Tolkien meant the Hobbit to be more of a chhildrens story. We had the joy of catching each of the LOTR films that way.Īs for the splitting of the story, that does seem a bit of a money grab. I am glad you and the kids will see these films in the theater. It’s easy to identify with him as he tries to take charge so easily dismissing the truth of his need for a king. Not in a preachy or moralistic way but in a way that captures the heart of the rash man from Gondor. It’s a fierce love that certainly points to the relentless love of Jesus. That was such a touching part of the book.Īs you note, I love how Aragorn wins Boromir over.
However I wish they had captured more of the Faramir and Eowyn story. The films do a decent job of bringing out this part of the story. First the brash Boromir, then the reticent Faramir. The stewards of Gondor are compelling characters. As we spend time with him, perhaps we too will get to know a good King whom we might trust with our lives. It is about saying “I have no king, but I need the King.” Today let me suggest turning to King Jesus, asking him to reveal himself. Perhaps we would rather take care of ourselves because we don’t know a better alternative.īut what if there is a better alternative? What if Jesus Christ is a good and loving and merciful king? That could be a king worth following, even a king worth turning over charge of our life to.Īdvent is about waiting for the King. But as he got to know Aragorn he came to respect him, trust him, and even love him. He looks up at Aragorn and says “I would have followed you, my brother… my captain… my king.”īoromir didn’t want a king because he had never known a good one. A moment comes when it looks like Boromir may die (I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll leave it at that). He finds someone who is strong yet compassionate, wise yet humble, a leader who is a servant. Nations, companies, schools and even churches have essentially said “We don’t need God, we can do this on our own.”Īs the Lord of the Rings story progresses, Boromir gets to know Aragorn. What is true of us as individuals has also been true of large groups of people.
Sometimes we pay lip service to wanting a King, but our lives and actions show that we would rather not have one. When things are going poorly, when we are fed up and God does not seem to be hearing us, we might also say that we don’t need him. How many times have we felt that way? When things are going well it is easy for us to think that we don’t need a King, we don’t need a God. In the film version, he practically spits out this great line: “Gondor has no king Gondor needs no king.” When Boromir meets a man named Aragorn, and learns that Aragorn may be the rightful heir and true King of Gondor, he is not happy. Boromir happens to be the eldest son of the Steward, so he is set to become Steward when his father dies. The current Steward of Gondor essentially acts as if he is the king, and a demanding and difficult one at that. Over the years, some of the people of Gondor have given up on waiting. Christ is present with us, we have the Holy Spirit, etc. Of course, this parallel is very incomplete. In the meantime, we are left to watch after the Kingdom on his behalf. Our King, through his ascension, has gone back into Heaven.
Since then, they have been governed by a succession of men who’s title is “The Steward of Gondor.” The Steward’s job is to keep the throne open for the eventual return of the true King. Many years ago, the King of Gondor left his people and did not return. As you may recall, Boromir is from a country called Gondor. While watching The Fellowship of the Ring the other day, I was struck by something that Boromir says. In preparation for the Hobbit movie, my daughters and I are watching all nine hours or so of the extended edition of the Lord of the Rings. These movies are, of course, based on the splendid books by J.R.R. Peter Jackson, the man most responsible for the great Lord of the Rings film trilogy, is about to premier the first part of his The Hobbit in the U.S. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30, TNIV “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the peoples of the earth will mourn.