"Look At Me, Son."

So I was watching The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies last night with my sister. And I was struck by a scene in a new way when I watched it.

It’s the scene where Bard, standing on top of the shattered bell tower, strikes is broken bow on each side and levels the black arrow at Smaug’s chest. The arrow is resting on his son’s shoulder. Bain can sense the great evil that is stalking ever near him and his father. I bet his heart is running rampant and he wasn’t everything to turn and watch. But when Bard calmly states, “Look at me, son. Just look at me,” Bain obeys.

For those of you how’ve seen the movie, and for those of you who haven’t, I find this scene so inspiring to my Christian faith. How, you ask? Well let me take it piece by piece.

To start, the Dragon Smaug is symbolic to the devil to me. He is ever stalking us, trying to bring us down with a puff of is fire. We, like Bain, are stuck atop a tower, sitting ducks so to speak. There is no way we could ever take down this beast. (If you’ve seen the movie, then recall Bain laying on is back, petrified with fear because he almost fell to his death.)  

Bard, on the other hand is our Heavenly Father. He is the only one who can defeat this monster. He is the one with the “black arrow” of Salvation (I rather think white arrow is a more fitting term). He knows that the Devil can never stand against him. And he is all lined up, willing to help us.

If we let him.

See, Jesus is standing there continually telling us to “Look at me, Son. Keep your eyes on me.” And we have a choice whether we are going to obey.

Now, we could say “No, Jesus. I’ve got this!” and turn, only to be struck by the petrifying truth that we are in no way a match for this beast. Or we, like Bain, can nod our head, even though the fear is so great, and keep our eyes on Jesus. It is only through doing this that we can conquer our demons. It’s only through Jesus that we can be saved.

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV “...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”

Psalm 16:8 NIV “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

Proverbs 4:25, NLT “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.”