What is E.J. Park talking about??

Ok so first off I've never heard of the comparison between Jesus and Neo from the Matrix. I get it though, Park is simply saying Neo is the Jesus figure in the movie. But he goes farther as to say that Neo is better? What? What is he basing that off of? What is his logic? Let's get one thing straight to start: The term "hero" is NOT the same as "messiah." It seems that E.J. Park is assuming that they are indeed the same, which throws his argument off right from the start. A hero is a person who is admired for his or her courage, achievements, or noble qualities. A messiah is described specifically as the promised deliverer of the Jewish nation prophesied in the Hebrew Bible. Even better, a second definition describes the messiah as a leader or savior of a group of people. Yes, Neo can be seen as a savior, but not one that is trying to save people so that they can eventually have eternal life. This is why Jesus is different, and exactly why he "claimed to be the One and then insist[ed] on suffering and dying." He had to if there was to be reconciliation. It seems like this is something Park wasn't fully understanding. Park wants Jesus to be a fighter and kick a** to save the people, but he's not looking at it from an eternal standpoint.

Second, I understand that what Joseph said to his brothers in the bible would be pretty annoying, but is there really a time where Jesus Himself claimed that the whole world would bow to Him? Park said that if someone would give him a self-doubting, reluctant hero like Neo, he would cheer him on. Jesus has both of these qualities. He fell down on His face before God because He didn't want to endure the torture and pain of the cross. But He wanted God's will to be done overall.

Park may be right about how Jesus believes Himself worthy of worship, but He never once demanded it! Jesus had every right to demand praise, but instead he focused on seeking and saving the lost and offering forgiveness to sinful people. That's a messiah, and that's my kinda hero.

Lastly, Park is frustrated that Jesus doesn't fight and kick butt. I want to say in response to that that Jesus actually kicks major butt, a.k.a. the devil's butt. But he does it with words, and not His fists. Now I too would totally be frustrated just like Peter that Jesus wasn't using his power to fight the soldiers, to the point where I think I'd get seriously mad! So let's explore this then. Why doesn't Jesus kick butt like Neo? Why doesn't He kung-fu the snot out of everyone? Because that wouldn't accomplish anything. Jesus knows that all of this MUST happen, whether He likes it or not, in order to save His disciples and the whole world from God's wrath. Jesus loves everyone so much that He stands in our place to take the beating that WE deserve so that God can eventually look at us the same way He sees the Son. Again, I wouldn't have understood that and the big picture of everything, just like Peter, and just like Park doesn't seem to understand. But that's exactly why Jesus doesn't fight back. There's your answer.

Our human ways are in this position is to be active, not passive. But God's way is different. Christ chose to show us what it means to be truly active, in the name of selfless-devotion to a man's salvation. You simply cannot compare Neo and the Matrix to this scenario. I feel like Park misses the big picture. Yes, it's awesome to see people kick butt for justice, which is exactly what Jesus did, just not in the way we might have liked to see it.