Caleb

Grimes

“You have failed, your highness. I am a Jedi Knight, like my father before me.”

There is no person alive who does not have a weakness for one part of the dark side or the other. Whether it be power politics, spiritual or supernatural power, material wealth, or any number of obsessions from the Christian churches … we all want power of some sort, and many times we fall for the easy power that does not take faith to possess.

The way love wins takes faith. Luke is victorious at the end of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. He marks a triumphant return by the Jedi Knights. He defeats Darth Vader and he throws down his lightsaber. He refuses to take what seems like success and murder Vader. Instead, Luke stubbornly refuses this minor victory in which he likely will end up as the lucrative second in command to the Emperor, which would be no victory at all. Instead he stands up tall to the Emperor, “You have failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” Just as in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Luke gives up his life. Why would Luke do this?

It may seem a random connection, but Luke’s action shows that he has learned a lesson that in our world is exemplified in the parable of the vine and the branches, John 15. This is where God prunes the vines, as in he shapes his creation, and this might mean ending our lives or limiting our successes in order to prune us if we do not work for his glory.

In this passage, Jesus does not necessarily seem concerned with the length or quality of our life. We, on the other hand, tend to be rather concerned about both. We read these verses and we don’t want to be pruned. Our first instinct is to preserve and prolong life, at whatever cost. Jesus is concerned with the fruit of our lives. That is, how much do we love him and each other in whatever time we do have to live. It is good to fear God and his power over us. However, in this passage, I think fearing God is not the main lesson. I think the point here is to focus on living by the Spirit, like using the Force, to be fruitful.

In this moment when Vader is beaten down and the Emperor starts laughing and shows pleasure at Luke’s abilities to harness the Force, the symbol of Vader’s mechanical hand brings Luke back from the edge of rage. He suddenly comprehends that his own mechanical hand represents two very different and powerful forces. Luke’s mechanical hand is the direct result of the nature of the dark side.

In Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Luke confronts a ghostly, dream-world Vader who was also himself. This hand, however, is actual, tangible evidence that he is just like his father, and he connects with the dark side. Second, the action of Luke slicing off his father’s hand reminds Luke that Vader cut off Luke’s hand … instead of taking his life. Vader showed Luke grace, therefore Luke decides to show grace back to his father. In his giving of grace, refusing the anger, fear, and aggression, Luke truly becomes a Jedi Knight.

“Your destiny lies along a different path from mine.”

“Your destiny lies along a different path from mine,” Obi-Wan says to Luke. When the Millennium Falcon is tractor-beamed into the Death Star, Obi-Wan Kenobi senses Darth Vader's presence. He knows, too, that Vader can sense his presence. Knowing that Luke is Vader’s son, Obi-Wan quickly surmises that to protect Luke he must go somewhere alone. He intuits that Vader will be attracted to his presence and that they must, therefore, meet and fight. It is with this knowledge that Obi-Wan understands that his destiny is separate from Luke’s.

What is the right way to see destiny?

God does predestine us all to know him. He also knows most of us won't choose him. We can control our destiny in that we can choose to do good things to help us become better people, and we can choose to do things that help us decline. Of course, what we do every day of our lives effects if we are rich or poor, smart or dumb, wise or foolish.

It is also true, then, that if we get drunk every day, are constantly crass, selfishly obstinate, sexually immoral and refuse to educate ourselves, etc. we are not suddenly going to be healthy, wealthy and wise.

It's like everything we do and everything we are is in a video game where you build up points or powers or skills … but you can build up good ones that help toward good goals or bad ones that help toward bad goals, and there is not a lot of crossover. Then, in the video game of our lives we can only go so far on our own. We are finite just like the character we play on our favorite game.

We need help from the devil if we are going to be really evil. And we need help from God if we are going to be good. Odd thing about this game of ours is that the pursuit of good (righteousness, holiness, etc) is that it kind of works opposite to the direction we might think is forward.

It just does not make sense that if you want to be the greatest you must be the least, but it is true in the myth story of Star Wars™, and this points to the true myth of God coming to us. Maybe this is working out our destiny, but the example of Obi-Wan in relation to destiny is curious, compelling and it strikes a true chord.

Obi-Wan felt the force leading him to a confrontation with Vader and it seems he understood before the fight that he must allow himself to be killed so that the light side of the force could become stronger … however that works.

But there is an element to which Obi-Wan and the way he allowed himself to be killed, then became a spirit able to talk to Luke, was like Christ’s death, his ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit to us. In fact, in early versions of the screenplay, this was Lucas’ intent. (Skywalking, pg. 145, cited in Unlocking the Mystery of the Force by Frank Allnutt.)

"You must do what you feel is right, of course"

Luke – “Alderaan? I'm not going to Alderaan. I’ve got to go home. It’s late, I’m in for it as it is.”

Ben – “I need your help, Luke. I’m getting too old for this sort of thing. She needs your help.”

