek and lowly Jesus (1Pet. 2:21-23), who taught us to forgive seventy times seven times, if necessary (Matt. 18:22). We are speaking here, of course, of our inter-personal relationships--not of those just demands that are made upon the ruler of the state in the execution of his Biblical duties (Gen. 9:6, Rom. 13:1-4, 1 Pet. 2:14). 

Beloved, let us meditate upon Romans 12:17-21. We are called to peace, not personal vendettas. We are called to exchange evil for good, and to overcome evil with good. Such powerful and unconventional expressions of goodness on our part may soften the hearts of our adversaries, and even serve to bring about their personal conviction and repentance (Prov. 16:7, Rom. 12:20). Let us therefore sheath the sword (Matt. 26:52) and repay evil with good (1Thess. 5:15)!