I'm Your Huckleberry

My wife and I enjoyed watching the 1993 film Tombstone over the weekend.  The great thing about watching it on network television is that all of the coarse language is edited out (although I cannot say the same thing about the violence--but that's another sermon.)  The bad thing about watching it on network television is that with the added commercials, it is an investment in time.  Three and a half hours--we were committed.

For those of you who don't know (or don't remember, since it's been so long since the movie hit theaters), Tombstone is the re-telling of the fabled gunfight at the OK Corral.  Famed lawman Wyatt Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and their gunslinger friend Doc Holliday ride west to Arizona during a silver boom in the town of Tombstone.  Wyatt and his brothers want to retire from their jobs as peace-keepers and go into business to strike it rich, while Doc went along in hopes that the dry desert air would help with his tuberculosis symptoms.  They are all drawn back into the service of maintaining law and order when they see how the lawless Cowboy gang have infiltrated society.  

I was enamored by the iconic line attributed to Doc Holliday (played by Val Kilmer), "I'm your huckleberry."  However, in researching the meaning of the phrase, my wife and I are on opposite sides.  I believe it means that Doc Holliday took up the challenge thrown down by Johnny Ringo, one of the bad guys.  Doc steps up and engages in battle, despite the danger.  He doesn't back down.  "I'm your huckleberry," is tantamount to saying I am not afraid of you, I will fight you to the death if necessary.

A secondary meaning is that the term "huckle" refers to the handle on a casket.  By offering to be his "huckle bearer" (mispronounced as huckleberry in common usage), my wife believes that Doc is being even more forthright.  In her view, he was threatening to bury his opponent.  He was offering to be his pall-bearer, because he would soon be in need of a funeral.

As I am wont to do, I have thought about spiritual applications for iconic movie themes.  I am reminded of Luke 23:2-4

And the cheif priests and scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death; for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve.  And Judas went to discuss with the chief priests and temple officers how he might betray Jesus to them.

I have heard mis-guided Bible teachers hypothesize that Judas may have been a Zealot, that is one of the Jews who was looking to overthrow the Roman overlords and re-establish the Davidic line on the throne in Jerusalem.  He saw Jesus as an earthly king, they say, and wanted to push Him into a battle with the Jewish leaders so that He could claim the throne and go to war with Ceasar.  I've never believed that theory.  The Bible clearly says that Satan entered Judas, and that he went to the Jewish leaders to plot His death.

Satan was saying, "I'm your huckle bearer."  He wanted to bury Jesus, and dance on His grave.  Little did he know that Jesus was willing to give His life freely.  John 10:17-18 says, "The Father loves Me because I give My life.  I give My life so that I can get it back again.  No person takes My life away from Me.  I give My own life freely. I have the right to give My life, and I have the right to get it back again. This is what the Father told Me."  

In this sense, Jesus was looking at the Pharisees, and at Judas, and at Satan himself, and was saying, "I'm your huckleberry."  I will fight you to the death.  But it's not a fair fight, because I have authority over death.  I will live again.  You just wait and see.

Hebrews 2;14-15 says, "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives."  Jesus overcame flesh by becoming flesh; He overcame death by dying; He overcame fear by freeing us from the slavery of sin and death by His resurrection.  Hallelujah!

In the movie, the character Doc Holliday was dying of tuberculosis.  Therefore he took chances that maybe others would not take.  He stood up to evil men because he had nothing to lose.  Luckily, he was a good enough gunslinger to come out of those encounters alive.  In the end, however, he died.  The disease that made him fearless ultimately killed him.

In the Bible, we see Jesus able to overcome sin and death.  He stood up to evil men because He Himself was good.  He was humble enough to take their insults, their abuse, and their death upon Himself.  He was good enough to die for us.  In the end, however, He walked out of the tomb alive.  The death He died ultimately freed us of fear and disease.

There is another part of the movie that interested me.  In one scene, Doc Holliday and Johny Ringo have a conversation in Latin.  Ringo is insulted by Doc, feels threatened, and stands there menacingly.  Doc answers, "In vino veritas." (In wine, there is truth.)  When Jesus took the Passover, He blessed the cup and gave it to His disciples, saying, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  As often as we take communion, we drink it in remembrance of Him.

Ringo challenges Doc by using the phrase, "Age quod agis." (Do what you do).  In this scene, it has layers of meaning: drink, because you are a drunkard; watch what you are doing; do what you do best (gunfighting).  In the Bible, when Jesus took the Passover with His disciples, He looked a Judas square in the eye, and said, "What you are about to do, do quickly."

Doc brushes aside the challenge thrown down by Ringo.  "Credat Judaeus Apella, non ego."  This is a figure of speech that roughly means, "Tell it to someone else (who will believe it), not to me."  It literally means, "Let the Jew Apella believe it; not I."  The phrase originates from unbelieving Romans who heard Jewish converts tell of the resurrection of Jesus.  Sadly, they did not believe in Him.

Ringo doubles down on the threat: he taps his pistol, and says, "Iuventis stultorum magister."  (Youth is the teacher of fools.)  Ringo is warning Doc to tread lightly, because it may lead to unpleasant results.  In the Bible Jesus is led to stand before Pontius Pilate.  "Then Pilate said to Him, 'So you are a king?'  Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king.  For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.'  Pilate answered, 'What is truth?' "(John 18:37).  Pilate could not see the wisdom in Jesus' words, and thus admitted to being a fool.  "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Doc returns the threat to Ringo. "In pace requiescat."  (Rest in peace.)  This ends their conversation.  Jesus gave His disciples the final word on peace.  "Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid." (John 14:27).  Jesus tells us that our ultimate peace is not in death, but in living through Him.