Luke – “I can’t get involved! I’ve got work to do! It’s not that I like the Empire. I hate it! But there’s nothing I can do about it right now. It’s such a long way from here.”

Ben – “That’s your uncle talking.”

Luke – “My uncle. How am I ever going to explain this?”

Ben – “Learn about the Force, Luke.”

Luke – “Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you're going.”

Ben – “You must do what you feel is right, of course.”

Episode IV: A New Hope

When Luke pilots his X-wing down the trench of the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon is within seconds of launching its planet-destroying blast. Most of the other fighters have already been annihilated and Luke’s best friend has been gunned down, leaving Luke as the only Rebel Alliance pilot remaining in the trench. Darth Vader and two of his special wing men are closing in right behind Luke, the last hope of the Rebels.

What does Luke do at this critical moment? Does he become too distraught over the loss of his childhood friend Biggs to go on? No. Does he lose concentration with three very imposing TIE fighters bearing down on his X-wing, his death an imminent certainty? No.

Instead, he responds to the sound of Ben Kenobi’s voice inside his head.

Ben — “Use the Force, Luke. (Pause) Let go, Luke! (Longer Pause) Luke, trust me.” (Episode IV: A New Hope, George Lucas)

With the future of the universe dramatically hanging on this one moment, Luke turns off his navigational computer and targeting device that would allow him to fire a small proton torpedo into the extremely small, unprotected vent opening that was the Death Star's only weakness. This action is ludicrous, if not for the Force.

Han Solo and Chewbacca, aboard the Millennium Falcon, race in at the last moment before Vader pushes a trigger to kill Luke and fire a blast that sends Vader’s spacecraft spinning wildly off into deep space. Luke then is able to focus his energy on targeting the exhaust port manually, his eyes and hands guided by the Force. He hits the impossible target at the very last moment possible, and streaks away to escape the devastating blast as the Death Star explodes.

This is the single best demonstration of how to practice faith that I have ever seen.

Here's the interpretation: you are willing to do the work God draws you to do. Life’s distractions come at you fast and furious. The devil will do anything to distract you. You use all the technology that man is able to muster, all the knowledge, all the skills, and all the abilities. You use all the assets that are available to you, and still it is not enough. No matter how much technology we ever have, no matter how much we ever train or learn, we come to moments when we understand that a task is impossible. What must be done we cannot accomplished on our own. We ask for help from a higher power whom we hope is out there to somehow come to our aid in this moment of crisis.

Finally, we win, or reach the goal, or do the impossible. There is a great mystery in our doing great works, both large and small. What connects our “as best we can do” ends with the beginning of success is God. The work takes faith. The practice of faith is the reason why the journey is as important as the destination.

For example, our knowing God is a work that ironically we cannot do on our own. Neither science nor theology will ever prove the existence of God. It is good for science to continue. It is good for theology to continue. In fighting the first Death Star, it is better for Luke to use an X-wing fighter than a bicycle. The more scientific knowledge we obtain, then the more we know about the universe. The further we go in our study of God and what he says about himself and the more we observe him at work in our world, the more we know about God.

Qui-Gon advises Anakin before the pod race to “concentrate on the moment” and to “feel, don’t think.” He also tells the boy to “use your instincts.”

And some people say that not much Jedi information comes out in these prequels! Sure, we have heard this kind of thing before; with three movies down we had better have heard about them! Still, it is nice to have a fresh take on these concepts.

When it is your turn at bat, you take all that you know about hitting a ball and hope that your body and mind retain the memory of all of the practice because at that moment you are no longer thinking, you are now acting. This is how it is with performance. Anakin is about to perform in the pod race; his goal, of course, is to be faster than anyone else.

As with any goal we might undertake, the advice is the same: Learn. Study. Gain as many tools as are available to you first. Anakin had raced before, he knows about racing, and he is building his own pod racer … so he is fully familiar with the technical aspects of his specific racer and the strategic aspects of pod racing.

When it comes time to race, you take all these things and they become part of your subconscious. You act out of faith that it will all come together.

In an event, knowledge becomes experience. In that moment, it is unwise to say to yourself, “Well, I learned this from this, so if I just … .” Actions are much more immediate than that, and being in the middle of a race or a fight is not the time to begin to analyze.

Instead, you do what Qui-Gon advises Anakin to do, to “concentrate on the moment.” Do the very next thing that needs to be done, whatever that might be. This is where instinct comes in. You may have a lot of book smarts about racing, but good instincts are what proves your performance.

“You have failed, your highness. I am a Jedi Knight, like my father before me.”

There is no person alive who does not have a weakness for one part of the dark side or the other. Whether it be power politics, spiritual or supernatural power, material wealth, or any number of obsessions from the Christian churches … we all want power of some sort. Many times we fall for the easy power that does not take faith to possess.

The way love wins takes faith.

