The gospel according to Home Alone (2)

Title: The gospel according to Home Alone

Text: Luke 15:3-7; Isaiah 9:6-7

D.T Christ did everything he could to be reunited with what had been lost, and we’d never have to be alone again.

Introduction: During the Christmas season, we will be doing a series entitled “The gospel according to Christmas Movies” because I think we’ll discover the message of the gospel embedded in the holiday classics. As you may have guessed, our first movie will be “The Gospel according to home alone. You’ve all no doubt seen home alone before, you know the story. Young Kevin McCalister is left home alone while his family goes to Paris for Christmas. You may think that in a sermon that heavily talks about home alone, that Kevin would be the main character. However instead the focus is on his Mother Kate McCalister. When she figures out what happened, she leaves her family behind in Paris, and heads back to the United States in search of her lost son. Eventually after quite an adventure, Kate comes home and finds Kevin and they share a warm embrace, because her lost son had been found!

Our goal in this sermon series is to establish gospel themes in popular Christmas movies. We have a lot of directions we could take this. Specifically I see three directions we could go.

Advent We could make the case Home Alone is a parallel for Advent. When Kevin is first left alone he’s happy, however it doesn’t take long for him to miss his family. He eagerly waits for his family's safe return while having to fend off the attacks of the enemy.

Community: Despite the name of the movie being “Home Alone” one of the major lessons from the movie is “You can’t do it alone.” What would happen if Kate McCalister didn’t have the help from the couple in the Airport who let her have their seats? What would have happened if she didn’t meet John Candy’s polka band who gave her a ride home? What happens to Kevin if Mr. Marley doesn’t intervene after the thieves finally catch him? Without help, they would have failed. The gospel says a thing or 2 about how we as Christians need each other

These are good examples, however the best example of the gospel parallel found in Home alone is this.

Home alone in many ways is a modern day retelling of the parable of the lost sheep.

READ Luke 15:3-7

Luke 15:3–7 ESV

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Kate McCalister, like the shepherd in this story, realized the rest of their herd/family are safe. They feel comfortable leaving them behind as they are safe. Leaving the rest behind they search for their lost sheep.The parable of the lost sheep at Home alone share three important points.

The sheep are often oblivious to danger. When the sheep becomes lost, it usually isn’t trying to get lost right? It’s grazing for food, and in search of other grazing areas it becomes lost. However as they are lost, they often don’t comprehend the danger. Much like how Kevin was oblivious to the danger. Kevin is having the time of his life. He eats whatever he wants, he enters his brother's room unopposed. She uses his dads aftershave, he watches whatever movie he wants. However all the while Kevin spends a lot of time oblivious to the robbers who seek to do harm to his home and himself. However eventually Kevin learns of the robbers intention, and he realizes his danger. However, like the Shepherd, Kate realizes how much danger her son is in, which is why she is willing to do ANYTHING to find her lost son.

She leaves everything behind, and pleads with everyone she can find to help her find her son.

In the airport she pleads with the airline attendant, she pleads with passages to trade their tickets to allow her to fly back home in their stead.

She eventually finds people who trade their tickets. She also encounters John Candy and his polka band who give her a ride from New York to Chicago.

You know she was desperate if she was willing to ride in the back of a Ryder van with a polka band for over 500 miles.

Kate McCallister did everything she could to be reunited with what she lost, so Kevin would never have to be alone again. Until it happens again in part 2. This Kind of like a certain someone who was in his very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Yet made himself nothing, and being found in the appearance of man, he humbled himself. Though in this case, I suppose you could say he was found in the likeness of a baby in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. Christ did everything he could to be reunited with what had been lost, and we’d never have to be alone again. However unlike with Kate McCalister, there won’t have to be a part 2. Because what was once lost, has been found, and it’s going to stay that way forever. Let’s conclude by reading from Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.