FIRST KNIGHT (1995)

Directed by: Jerry Zucker
Written by: William Nicholson
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond
Rated: PG-13

About the film:
An aging King Arthur tries valiantly to hold onto his kingdom and his new bride. The first is being threatened by a traitorous knight of his round table and the second by the virtuous new knight, Lancelot, who has fallen in love with the king’s lady.

Movie Quote:
“May God grant us the wisdom to discover right, the will to choose it, and the strength to make it endure.”
King Arthur (Sean Connery) in First Knight (1995)

Bible Quote:
“If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”
James 1:5 (NIV)


Commentary:
The prayer offered by King Arthur in First Knight is an indication of why his fictional kingdom of Camelot would have prospered. Anyone humbly turning to God for the answers to life’s questions will undoubtedly receive them.

Of course, what he is praying for has already been granted to us. Wisdom results from acting upon the knowledge of God readily available to us in His Word. The free will we have to choose the course we take is a human right endowed by our Creator. The strength we have to endure is one of God’s faithful promises to His people.

Wisdom; Free will; Strength… these are wonderful qualities that will lead a man or a people to victory. Let us not forget where these qualities originate.

As the scriptures say, “The respect of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” It is a wise ruler who remembers this truth and a blessed people who will follow his lead.

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. King Arthur says early on in the film that he has learned to take the good with the bad. What does he mean by this? How does it compare with scriptural truth?
2. How is the quality of honor illustrated in the film? Which characters display examples of honor?

Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com