Quick Movie Review of 'Zootopia'

Last week I was invited to go watch a movie at the theater. I was not interested in watching any of the movies that were currently playing but I was invited to watch Disney's new movie called "Zootopia". I watched the movie because I wanted to spend some quality time with my friend.

The movie is about the advanced animal kingdom that has evolved into a world that is past the savagery of predatory animals slaughtering prey. The plot was fun. A small bunny overcomes the odds of becoming a cop and then lands the case of her career. The message of the movie seemed to positive: you can be anything you set your mind to.

However, I wanted to write a quick blurb about the movie to serve as a quick call for wisdom to parents of children. While the message seems to be good, it was carried too far. Animals were encouraged to be anything they wanted to be...even if meant denying their biology or DNA. The broad example of the message going too far was that the predatory animals were able to deny their biological urges and deny their savage practice of eating prey. Another short example of this was a scene in which a youthful fox desired to grow up to be an elephant. The father said that he needed to encourage his child's dreams.

This may seem harmless at first, but fictional stories teach a worldview. The harm comes in teaching our children that it is okay to deny his/her biology in order to achieve his/her dreams. We are already seeing this happen in many of our public realms. Many children are wanting to self-identify as a gender that is contrary to their biological gender. In a very subtle manner, the movie is advocating such sexual trends seen and popularized in media.

I am not accusing Disney of trying to educate our youth. Every person has a belief system and the belief system of the writer found its way into the script of the movie.

As a pastor, I would advise against watching the movie. It may have some funny moments but the message that is intended to be positive is carried too far; to the point that it is contrary to the Christian faith. Psalm 139:13–16 makes it clear that God took an part in forming us in our mother's womb. To say that our biological gender is wrong, is to deny that God's work is good. As parents, on this topic of transgenderism, we need to teach our children that God's work is always good because of His all-encompassing wisdom and that He has designed us intentionally as He best saw fit.

Luke 4:38–44 | Jesus Rebukes Infirmities, Scenes 2 & 3

We will be finishing a story that started back in 4:31. As a reminder, the narrative (4:31–44) is comprised of three scenes, each of them being tied together by the word “rebuke.” We covered the first scene the Sunday before Easter. We saw that Jesus demonstrated His authority over the dark spiritual realm as well as how Jesus is fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah that He taught to the congregation in His home city of Nazareth, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Lk 4:18–19). These themes will continue through the rest of the narrative. His authority will be demonstrated over sickness that overtake the human body and again over dark incorporeal being of the spirit world. 

Scene 2: Jesus Rebukes a Fever (Lk 4:38–39)

Upon the opening of the second scene, we see Jesus leaves the synagogue and goes to Peter’s house. The order of events may seem a bit odd to us. Luke does not tell us of Peter’s call to discipleship until 5:10–11. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark place Peter’s call to ministry before Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law of her fever. Luke, however, arranges the events thematically in order for Luke’s message concerning is communicated more clearly. Also, it very could be that Peter was popular enough of a figure that Luke could mention him without being properly introduced. “Peter’s home is in Capernaum. In John 1:44, His hometown is said to be Bethsaida, which is close to Capernaum. What we may have here is the difference between a boyhood town and a current residence, with Capernaum being Peter’s current home.” 105

From this verse we learn that Peter was a married man. A person does not get a mother-in-law if he is not married. Getting a mother-in-law without getting a spouse would just not be fair. This is also confirmed by Paul, “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?” (1 Co 9:5). We learn more about Peter’s wife the tradition of church history as well. We know that she was actively involved in helping other Christian women and had children. 106 Clement of Alexandria tells of how Peter encouraged his wife by saying, “Remember the Lord” as she was led away to her crucifixion. 107 

It is hard to say if Jesus came to Peter’s house because Peter asked Jesus to heal his mother-in-law after seeing the scene with the demonized man or if Peter asked 108 Jesus to heal his mother-in-law after Jesus arrived at the house. “They” could be referring to the people of the house but Mark 1:30 would have us to understand that it was the disciples that asked Jesus to heal her. Yet, it also could have been that everyone in the house, including the disciples, asked. 

Luke describes the fever as a great fever. Many of the older commentaries have tried to demonstrate that Luke is using a medical term that would be unique to his profession as a medical doctor.109 However, more recent commentaries are showing that such a phrase had fallen into common usage. 110 The severity of the fever is still emphasized by her not being able to serve her guests and that she was “taken” from συνέχω meaning “to cause distress by force of circumstances, seize, attack, distress, torment; be tormented by, afflicted with, distressed by something, of sickness.” 111

Lk 4:39. Jesus demonstrates His power and authority by rebuking the fever. Rebuke is the word that connects the three scenes together. We must be careful though to understand that Jesus is not casting out another demon because He is talking to something or possibly someone. Jesus has rebuked inanimate objects in other places as well, “Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm” (Lk 8:24). 

