Anyway, as Luke is doing this supposed “meditation” when suddenly an unexpected/undesired vision alarms him. He cries out and says he sees Han and Leia in pain to which Yoda responds that he must “control” himself, but to which Luke cannot, and lets everything fall back down much to Yoda’s irritation. Luke asks if they will be alright, and Yoda responds vaguely that it’s sort of the future and sort of not, and that he can’t promise that his friends will be safe. This is one of my favorite parts, and I think to most people’s relief, when Luke refuses to stay, but to help them–for love& duty’s sake. Yoda somehow conjures up Ben Kenobi to stop him, and convince him that it’s a ploy to get him to meet and fight with Darth, and it may “destroy everything you’ve fought for” to which Luke replies humbly that he “understands” but he apparently sees it as his duty&love to save them anyway.
Here we learn several things.
1. Once again, Yoda does not care for feelings or justice–but some blurred rationale of “losing everything”. Yoda then–suddenly–cares about Luke’s “training”–as if Luke has a big chance at living after all. Huh? Yoda’s consistency is very bi-polar. Yoda also says you can see the future, but “it’s always in motion” ? Looks like Luke is doing the right thing since Yoda never seems to be able to stick to his guns anyway–oops I meant floating rocks.
2. Ben Kenobi is a disappointment–or at least his spirited ghost is. Apparently all Ben’s old idealism of giving himself up for Luke and the rebellion turns into…a selfish desire for the rebellion to what? “win”? Wasn’t the rebellion rebelling against injustice and corruption and a bad gov’t system–wasn’t that a crazy idealism to begin with? But perhaps Ben is succombing to Yoda’s influence–or perhaps this really isn’t Ben at all, but just a bad nightmare.
3.Luke appears to trust his gut and his heart. Luke doesn’t appear to be daunted with details over ideals. Who gave him this kind of courage? I guess his Aunt and Uncle raised him right after all, cuz it sure didn’t come from anyone else in this movie. Notice that Luke doesn’t gush about tend to over-idealize or overly rationalize–he does what he thinks he has to do and even promises Yoda to come back (worst decision ever) but I guess the scriptwriter wanted to show that Luke believed in keeping his promise to strangers as well.
4. Finally notice a trend towards a sentiment towards Christian philosophy: That only God is able to see the entire future and have complete power to do anything about it. And that we, as Christians, must not try to use “ends-justify-means” because we are incapable of knowing everything.
That does not mean that Christians sit back and let God “predestine” us to work, because God the eternal (the Father) is outside of our sin, and we cannot excuse ourselves for it, just because God and us are working together. We just do our small part that we know is right, and pray for God’s (the Son) personal will for us in the present (the work of the Holy Spirit). Yes, it is a feedback loop. That does not mean God the Father is uncaring or uninvolved with us either. God wants us to choose his Plan, just as He plans us to want to choose–but it is easier to see his predestined will throughout history and the past than obviously our present or future. So unceasingly pray, and fulfill his personal and eternal will as you more discover it every day.
Jubilation 