Daily Devotionals

Devotional: September 1st

Reality shows abound nowadays with programs such as "Survivor," "The Apprentice" and "American Idol" playing to great Nielson numbers. You would be surprised just how real some movies have been for movie stars who have had to do their own stunts and take the lumps. Sometimes it got just a little bit too real for these heroes of Tinseltown. They paid the price for their fame and your enjoyment with a number of real injuries that left them with some vivid memories.

Early in his career, Harrison Ford was on the set of a low budget TV western and had to do his own stunts. In the midst of a stunt he fell on a handgun and lost two teeth. That pales in comparison to Danny Kaye who, while filming the musical "Two By Two," broke his leg. It didn't deter the incredible Mr. Kaye. As he had no understudy, Kaye continued in the part of Noah, but played him from a wheelchair. If you have ever seen some of the physical comedy Kaye used to perform, you may have wondered as I did how he did it without breaking a leg.

Broken bones have long been the habitat of action star Jackie Chan who does his own stunts. Over the years he has broken his nose at least three times, his ankle twice, most of his fingers and even both cheekbones. The severity of his stunts has even resulted in a fractured skull. However, the king of reality has to be Kirk Douglas. While filming the boxing sequences for the movie, "Champion," Douglas actually stepped into the ring with real boxers. One of them didn't know how to pull his punches and Douglas was knocked cold.

However, the all time superhero of reality is a man that a lot of folks have almost accorded myth status. He came into His time with a job to do and knowing the grisly outcome. He spent His entire time preparing for that one act, readying Himself to take center stage in the greatest performance of all time. Jesus the Christ, Son of God, had no stand in, no stunt double, when He went to the cross. John the Immerser declared the truth when he said, "Behold the Lamb of God that removes the sin of the world." John 1:29

Did Jesus hate His job? No. There was joy in what Jesus did. "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1, 2 For the joy of the finished project, the salvation of the world, Jesus did His own stunts. He bore all the beatings and scourgings and the crucifixion. All for us.

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