The Godfather is one of the best films ever made. At one point during the film, a character named Paulie Gatto betrays the Corleone family by conspiring with Tattaglia family (a rival family) to assassinate Don Vito. When Vito’s son, Sonny, finds out he orders Peter Clemenza to kill Gatto. In arguably the best scene in the movie, Clemenza’s associate Rocco Lampone and Gatto pull into Clemenza’s driveway to pick him up. Before he leaves, Clemenza’s wife tells him not to forget to bring home cannolis.
Clemenza and Lampone drive around New York City with Gatto all day to find good places for their family to hideout during the imminent war between the families. All day, they drive around town joking with Gatto, telling stories, and lulling him into a false sense of security. On their way back, Clemenza tells Gatto to pull off the road so he can use the restroom. While Clemenza is out of the car, Lampone kills Gatto. As Lampone gets out of the car to leave, Clemenza utters his most famous line, “Leave the gun; take the cannoli.”
This line always intrigued me because Clemenza was essentially saying that he did not care whether the police found the gun. He wasn’t afraid of the police. However, his wife told him not to forget to bring home cannolis. He was definitely afraid of his wife. He wasn’t afraid of the wrath of the police, but he was afraid of the wrath of his wife. Even in a gangster film, where there seems to be no rules, no morals, and no line between right and wrong, there is a code. This code could not be broken. This code was loyalty to the family, don’t be a rat, and take care of your wife and children at all costs. If this code was broken there would be consequences. Gatto received the wrath of the family when he made the decision to betray them.
As creations of the Creator, we live by a code as well. We are created in the image of God and our sin mars that image. When we sin, we no longer resemble our Creator. When we break the code of resembling our Creator, there are consequences. There is wrath. When we betray our Creator, we deserve due punishment. However, instead of us sitting in the seat of Paulie Gatto and receiving the wrath, Jesus Christ takes our place. He takes on the wrath himself and turns the ire of God away from us.
This week we want to challenge you to dwell in the peace that is propitiation. The tranquility that comes from knowing that your punishment has been fulfilled. How does this change your perspective on life? How does knowing the meaning of propitiation change how you interact with people? And how can you be a propitiation to those that need it?
Read more...
