Moral Lessons of The Avengers Movie 2012

Trisha Sebastian watching The Avengers Movie 2012
The Avengers Movie 2012 in Imax 3D


To be honest, I do not watch movies often since I prefer reading books than watching TV or movies. Although, at times, I enjoy the excitement and thrill that suspense and action movies give. I also enjoy watching super hero/fantasy type movies due to its kindness triumphing over evil and moral messages. They are not inspirational movies, but I love that they encourage both kids and adults in their own way.
The Avengers Movie 2012

The Avengers

Here are some of the moral lessons that I have learned from the International Box office Movie The Avengers 2012.

Moral Lessons of The Avengers Movie 2012


1. Be humble.

Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love. 
If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all. (Mark 9:35)

The Avengers Movie Ironman / Tony Sparks
Ironman
In the movie, Ironman, was serving for the wrong reasons.
Ironman wants to be glorious. 
But aiming for the glory never got him anything that he wanted. 
The other avengers just saw Sparks for who he really is. 
Which is a Self-centered Glory-seeking wanna-be -hero.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)
Of all sins, pride is the most subtle and most destructive. 
Pride is the root of most sins.
It is the cause of the fall of Satan and the human race. 
Pride is the exaltation of self.
It is thinking too highly of self. 
It gives an undue sense of own superiority and independence. 
Pride causes most conflicts when it causes a person to seek personal recognition and glory, even at the expense of others. 
For even Jesus came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

2. Truth will always prevail.

People will see who we really are, No matter what front we put up.
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)
There are no secrets that wouldn't be exposed, and no ulterior motive that wouldn't be unknown.  So let's always check our hearts and thoughts and guard it for it is the river of life.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:45)

At the end of the story, Ironman's motives were corrected.

It was out of his unselfish love for Piper that made him give up himself sacrificially for the safety of the universe without thinking twice.
At this moment where he chose to die to one's self was the moment that he was exalted and recognized as a hero.  

The reason why Ironman changed brings us to the next moral lesson:

3. Love conquers all!


Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)
The love of Ironman for Piper made him unselfish. 
Love is very powerful. 
The Love that I am talking about here is not the typical worldly love where there is lust and malice.


Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. It's genuine love... Love that believes the best in other people.(1 Corinthians 13:7)



Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)


Love is the same reason that the once antagonist, in the story, transformed into a protagonist. 


An unconditional love expressed to the Soviet-spy Black Widow Natalia "Natasha" Alianovna Romanova. 



In this movie, Black Widow mentioned that Hawk eye disobeyed orders that commanded him to kill Black Widow. This had transformed Natalia "Natasha" Alianovna Romanova.



Mercy changed Natasha Romanoff into being a protagonist.


4. Forgive.



Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)


Black widow changed because of the compassion that is shown to her by Hawkeye. 
Hawkeye was ordered to kill her, but his not going with the orders added a new team member in the avengers.

As Christians, we should always be slow to judge other people and see how we were once sinners and it was out of God's grace and mercy that we are saved.


But he who has been forgiven little loves little. (Luke 7:47)


I believe that there is always one person that God uses to save another Christian. - a Christian who is so in love with God overflowing with His love joy and peace who was compelled to share this great news of salvation. 


It is my prayer that we always choose to be this Christian to another person, that we will always be a blessing who will lead other people to Jesus, and not the other way around.


It is also by this personal experience of salvation, that Black Widow had a strong faith that Hawkeye could be back to His senses. 


It is a deep conviction, that made her not give up on Hawk eye.

5. Be strong in conviction.

One of my favorite scenes in The Avengers  is the exchange of quotable quotes between Agent Phil Coulson and Loki. Here are some of the lines:
Agent Phil Coulson: You're gonna lose.
Loki: Am I?
Agent Phil Coulson: It's in your nature.
Agent Phil Coulson told Loki that he will lose. 
As Christians. we can confidently say the same thing to the enemy. We've got the victory! But do we really know which team we are on?


They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:18-24)


I pray that we will always be able to stand firm. To always have that strong conviction and unshakable faith - that no words or lies can make us believe otherwise. 


I have learned that it is necessary to be purposeful and intentional on knowing Jesus. It is through knowing Him personally, that would make us fall in love with Him deeper and trust in Him more.

6. Know your enemy.

We should understand our enemy, so that could know what weapon we could use against it.


For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)


Either you belong to the champion’s team or you belong to the loser team.

To win the battle, know which side we belong to, we need to understand how our enemy operates, and know what type of weapon to use.


Avengers
In the movie, we saw how Loki can easily manipulate the avengers. Loki usually feed lies to them when they are left alone with him.


It is in division, that the enemy gains power. We also saw how Loki made them turn against one another - just like the enemy, who will use our friends, to control us.


In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)

7. Speak the Truth in Love.

There will be times that we would need to speak the truth in love to a fellow Christian. Just like Captain America who rebuked Iron Man.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  (Ephesians 4:15)
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. (Ephesians 4:25)
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

8. Fight the Battle with the Right Armor.

Put on the armor of God.


Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13)




A summary of the Moral Lessons in the Assembly Begins (Marvel's The Avengers) movie could be found in Ephesians 4. 



Ephesians 4 talks about the Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ. 
In this book, Paul urges us to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. To make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. So that we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.