Luke is victorious at the end of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. He marks a triumphant return by the Jedi Knights. He defeats Darth Vader and he throws down his lightsaber. He refuses to take what seems like success and murder Vader. Instead, Luke stubbornly refuses this minor victory in which he likely will end up as the lucrative second in command to the Emperor -- this would be no victory at all.

Instead he stands up tall to the Emperor, “You have failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” Just as in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Luke gives up his life. Why would Luke do this?

It may seem a random connection, but Luke’s action shows that he has learned a lesson that in our world is exemplified in the parable of the vine and the branches (John 15). This is where God prunes the vines, as He shapes his creation. This might mean ending our lives or limiting our successes in order to prune us if we do not work for his glory.

In this passage, Jesus does not necessarily seem concerned with the length or quality of our life. We, on the other hand, tend to be rather concerned about both. We read these verses and we don’t want to be pruned. Our first instinct is to preserve and prolong life, at whatever cost.

Jesus is concerned with the fruit of our lives. That is, how much do we love him and each other in whatever time we do have to live. It is good to fear God and his power over us. However, in this passage, I think fearing God is not the main lesson. I think the point here is to focus on living by the Spirit, like using the Force, to be fruitful.

In this moment when Vader is beaten down and the Emperor starts laughing, showing pleasure at Luke’s abilities to harness the Force, the symbol of Vader’s mechanical hand brings Luke back from the edge of rage. He suddenly comprehends that his own mechanical hand represents two very different and powerful forces. Luke’s mechanical hand is the direct result of the nature of the dark side.

In Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Luke confronts a ghostly, dream-world Vader who was also himself. This hand, however, is actual, tangible evidence that he is just like his father, and he connects with the dark side.

Second, the action of Luke slicing off his father’s hand reminds Luke that Vader cut off Luke’s hand … instead of taking his life. Vader showed Luke grace, therefore Luke decides to show grace back to his father. In his giving of grace, refusing the anger, fear, and aggression, Luke truly becomes a Jedi Knight.

Ben Kenobi is so awesome.

Here is how he reacts to being guided into action by the Force: He ponders Princess Leia's hologram message, turns to Luke and says, “You must learn the ways of the Force if you're to come with me to Alderaan.”

Ha! The fact that Luke is present with him in his abode after all the years does not seem to surprise Ben Kenobi, and that Luke will go with him to Alderaan is a foregone conclusion! His immediate thought seems to be, “The time to train you has arrived, of course.” Ben's wisdom in recognizing the moving of the Force and the way in which he selflessly responds is a wonderful example of time being nothing and everything to a Jedi.

Ben and Yoda have each had years of isolation prior to the start of Luke’s training. The pace of life, whether fast or painfully slow, does not seem to be an issue. A Jedi is centered in a different sense of the passage of time.

When a Jedi asks, “What time is it?” he does not mean the hour of the clock. Instead, the question is, “has the fullness of time come for a certain thing to happen?” It is a good practice for us to ask, “What time is it?” in a similar quest for wisdom. The result is that we are able to start living according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We do not spend time with someone until the clock says it is time for us to go, but rather we spend the necessary time with every person that we need to spend. Within this context, love, communication, and relationships are more important than getting to the next place we are going in life. We focus instead on what it is we are to give to this person, or say to this person, or be to this person, and what they are to give or say or be to us.

This is a major way that God leads us and works in us. If we go strictly by the clock—think following the letter of the law—it is possible to miss what God is trying to say to us and do in us and be in us. Relationships with others are just one application. The Jedi seem to do all things with this view of time. Living in this way is to discover the purpose of time.

Throughout the Bible we read about the idea of a fullness of time.

The time came when the world was so wicked that God had to flood it out, and the time came for the Israelites to take the land that was promised them. Jesus came to us in the fullness of time for him to come, and he is coming back in the fullness of time. The time for something to happen is not bound by a clock.

Perhaps one of the reasons why God tells us we won’t know when Jesus will come back is that the fullness of time does not work like a clock, so the concept of when is more fluid than a simple counting of seconds. Therefore, the answer to when Christ is coming back is not a matter of counting time, but rather counting the fullness of God’s prophesies and the work that we are to do as his people. We are involved in the making and the determining of this kind of time.

Ben recognizes the fullness of time has come for Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi, and for himself to come out of exile. This, then, is a true metaphor for how God works in us.

Ecclesiastes, in the third chapter, teaches that there is a season for everything in order to show us that, paradoxically, there is order to life along with the meaninglessness. Then, Ecclesiastes, chapter 8, states that the wise man knows the proper time and procedure for every matter, just as Obi-Wan senses in his own situation.

When we ask ourselves “What time is it?” part of the wisdom in knowing the answer is having a selfless motivation. Ben has this, then seems to ask himself, “What is the next thing that needs to be done?”

In this way, Ben listens to the Force, and what he does or does not do is based on this concept of time.