BORN YESTERDAY (1950)

Directed by: George Cukor
Written by: Albert Mannheimer
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford, William Holden
Rated: Approved

About the film:
Ex-show girl Billie Dawn needs lessons in etiquette if her boyfriend and junkyard tycoon, Harry Brock, hopes to circulate in proper Washington society. He hires journalist Paul Verrall to “smarten her up” but gets more than he bargained for when she becomes wise to his underhanded way of doing business.

Movie Quote:
“A world full of ignorant people us too dangerous to live in.”
Paul Verrall (William Holden) in Born Yesterday (1950)

Bible Quote:
“Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst.”
Isaiah 5:13 (NIV)

Commentary:
Journalist Paul Verrall knows of what he speaks. This world is dangerous enough – we don’t have to add to the danger by walking through it in blind ignorance.

There are many things that we can live without in this world and not be the worse for it. Knowledge is not one of them. More to the point, living without the knowledge of God and His Word makes life a dangerous and fearful experience.

There is an invisible god of this world who controls the systems of this world. We are, without the knowledge and power of God’s Word, defenseless against him. Without the knowledge that God has made available to us, we remain ignorant of spiritual matters and therefore subject to every lie and deception presented to us by the one who Jesus Christ called the “father of lies.”

God, who cannot lie, has freely given us the access to truth and the ability to resist the spiritual enemies and forces that we cannot see. To ignore that access and refuse that ability; to willingly choose weakness over strength and ignorance over knowledge simply defies logic. Why should we live in a dangerous place when a safe haven has been offered to us?

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What is the implied meaning of the title and how does it apply to our Christian lives?
2. When was the last time you felt inadequate or at a disadvantage because of a lack of knowledge? How would the knowledge have helped you in that situation?

Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com