While the filmmakers treat the Messiah with utmost reverence, he offers only a mix of platitudes about peace and forgiveness. This watered-down Christianity mirrors the sentiments of today\u2019s fearful-to-offend evangelicalism, which often seems more concerned with wooing new followers than offering a complete understanding of Christianity\u2019s demands and rewards.<\/p>\n
\u201cLove your enemies,\u201d\u009d Jesus tells a young Judah. Later, he pacifies an angry mob of Jewish-nationalist Zealots with more boilerplate, telling them that violence against the oppressive Roman regime won\u2019t solve anything. A few scenes later, an impressively costumed Morgan Freeman, playing the wealthy Sheikh Ilderim, who becomes Judah\u2019s chariot-racing patron, also points out that violence isn\u2019t the answer. If you\u2019ve got Morgan Freeman, who needs Jesus?<\/p>\n
Christ\u2019s specifically salvific role, which made him the center of Christian theology for the past 2,000 years, goes missing in the film<\/b>. As portrayed in \u201cBen-Hur,\u201d\u009d he is neither the Messiah, nor the king whose kingdom is not of this world. Jesus\u2019 death on the cross has no particular religious significance here. The Passion is depicted as almost accidental, as Jesus is swept up in Pontius Pilate\u2019s broader purge of Zealots. Jesus\u2019 death serves as nothing more than an opportunity to set a good example by forgiving his enemies.<\/p>\n