ALADDIN (1992) Movie Review
Hebrews 13:5 - "Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'” (NLT)
The story of Aladdin revolves around a villain's relentless pursuit for a Genie. Jafar's ultimate wish is to become the Sultan (aka king) of Agrabah. He values wealth, control, and power. The Genie would be the easiest way to accomplish His goal, so he wastes away most of his life to find the Genie. As he stands at the threshold that would lead to the coveted lamp, he is judged as unworthy and denied access.
Only the "diamond in the rough" may enter.
Aladdin, poor and humble, has a heart that bleeds for those less fortunate than himself. He gives his bread to starving children. He saves a defenseless girl from being brutalized by a bully. He truly cares about others. What little he has to give, he gives freely.
What he needs to win the heart of Princess Jasmine he has already. He doesn't need the Genie. Though Jasmine is beautiful and wealthy, all she craves in life is freedom and love. She rejects all suitors, because of their "self-absorbed" and shameless display of wealth. Yet, Aladdin is too self-conscious to see that, so he asks the Genie to make him into the very thing that disgusts Jasmine. Only in the moments that Aladdin shows his affectionate, selfless side does Jasmine reciprocate his love. His wish to be a prince only hinders his campaign.
Not only is Genie ineffectual to Aladdin, but also to Jafar. Exhausted from his repeated failures to obtain the lamp, he develops a new strategy to achieve his goal to seize the throne. Instead of making a wish, he attempts to seduce and marry the princess, a strategy that might have occurred to him sooner had he not wasted so much time in a futile pursuit of the genie.
1 John 2:16 - "For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world." (NLT)
After he obtains the lamp, his greed spirals out of control, each wish more greedy than the last.
Wish 1: He becomes Sultan
Wish 2: He becomes a Sorcerer
Wish 3: He becomes an all-powerful Genie
His greed is so blinding that he fails to consider the consequences. Genie's are bound by rules. All of his power amounts to nothing, because he loses all control. Bound to his own lamp, he becomes the very slave that he mocks in the Genie.
(The video that inspired this review! Show some love to the SuperCarlinBrothers )
1 Corinthians 15:58 - "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." (NLT)
In the end, Aladdin doesn't need a Genie to serve him. Instead, it is Aladdin who serves the Genie by using Aladdin's final wish to set him free. He wins the princess using his heart and defeats Jafar using his head. He also wins the Sultan's respect without the Genie, and it is the Sultan who agrees to legally unite the pair.
God is no Genie or slave obligated to grant our every wish. We serve God; he does NOT serve us. In fact, God commands his followers to forsake materialism. The only desires of our heart ought to be love. We should love God as much as he loves us. We should love others as much as we would want them to love us. As followers of Jesus Christ, humility is the only lifestyle that God expects of us.
What lifestyle are you ministering to others?
The live-action remake of Aladdin premieres tonight. Let us hope this incredibly important message remains intact.