Luke does a wonderful showing us that the healing was truly miraculous. Peter’s mother-in-law did not have to wait for the rebuke upon the fever to take effect. She was able to rise up immediately from where she was laying and started to serve the disciples. 112 

Scene 3: Jesus Rebukes Demons (Lk 4:40–41)

Luke transitions us into the next scene with a temporal marker, “when the sun was setting.” Luke also mentions that the sun was setting to explain why people started carrying their sick at that time. When the sun had set, the Sabbath day had concluded and the people were now permitted to work and carry the sick to Jesus to be healed.113 The scene is summarized by stating that there were various kinds of diseases. The kinds of diseases that Jesus healed is not important. The important part is that Jesus was able to heal every individual. The phrase emphasizes that Jesus made sure that every person received their health back. It is a perfect illustration of the fact that Jesus came for all people, for every person that would come to Him. Luke even mentions that Jesus laid His hands upon the sick. This would have required a personal encounter for each person and taken a lot of time. Also, the sick would have been the least desirable for physical contact. Again, the point is to be reminded that Jesus is the One that Isaiah spoke of (Is 61:1–2). Jesus is giving deliverance to the captives and is healing the brokenhearted. 

Lk 4:41. These two verses help to demonstrate that sickness and demon possession are not synonymous. Sickness may accompany demon possession but not every sickness is a sign of possession or affliction. Luke lists sick individuals with various diseases separately from the ones that were demonized. 

Like the demon that was encountered in the synagogue, the demons cry out and identify Jesus. The demon in Luke 4:34 called Him “the Holy One of God.” Here it is stated that they called Him “the Son of God.” Both of the titles carry the same emphasis and is stated here. The titles show that He is the Anointed One, the Christ, the Messiah. We again come back again that to the point the the demons recognized who Jesus was before most of the people did. Marshall explains the outcry of the demons further, 

It represents an attempt by the demon to demonstrate superiority to the exorciser by knowledge of his name, or it may be a confession of the superior might of Jesus on the part of the defeated demons. In any case, Christians would recognise it as a true insight into the person of Jesus, who is now fulfilling the proper function of the Son of God instead of yielding to Satanic temptation to misuse his position. 114

Again, Jesus demonstrates His superiority, not through His physical might, but simply by His word. Jesus is the greater authority. Jesus simply rebukes the demons and does not allow them to speak, even if they words of affirmation. Jesus wants the affirmation of His office to come from the people rather than from demons. 115

Summary: The Kingdom of God (Lk 4:42–44)

Mark 1:35 helps us to understand that the acts of healing and exorcism did not continue throughout the entire night. Yet Jesus did make a point to rise up very early in the morning, while it was still dark, and to go find a secluded place for prayer. Jesus knew how to properly start His day was with some solitude with God. However, the people of Capernaum were not going to leave their newfound celebrity alone. They quickly sought him out and tried to keep Him from leaving. 

Lk 4:43. Jesus’ reply was that He needed to εὐαγγίσασθαι (proclaim good news, Lk 4:18) in other cities. Jesus explains that He has a divine mission to proclaim the good news; it is something that He must (δεῖ) do. The content of Jesus’ is the kingdom of God. Luke is introducing something that will be seen another thirty more times. Perhaps the concept of the kingdom of God is not fully realized in this passage but is meant to be related to the Isaiah passage that was taught by Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth. We have seen through the pronouncement of Gabriel that Jesus will be the one that ushers in the kingdom by having the right to sit on David’s throne. Isaiah explained that He will be the One that will be deliverance and forgiveness to the people—actions that only God can do. Later on we will see that the kingdom of God is near and even upon the people that Jesus is preaching. Yet we never see the kingdom of God be established in the Luke-Acts corpus. The main emphasis at this time in the Gospel is that the one that will fulfill the promises of the kingdom is among the people. God is visiting His people. 

Lk 4:44. Luke explains that Jesus then follows through with His divine commission. He goes throughout the towns of the Jewish 116 people preaching in the synagogues. 

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105. Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994), 436. 

106. Ibid; Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1968), 176. 

107. Clement, Miscellanies, 7.11 (ANF 2:541); cf. Eusebius, The History of the Church, 3.30.1–2.

108. KJV has “besought” from ἐρωτάω, meaning “to ask for something” (BDAG 395.2). 

109. Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, 178n2; Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 1 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 295. John Peter Lange and J. J. van Oosterzee, A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Luke, trans. Philip Schaff and Charles C. Starbuck (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 78; I. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text, NIGTC (Exeter: Paternoster Press, 1978), 195.

110. Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, 436n24; BDAG, 899; Konrad Weiss, TDNT, 5:956–59. 

111. BDAG, 971.5; cf. Helmut Köster, TDNT, 7:883; Mt 4:24; Ac 28:8. 

112. “The detail may be unhistorical, for the Talmud expressly prohibits the table service of men by women (Kiddushin 70a)” (S. MacLean Gilmour, “The Gospel According to St. Luke,” in IB, 8:98). However, Gilmour forgets that Martha also served the disciples (Lk 10:40). 

113. Marshall, The Gospel of Luke, 196; Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, 437.

114. Marshall, The Gospel of Luke, 196–197; cf. Robert H. Stein, Luke, NAC 24 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 165.

115. John A. Martin, “Luke,” in BKC, 2:215.

116. “In place of Γαλιλαίας (read, by assimilation to Mk., in A D Θ f13 pm latt sy^p bo^pt; TR) he has Ἰουδαίας. This can hardly refer to the southern district of Judaea, as distinct from Galilee; it is improbable that a ministry in the south should be interpolated here (cf. Jn. 2:13–3:36).…Rather v. 43 indicates that Jesus’ ministry is directed to the Jews as a whole; the point is theological rather than geographical” (Marshall, The Gospel of Luke, 198–9). Cf. Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, 445 for an explanation of the textual variant.