Restitution
Exodus 22
The Mission is a movie based on the historical events of an 18th century Jesuit mission. Rodrigo Mendoza, one of the main characters, was a former slave trader who killed his brother in a fit of jealous rage. While in prison, Mendoza was visited by a Jesuit missionary, Father Gabriel, who told him he could be redeemed from his sins.
The path to redemption would involve evangelizing the Guarani people, the very people Mendoza had sold into slavery. It was part of his restitution, along with a heavy bundle containing his armor and weapons that he struggled to carry on his journey to the Guarani people. It is a movie about making restitution for sin.
The word restitution can be defined as “paying back something that has been lost and stolen.” Restitution is the theme of Exodus 22. The word is used seven times in the chapter, while the word pay is used five times. The Old Testament Law had very specific rules on restitution when harm had been done to someone.
And sometimes the price to pay would be blood (v. 3). It is important to remember that the Law ultimately was pointing the Jewish people to the coming Messiah. The Law was the shadow but the true substance was, and is, Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:17).
Hebrews 9:22 says, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Restitution is made through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Sadly, many religions believe that we as humans must make restitution ourselves in order to be forgiven for our sins. And so many people spend their whole lives trying to do good works, hoping it is enough to be forgiven. That was the case with Rodrigo Mendoza. Carrying his heavy weapons on the journey and serving the people he had sold into slavery were his attempts to make restitution.
The climax of the movie comes in a powerful scene when Mendoza arrives, emptied of any strength having carried the bundle of weapons through rivers and over cliffs. A Guarani man runs to him and holds a knife at his throat. Mendoza waits to be killed. Justice for his sin against the people.
Instead, the man cuts off the sack of weapons and pushes it off the cliff and into the river. Mendoza begins to weep as the Guarani people come and embrace him. The weight of guilt was removed not by the guilty party but by the ones who were wronged.
What a glorious picture of the gospel. We have wronged the Savior. And yet it is He who removes the weight of sin. He carried our burdens on the cross. And He threw the weight of sin off of our shoulders because of the empty tomb.
Exodus 22
The Mission is a movie based on the historical events of an 18th century Jesuit mission. Rodrigo Mendoza, one of the main characters, was a former slave trader who killed his brother in a fit of jealous rage. While in prison, Mendoza was visited by a Jesuit missionary, Father Gabriel, who told him he could be redeemed from his sins.
The path to redemption would involve evangelizing the Guarani people, the very people Mendoza had sold into slavery. It was part of his restitution, along with a heavy bundle containing his armor and weapons that he struggled to carry on his journey to the Guarani people. It is a movie about making restitution for sin.
The word restitution can be defined as “paying back something that has been lost and stolen.” Restitution is the theme of Exodus 22. The word is used seven times in the chapter, while the word pay is used five times. The Old Testament Law had very specific rules on restitution when harm had been done to someone.
And sometimes the price to pay would be blood (v. 3). It is important to remember that the Law ultimately was pointing the Jewish people to the coming Messiah. The Law was the shadow but the true substance was, and is, Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:17).
Hebrews 9:22 says, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Restitution is made through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Sadly, many religions believe that we as humans must make restitution ourselves in order to be forgiven for our sins. And so many people spend their whole lives trying to do good works, hoping it is enough to be forgiven. That was the case with Rodrigo Mendoza. Carrying his heavy weapons on the journey and serving the people he had sold into slavery were his attempts to make restitution.
The climax of the movie comes in a powerful scene when Mendoza arrives, emptied of any strength having carried the bundle of weapons through rivers and over cliffs. A Guarani man runs to him and holds a knife at his throat. Mendoza waits to be killed. Justice for his sin against the people.
Instead, the man cuts off the sack of weapons and pushes it off the cliff and into the river. Mendoza begins to weep as the Guarani people come and embrace him. The weight of guilt was removed not by the guilty party but by the ones who were wronged.
What a glorious picture of the gospel. We have wronged the Savior. And yet it is He who removes the weight of sin. He carried our burdens on the cross. And He threw the weight of sin off of our shoulders because of the empty tomb.
Posted in Journey of Hope