Heart & Soul
Marshall Shelley
January 1, 1997
When Jesus came to our offices a few weeks ago, guess what he did? You're right. He confounded the supposedly wise, and he played with children.
"Jesus," in this case, was Bruce Marchiano, the actor who portrayed Christ in Matthew, a video series based on a word-for-word presentation of the first Gospel. Leadership's sister publication Christian Reader had done a cover story on Bruce, so he stopped by.
For six weeks prior to filming, Bruce immersed himself in studying Matthew, memorized every word of Christ, and read books about Jesus. (The most influential was Jesus: Man of Joy by Sherwood Wirt). In the film, Bruce portrays a joyful Jesus, based on Hebrews 1:9 and 12:2, believing joy set Jesus apart from everyone else.
Bruce's exuberance was a hit with my three kids. After speaking to our staff, "Jesus" let my 11-, 9-, and 3-year-olds take him to their favorite part of Dad's office (the drainage area in the vacant lot behind our building), where they all picked cattails, broke them open, and scattered seeds to the wind.
While I admire Bruce's (and Jesus') ability to attract children, I was even more interested in what Bruce had learned while walking in Christ's sandals.
I've always wondered what Jesus felt toward those who reject God. How do sacrificial love and divine judgment mingle? What tone of voice does Love Incarnate use to curse cities and fig trees and Pharisees? Bruce's unique experience offers a clue.
"Every actor wants to see the world through the eyes of the character," Bruce said. "I prayed, 'Lord, show me what it all looks like through your eyes.' But when God answered that prayer, I feared for my sanity."
It happened the day they were filming Matthew 11:20-24-"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! ...
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