By David Brooks | Founder and CEO of Divine Timing Ministries

Bible Stories with Legends: Roy Scheider as Chief Brody:  “My Community Was in Denial”

Chief Martin Brody here. I was invited to come on this podcast and accepted because, you know why? We share common ground. How is that? I can sum this up in one word: Skeptics.

As the sheriff of a local small town, Amity Island, near Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts… like you, I encountered a lot of skepticism concerning a real danger to the community and tourism. But nobody believed me.

Just like you. You know the truth, but nobody believes you. You’re the church, and the world is in complete denial.

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS VS. THE TRUTH

In my job, I was trying to tell the community, “Hey, there is a real shark out there that’s killing people.” But you know what? The community wouldn’t believe me. And even the mayor made my life miserable when I was trying to save lives.

The mayor and his cohorts stopped me in my tracks with their political correctness! More worried about money than saving lives. More worried about their reputations than the truth. Sound familiar?

I’m forced to keep the beach open. But guess what happens next? A little boy gets eaten alive by the shark. And now, without accepting any responsibility, they close the beach!

THE UNLIKELY CREW: QUINT, HOOPER, AND THE CHURCH

I’m allowed to hire the best shark killer there is. His name is Quint. Quint is one of those guys… he’s pretty rough around the edges, and he is definitely not politically correct. But he gets the job done. And he doesn’t care who gets in the way.

Then there was Matt Hooper, the intellectual marine biologist. He just loves sharks. Quint and Hooper immediately do not get along. Personality clash. Have you ever met two believers at church before who love the Lord, but their personalities just don’t mix?

Yeah. Now you know what I’m dealing with here. Not only do I have to focus on getting this shark killed, but I have to make these two get along. And I’m not the most seaworthy person. In fact, I’m terrified of the water. But here I am, the sheriff, trying to catch this crazy shark.

THE REALITY OF THE BEAST: THE SHARK AND HELL

So what happens? All three of us go through hell trying to kill this man-eating machine. Quint, although his dedication for the mission is admirable, his recklessness gets himself killed. Hooper, the reluctant hero, inserts himself in a tiny shark cage to try to stab and kill the shark with poison. Needless to say, that didn’t work out very well.

The boat is sinking. And I’m sinking with it. And I’m afraid of the water. When the shark tried to attack me as the boat was sinking, it accidentally inhaled one of the air compression tanks. So it circles around to make another pass to try to kill me.

With my rifle, and one last shot… I told that son of a bitch to smile. And by a miracle from God, the bullet hits true, right into that compressed air tank, and the shark blows up!

What’s the point of the synopsis of the story? You’ve heard what happened to us.

The point is this. Jesus told a story about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. It wasn’t a parable. It really happened. Skeptics around try to tell you that Hell is not real. But based on what Jesus said, it’s a very real place.

Like the movie, some had to pay a very hard price. In fact, the ultimate price, before they realized the danger was real.

⚡ YOUR 5-MINUTE ACTIVATION: STOP THE DENIAL

The world is in denial. Don’t let your community, your family, or your friends ignore the real danger. Take 5 minutes to act.