Many Christians jump at the chance to equate Neo (Keanu Reeves) with Christ because he died and rose again and then went on to spread the word about gaining freedom from the Matrix. This is appropriate because he is prophesied as "the One," or as a messiah figure. However, the course of Neo's life also resembles the life of an average Christian. It might be more useful to view his life in this way.
All Christ-followers die and rise again in Christ. This is the method by which we leave behind our former slavery to sin. Therefore, in Christ we are all liberated from many of the "laws" that restrict the greater majority of mankind. It is He who frees our minds.
Neo resembles spiritually reborn people more than Christ because he wasn't sure of who he was until he had a break-through. He stepped beyond his sluggish doubt into a freer quality of thinking. He began to grasp an empowering balance of both letting go and taking responsibility for himself. This is what coming of age in Christ resembles.
Plus Neo was plugged into the Matrix for a while. He needed to be freed. He was so engrained in the Matrix that it was risky to unplug him. But Christ was never a victim of sin or any form of worldliness. Christ was never plugged into the Matrix of this world... this is why He was sufficient as a sacrifice for mankind's sin.
All in all, the Matrix is an excellent illustration of "seeing things for what they really are." This is what Jesus teaches His followers. Spiritual realities drive physical realities. God's kingdom is strategically subtle but, to God's children, it is more real than any reality that our fleshly senses can detect.
Christ unplugs our minds from the slavery to sin into which all people are born. Apart from Him we cannot think straight. Apart from Him we can think only of survival, gravity, working and dieing. Following Him is a crazy ride. It's a struggle. But life is a struggle in any case, right? Christ is the One who injects meaning into our struggles.
by Patrick Roberts. Find similar reviews at www.KoGmedia.com. Also checkout www.BooksByPatrick.com
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