Muppet Theology

Is it weird to see theological points in movies? What about if it's a movie with muppets? OK, I know it's weird. But in the movie Labrynth, Jarred the Goblin King (who is, appropriately enough, David Bowie), does a very good Lucifer impression.



Sarah, the main character, has battled her way through a big maze trying to save her baby brother from being turned into a goblin by Jarred. Jarred, who has been trying to make Sarah fail the entire time ("It's not fair!" says Sarah. "You say that so often," replies Jarred. "I wonder what your basis of comparison is?"), now gets on his dignity. He asks how Sarah can be so ungrateful, when he's been doing all of this for her. He's only been what she wanted; he wants to give her everything she wants. "If only you'd just bow to me," he says sadly. "If only you'd let me rule you, you could have anything."



Which makes you shiver when you think about what it almost quotes-- "Bow down to me and I'll give you all these kingdoms."



To which the appropriate answer is not Sarah's in the film ("You have no power over me"-- he clearly does, he's bigger than she is, for one thing, and has a goblin army; she has a dwarf, a muppet, and a fox who rides a dog) but "The Lord rebuke you!"



The thing about Jarred in the film is that, at least at first, he seems charming, witty, even stylish (for the 80s). He's obviously a good con man and has obviously done this before. Our adversary has perfected his con down through the centuries, but he's not terribly creative. It's pretty much the same con he ran on Adam and Eve: it's reasonable to disobey, because look at what I'll give you.



Lewis has pointed out that in the story of Faust, which is a bit more highbrow than Labrynth, Mephistopheles is supposed to represent Satan. However, it's not Mephistopheles, who is witty, charming, and humorous, who really represents Satan--it's Faust, who is singleminded, desperate, uncreative, and humorless, as well as willing to do anything to realize his ambition.



So what's the point of all this? I was just thinking about obedience today, and how disobedience can seem reasonable. (I've been reading about Baalam.) I wondered why Baalam, who actually had the Lord speaking to him audibly, would think it was a good idea to take off riding where the Lord didn't want him to go. David Bowie was what I came up with. Every sin seems reasonable and okay at the time, otherwise we wouldn't do it.



Then, of course, you have to praise the Lord, because He generally sends us donkeys. :) (By the way, did you ever wonder why, when the donkey talks to him, Baalam isn't amazed? The donkey asks why Baalam hit her, and Baalam doesn't say "You can talk? Why did you never talk before?"; he says, "Because you were being snotty!" He doesn't actually get amazed until he can see the Angel of the Lord. Bizzare.)



(Oh, and if you don't get the donkey reference, go read up the Baalam story. The donkey keeps Baalam from getting killed, like he deserved, and he repents.)



So my meditation today was, "Watch out for Goblin Kings--and pay attention to donkeys."



Cheers,



Breanna