A Gospel-Centered Lens: High School Musical 3

Hello friends! Lately, whenever I watch a movie or TV show, I have been faithfully filtering it through a Gospel-Centered lens. I have found this very helpful because when looking at things through a Gospel-Centered lens, it always focuses on Jesus and His incredible love for us. It has become a personal challenge for me to look deeply at everything I watch and try to relate it back to Christ somehow. Some movies/shows are a challenge and some, are incredibly easy. So, this blog is designed to help point you to the cross and challenge you to filter everything through a Gospel-Centered lens.  

The first movie I want to dissect is High School Musical 3. Yes, I know... "That's a kids movie!" but oh well! I'm writing about it anyway! This movie is my favorite one of the trilogy and I find it very easy to relate to; even as a college sophomore. When I first watched the movie when it came out in 2008, I wasn't able to relate well to it because well... it's all about graduating and I was only a high school freshman. I didn't understand what they meant with everything. When I watched it a few years later, as a high school senior, I bawled my way through the whole movie. Why? Because it was spot on with how I was feeling at the time. This time when I watched it, I saw everything through new eyes because I was looking at it through the lens of the Gospel.

And here's what I saw....

1.  A Sacrificial Love Story

The whole movie revolves around the love story between the two main characters, Troy & Gabriella, as they prepare to leave high school and begin their college lives, wanting to stay together through it all.  They face several challenges throughout the course of the year such as parents determining their futures, early entrance into college for honors programs, and too many goodbyes.  Troy has been accepted to, and expected to attend, the University of Albuquerque on a basketball scholarship and Gabriella has been accepted to Stanford University as well as gaining a prestigious slot in the honors program causing her to miss the end of senior year.  However, Troy doesn't let that stand in his way.  He forgoes the scholarship at U of A to attend the University of California:  Berkley so he is closer to Gabriella.  He sacrificed being at college with his best friend, his scholarship, and more just so he could be closer to her so that their relationship wouldn't end.  

This love story is similar to the love story between God and the church.  God sacrificed a lot more for us than being with His friends for 4 years or a scholarship... He sacrificed HIS SON so that we could be made new to have a relationship with Him. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, ESV) 

If that's not a sacrificial love story, then I don't know what is. God sent His only son to die for us so that we could be reconciled to Him; so that the relationship broken by the fall of man, could be mended.


2. Freedom in Christ to Fail

The biggest conflict of the movie was Troy's conflict with himself as to what he wanted to do for his future... basketball or theatre? He was faced with the pressures of his best friend, his parents, his theatre teacher, and his girlfriend all dragging him in a different direction. He couldn't make the decision because he felt he was going to let someone down.

This reminded me of our freedom in Christ to fail because God will work all things for our good.

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:26-28, ESV)"

As this passage says, we may not always be able to discern the will of God by prayer alone. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit will intercede and help us during those times, praying that we will be pointed towards God's will. God will answer the prayer of the Holy Spirit, therefore, always working everything for the good of those who believe in Him. So because of Romans 8:28, we have the freedom to fail. Even if we make "the wrong choice", God will still use that for our good to bring us closer to Him and to further glorify Himself. This doesn't mean that we should just go around sinning because we have the freedom in Christ to do so... that's not what this passage states. This passage speaks more to the ideas that aren't laid out in black and white in scripture... they gray areas that require one to use wisdom to discern the will of God. God clearly says we should not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14), but some ideas such as dating, gambling, music, birth control, dancing, spending your money, home schooling, etc. are more gray areas that require a wisdom call are the ideas that this passage speaks to more directly.

Finally...

3. Earthly Treasures vs. Heavenly Treasures

Sharpay Evans, one of the main characters, is obsessed with being the center of attention, wants fame, fortune, popularity and more. The one song of the movie "I Want It All", clearly showcases this desire to be at the top. Sharpay will stop at nothing to get to the top as well, willing to sabotage her friends just so she can have the limelight.

This brought me to Matthew 6.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  (Matthew 6:19-21, ESV)

In American culture, the focus is on the individual person and trying to climb to the top to succeed. Media plagues society with the ideas of being "the prettiest" or "the skinniest" or "the richest"... trying to be better than everyone around you. Americans always want what's new so that they can "fit in" or "be on top" by having the newest car, the biggest house, the best clothes... Why? Because their hearts are set on the treasures of this world instead of the treasures of heaven. We have a choice... we can either choose to have our reward filled in this life by fighting our way to the top, no matter the cost, so that we may reap the benefits of this world 'while we can enjoy them'. We all have a choice to make: we can either reap the benefits of this world while we are living (because we can't take them with us when we die) or we can choose to have our reward filled later in heaven and lay up our treasures there where we can enjoy them for eternity. Ultimately, where you place your treasure is a reflection of where your heart is. Is your heart in fleeting, earthly matters like fame/fortune/possessions or is your heart in heaven?


It's amazing how a kids movie can have so many godly messages woven into it... all you have to do is filter them out! If you have any movies/TV shows you'd like me to write about, list them in the comments section and I'll do my best to get to them!



God Bless,


Danielle