Happy Monday, friends, and welcome to another fandoms post! Today I’m thinking about the well-known refrain from The Mandalorian, “This is the way,” and how it reminds me of our need to follow The Way of the Bible. In fact, the entire culture of Mandalore kinda reminds me of Israel in the Old Testament. Hope you enjoy this post!
Fandom: The Mandalorian , “This is the way.”
Verses: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Isaiah 30:21, John 14:1-6, Matthew 7:13-14
Truth: The Word of God reminds us of the Way that we need to follow, and gives us specific instructions on how to walk in it.
The fandom
Here are some aspects of the Mandalorian culture that remind me of ancient Israel/Judaism:
- The repetition of a particular phrase that serves as a callback to a shared code of conduct (for Israel, this might be something like “Shabbat shalom” on the Sabbath)
- Caring for orphans and accepting them into the fold – Israelite law specifically commands taking care of orphans and widows
- The coverts that many Mandalorians live in remind me of Jewish synagogues and the Temple in Jerusalem – places where they observe their traditions and live in community
- There’s also a strong emphasis in both cultures on the Land and the need to return to it
- The idea of passing along the Way from one generation to the next is a strong reminder to me of Deuteronomy 6 and other passages that command the EXACT SAME THING
- No matter how divided they get, both cultures are united by their shared code of conduct. For Mandalorians, this is a more generalized way of doing things; for Israel, there are over 600 laws in the Mosaic/Old Testament covenant that they were commanded to follow
Now to get more specific, perhaps the most trademark aspect of Mandalorian culture, except perhaps the wearing of armor, is the phrase “This is the way.” This phrase is used in a variety of situations, but is specifically passed from one Mandalorian to another as a means of expressing approval or agreement with a statement or action. One example that I can think of for this is the time when a group of Mandalorians decided to go and rescue a child who had been captured by a drakon-like creature. They voted their approval of this mission by saying, “This is the way.” As in, the life of a child is extremely important to us as a people, and we must do whatever we can to rescue this one.
The verses
Here are some verses I found that talk about the need to follow the Way, that is, the instructions that God gives us:
“Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. You shall also tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. You shall also write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
This passage is part of the final speech of Moses, one of the leaders of Israel, as they are preparing to enter the Promised Land (for reals this time). He spent most of the previous chapter reminding the people of the Way, that is, the commandments that they had been given at Mount Sinai. These commandments, which were written by God Himself, instructed them to honor Him above all else, and to love and respect the people around them. And right after the reminder of the Way, Moses gives Israel the instructions on how they should follow or walk in it. Essentially this passage in Deuteronomy 6 is a command to keep the Way at the forefront of their minds, all the time, wherever they go, and to pass it along to the next generation. So cool!
Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.
Isaiah 30:21
Isaiah was a prophet who spoke the Word of the Lord to the people of Israel before they were captured and sent into exile. In this passage, he speaks to the rebellious nation, inviting them to listen the Lord, their Teacher, and go the way that He says.
Here’s another post I wrote about knowing and following the Way : ).
Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if [that] were not [so,] I would have told you, because I am going [there] to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, [there] you also will be. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:1-6
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14
Each of these verses speaks to the exclusivity of the Way that we follow as believers. Jesus Christ states that He is the fulfillment of the Law that all Israelites had followed for centuries. He is the Way to have eternal life, or peace with God for eternity. He also speaks to the fact that following the Way isn’t easy; we choose to live for the approval of Jesus alone, rather than seeking the approval of other people.
Application
In response to this post, here are a couple of “I will” statements to help us live out what we’ve learned in our actual life:
- I will put God’s word at the forefront of every part of my life
- I will follow the Way by honoring Him above all others and treating those around me with love and respect
My journal pages
Gospel connection
I believe that the Gospel message, or the steps of becoming a believer and receiving the gift of salvation, can be broken up into three parts:
- I am. Who is God? What is He like? Who are we, and why are we here? Is there more to life than just the time between our birth and our death?
- God is the Creator and Lord of everything that we know. He is light, He is absolutely perfect, and He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is also love, and He created each and every one of us to live in relationship with Him. We, on the other hand, are hard-wired to resist that relationship. Because of the rebellion of the first humans, our nature is to resist God’s rule, and we are therefore separated from Him. This separation is called sin. Our sin causes us to feel a void or emptiness that we try to fill with other relationships or pursuits (like pleasure or success), but that can only truly be filled with the relationship with God that we were meant to have. For more thoughts on this, check out this post.
- With you. How can I “fix” my sin problem and find joy, peace, and a relationship with God?
- There is only one way to restore the relationship that we were always meant to have with the God who created us, and that is Jesus. As we already discussed above, Jesus, the Son of God, came as a human to rescue and restore us while we were weak, helpless to fix ourselves. He showed the love of God for us by subjecting Himself to all of the indignities and suffering of the Cross, and died a criminal’s death, even though He had done no wrong. Because of His perfect sacrifice, Jesus was able to end the eternal separation between us and God, and now gives us the choice to receive His gift of salvation and eternal life. For more thoughts, see this post.
- Always. God shows His faithfulness and steadfast love for His people (originally Israel, now including all who believe in Him) throughout Scripture. He will always be with us, and gives us reminders of His presence and His truth through Holy Spirit, who inhabits every believer. Through Him, we have eternal forgiveness of sin, access to His throne room through prayer, and the ability to grow into the people we were always meant to be, free from the power of sin. After we die, we have the promise of Heaven, where we will see our Lord face to face and never have to suffer or be separated from Him again. For more thoughts, see this post.
I believe that this fandom relates to the “I am” aspect of the gospel story. God’s Word reveals who He is and how we can relate to Him. In every detail of the Bible, even the 600+ laws that seem like they no longer apply to us, He shows us the things that He cares for and the things that He will not tolerate. The Law also shows us our own sinfulness and our need for a Savior.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s fandom post. What did you think of season 3 of The Mandalorian? I’d love to know!
Happy fangirling!
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