MATTHEW 23:29-36

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured out! You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the judgment of Gehenna? Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that there may come upon you all the righteous bloodshed upon earth, from the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Amen, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” 

Gospelthink: I was very critical of the religious leaders of my day because they were hypocrites. In my life, do I find that I am contradictory in the way I behave?

The disguised technology-advanced third world country Wakanda was satisfied with their isolationist policy. They had discovered vibranium in their country, the use of which advanced their country far beyond any place else in the world. Knowing the power of vibranium, N'Jobu wanted to use it to empower the black people of the world. He employed black marketer Ulysses Klaue to steal some vibranium. When N'Jobu's brother King T'Chaka learned of his treachery, he was forced to kill his brother in order to prevent it from happening. However, N'Jobu's son Erik or "Killmonger" continued where his father left off. While T'Challa took over as King and therefore "The Black Panther," "Killmonger" not only wanted the black people to conquer the world, by the use of vibranium, but he wanted to rule as king and the new "The Black Panther."

Why did Jesus have such a difficult time with the scribes and Pharisees of his time? Simply put, they were claiming to be something they were not. They were pretending to be consecrated men who were involved in guiding the Hebrew people to holiness, and they were nothing more than vipers--snakes--who at best were false teachers, and at worst, were murderers. They had a insatiable desire for power and were people who for the most part were seeking revenge on Jesus because of Jesus's popularity.  Jesus wanted sincerity and honesty among religious leaders.

The King of Wakanda, the "Black Panther" had to be a person of sincerity and honesty as he ruled the people of Wakanda. King T'Challa had chosen a life-style for his country that was principally a peaceful one.  His isolationist policy was a way of protecting his people and keeping away from the politics of the world.  Some people disagreed with it.  One of them, Erik or "Killmonger" was anxious to take revenge on the people who had hurt the black people of the world.  He wanted revenge, and with the use of vibranium, would be able to do it while making himself king.

The job of being a leader implies that he/she will work toward sincerity and honesty. There are many who disagree with the leader, many of whom simply desire any popularity that the leader has.  Sometimes they will do everything in their power to make the leader look bad or evil.  

We may not be leaders in the sense of directing a country, but we are all leaders in our own way.  We exist in a world that needs honest and sincere leaders, people who want to show such honesty and sincerity to those around them. There will be opposition in the sense that people will seek any power they can accrue.  As long as we remain true to our good goals, we can be the leaders that we are called to be.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, You desire us to be leaders in the way we live our lives. Your Son Jesus was such a leader when He was here on earth, but met opposition from his enemies. Give us the grace to remain sincere and honest even though there may be evil people who want to destroy our harmony. Be with us, we pray. 

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: When the desire for power and revenge are coupled together, evil will be present.
 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 62 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie was most striking to you? Why?
2.In general, do you agree that countries should share their technology with others? Yes or no and why?
3. Dialogue analysis: T'Chaka: "You're a good man with a good heart.  And it's hard for a good man to be king." Why is this a true statement for people in authority?
4. Generally speaking, are most religious leaders of our time sincere and honest?
4. What can be done about the prejudice in our world?
5. Give an example of a national leader who has been made into an evil person when he/she is not evil at all.
6. What are the characteristics of a good leader? 

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America