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The
Matrix - A Cyberpunk Parable?
B. THE PARABLE
3.
TRAINING: Conscription, Concepts, and Conditioning
3a. Crew (the Church)
| KEY: |
| M = The Matrix Story |
| S = Spiritual Parallels |
| M. Morpheus tells Neo that he is in a hovercraft called
the 'Nebuchadnezzar'. |
| S. Nebuchadnezzar was king of the ancient Babylonian
empire. He was a powerful man who had vivid dreams (note that 'Morpheus' is the mythical
Greek god of dreams) that the prophet Daniel interpreted. There is strong scriptural
evidence (Daniel chapter 4) that Nebuchadnezzar became a believer in God, while he was
king of the empire that dominated the ancient world (just like this Nebuchadnezzar
hovercraft will house those who become believers and will dominate the Matrix). |
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| M. A plaque in the Nebuchadnezzar reads "Mark III,
11" |
| S. In the Bible, Mark 3:11 says, "Whenever the
evil spirits saw Him [Jesus], they fell down before him and cried out, 'You are the Son of
God!' " Because Neo can also be allegorized in some aspects as a Christ figure,
perhaps the choice of this verse foreshadows the victory that Neo as "the One"
will have over the evil Agents. |
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| M. Morpheus introduces Neo to the Nebuchadnezzar's
crew. Each member has differing specialties and talents. Dozer is a pilot; Tank is the
operator and trainer. Apoc, Switch, and Mouse are watchmen (sentinel duty at the hotel)
and soldiers. Trinity is second in command. Morpheus is the ship's captain. |
| S. This represents the church. A Christian must realize
that he cannot live an isolated life; he is part of a body. Like a human body, each part
of the church plays a different but vital role, interacting together to make a healthy,
functioning body. As Morpheus is captain or 'head' of the crew, Christ is "head over
all things to the church, which is His body…(Ephesians 1:23)." When the members
of the body function selflessly and with love, the body will be healthy. When members
disobey God and act selfishly, the entire body suffers. |
| It is sad that many Christians have forgotten that the
church is the people, not the building. The Nebuchadnezzar hovercraft is not a pretty
ship; it is rugged and crude. Every part of it is geared for the function of war.
Christians would do well to simply use the church building as a place to focus on God,
each other, and the spiritual war they face, instead of squabbling over petty things (such
as which color of flowers to put in the building) and pumping resources into raising
structures rather than people. |
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3b. Construct
| M. Morpheus introduces the construct program where he
can load "anything [they] need" to train or take into the Matrix, such as when
Neo later says he needs "Guns. Lots of guns." - and an infinite supply is
brought forth! The construct area is pure white. |
| S. In Christ, God is an infinite source everything the
Christian needs to function victoriously. "My God shall supply all your
needs..." (Philippians 4:19). "God...who has blessed us with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ..." (Ephesians 1:3). "My grace is
sufficient for you..." (2 Corinthians 12:9). Just as the loading area is pure white,
everything the Christian receives from God is pure and perfect. "Every good and
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father..." (James 1:17). |
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| M. Inside the construct program, Neo notices that the
plugs in his body are gone, and that his hair is changed. He looks 'good'. This is called
'residual self image'. |
| S. The term 'residual' means 'something left over;
something remaining from what used to be; residue', indicating that this is the way Neo
formerly thought about himself, even though this image is not the truth. Every other
person trapped in the Matrix still thinks this way! The carnal self does not like to look
at the truth, especially when that truth includes sin and its scarring effects. A prideful
lost man creates a false self-image to help him forget his faults. |
|
| M. Morpheus asks, "How do you define real? If
you're talking about what you can feel…smell…taste and see, then 'real' is
simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain." |
| S. The natural man defines his reality by the senses,
by what is tangible, by what is material. Such surroundings are only temporary, even as
the physical body itself is temporary and will die. God will even destroy the current
earth, creating a new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3:13.) A natural man is heading for
disaster by founding his life on the physical, the fallen, and the temporary – thus
building his house on sand (Matthew 7:26-27). |
| In contrast, a Christian realizes that God the Creator
is the source of all reality. Physical realities will change when God creates all things
anew. Perhaps the laws of physics themselves will change, the nature of the body, the
senses, and so forth. Therefore, the key is to focus on a relationship with God, Who is
unchanging (Hebrews 13:8), and to store up treasure toward eternity, rather than material
gain on a temporary earth (Matthew 6:19-21). A Christian must have his foundation only on
Christ, his Rock, as all other ground is temporary, sinking sand (Matthew 7:24-27). |
| A Christian must also realize the reality of God,
Satan, angels, demons, and the spiritual realm as well. All of these beings play an active
role in what a lost man wrongly perceives as only the tangible world. In general, western
culture either believes only in the natural, or separates the natural from the spiritual,
both of which are massive deceptions. |
| "How do you define real?" asks Morpheus. The
answer is, "By the source of reality - God". As the Creator and Controller of
all that is, He holds reality in His hand and crafts it as He wishes. The Christian must
apply this truth to daily life, understanding that God can effortlessly alter any physical
thing, circumstance, or 'rule' to accomplish His will. |
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