In 1984, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas collaborated to release the popular movie, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I was ten years old at the time, and I anticipated this movie with every breath in my body. I probably saw it four or five times in the summer of ’84. I enjoyed the action, the grotesque images, and the fact that the good guy wins in the end. What I didn’t realize was that if you pay close attention to the opening scene, you will see a problem or a struggle that affects all of humanity.
The movie begins with the hero, Indiana “Indy” Jones, making a deal with a crime boss in a swanky Shanghai nightclub. The crime boss trades a huge diamond, the size of a 10-year-old’s fist, for a load of cash. But, as with most things concerning Indy, the deal quickly turns sour. The crime boss secretly poisons Indy’s drink, and changes the original agreement. Now he will give Indy the antidote for the poison in exchange for the newly acquired diamond.
At this point in the scene, chaos erupts. There’s a swarm of machine gun fire, fleeing dancing girls, and poor Indiana, dressed in his finest tuxedo, scrambling to save his skin. In the midst of the bedlam, both the diamond and the vial of antidote fall scattered to the floor, constantly out of Indy’s reach.
I have always enjoyed Spielberg’s films. He has a way of getting you to sweat with his heroes and heroines. However, with this scene, I’ll bet he didn’t even know how deeply accurate he was. You see, Indiana Jones represents every man, woman, and child in the world. Everyone has been poisoned, and the poison is lethal. Without the antidote, everyone will die.
The poison I’m talking about is sin. Romans 3:23 tells us, “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This includes you and me. In Romans 6:23, we learn first that “…the wages of sin is death…” This death is not a physical one; it is a spiritual death and an eternal death. In other words, without the antidote for sin, we all will be eternally separated from God. This death is worse than the one that threatened Indy. This death is forever.
But God has done something to save us from this death. He has given us the antidote! The rest of Romans 6:23 reads, “…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God wants you to know that He offers you a free gift of eternal life. You don’t have to trade a big diamond for it, either, because the antidote is Jesus Christ. All you need to do is call upon Him for forgiveness and accept Him as the lord of your life.
What’s the status of your life? Do you realize that you’ve been poisoned by sin? Do you see a need for Jesus in your life, but you’re still distracted by the world’s treasures and threats? Or maybe you have been saved, and your gratitude is low. You’ve forgotten just how much He did for you.
If that’s the case, consider this: the antidote for your helpless state was not some potion or cure-all that God conjured in a heavenly mixing bowl. No, the antidote for your sin was the precious and priceless blood of Jesus. It cost Him more than you could ever repay. Won’t you offer up a word of praise to Him today?
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