A reflection about sacrifice prompted by the movie. A huge spoiler will be revealed, so, reader, be warned.
The huge "reveal" at the end of the movie is that Ryland Grace, the protagonist, is not a hero for being aboard the mission to save the world. Ryland was drugged and forced into a coma to be placed on the ship. He wakes up years later with amnesia, and only late in the game remembers how he had fearfully, even cowardly, rejected the offer to volunteer.
Why did Ryland refuse to sacrifice himself to save humankind?
Earlier in the movie, when discussing the "suicidal" mission with Commander Yao, Ryland expresses doubt about his own bravery. Yao tells him that bravery is not genetic, that you just need to "find someone to be brave for." Yao's comment sits at the heart of Ryland's moral failure. He didn't have anyone in his life to be brave for. Consequently, he placed his life, selfishly, above the lives of others—even the lives of all humanity.
It's a sobering moment for Ryland when he recovers this memory. But then, the story turns. In trying to secure the "predator" Taumoeba that will kill the sun-dimming Astrophage, Rocky risks his life—and almost dies—to save Ryland. Sitting beside Rocky and hoping he comes back to life, Ryland finally finds someone he'd be willing to die for.
And then, Ryland gets that chance. Ryland realizes that if he can't get Rocky important information about the Taumoeba, Rocky will die. But Ryland has only enough fuel to get home. If he turns around to save Rocky, he'll never make it back to Earth. Ryland chooses to save Rocky. He can finally step into being a hero. He can sacrifice because he's found someone to be brave for.
Which brings me to Jesus.
In Romans, Paul writes:
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Ryland is willing to die for Rocky because Rocky is "especially good." And because we as viewers love Rocky so much, Ryland's sacrifice for Rocky is powerful and moving. It's easy for us to cheer a heroic sacrifice to save someone as lovely as Rocky. As Paul puts it, someone might be willing to die for Rocky. Ryland was.
But here's the gospel turn, my friends. What if Rocky was a jerk? What if Rocky was selfish and mean? What if Rocky was revealed to be Ryland's enemy? Well, there would be no way in hell Ryland—or you or me—would turn around and save that asshole.
And yet, that's what Christ did for us. As Will Campbell once put it, "We're all bastards but God loves us anyway."
If God saved only the Rocky's of the world there wouldn't be much hope for any of us. Jesus didn't come to save only the "especially good," and Rocky is, most definitely, especially good.
Christ came to save all of us.
And that's the scandal of grace.
