Sunday Matinee #132 Terminator 2
There's another way.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991
IMDb | Letterboxd | RRMC
Context: In 1984, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) survived a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger sent back in time to kill her before she gave birth to her son, John (Edward Furlong). This time, an adult John sent a reprogrammed Terminator back in time to protect himself as a teenager. This Terminator still needs new programming.
Terminator: Why have we stopped here?
John: Now you’ve gotta promise me, you’re not gonna kill anyone, all right?
Terminator: Right.
John: Swear?
Terminator: …What?
John: Just put up your hand and say, “I swear I won’t kill anyone.”
The Terminator copies the gesture.
Terminator: …I swear I will not kill anyone.
John: …All right, let’s go.
The Terminator drives the motorcycle up to the gate. A guard approaches.
Guard: Visiting hours is ten to four, Mondays through Friday.
The Terminator shoots the guard in the kneecaps. As he writhes on the ground, the Terminator opens the gate and takes his keys.
Guard: Son of a bitch! You shot me!
John: What the hell are you doing?!
The Terminator gets back on the motorcycle and assures John.
Terminator: He’ll live.
Luke 10:25-37 | EnterTheBible.org
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost | 07.20.2025
Context: Jesus and his disciples visit the home of sisters Mary and Martha. Each has a different way of serving Jesus. When Martha sees Mary serving her way instead of Martha’s way, she speaks to Jesus about it and gets a surprising response.
38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, 42 but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Commentary:
You’re onto something special when you take a movie about a killer robot and then make a sequel where now the killer robot is protecting the people it tried to kill. And no, I’m not talking about M3gan and M3gan 2.0. The two-part story of The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of those classic movie duos that stand the test of time. One major reason is because of the Terminator’s turn to good.
John Connor may be a different person as a man fighting back against killer robots, but he knew well enough to send a reprogrammed Terminator back in time to protect himself from another killer robot. It’s just as likely he knew his 13-year-old self would not only discover this Terminator is programmed to obey his orders, but he would give him new orders, including the order not to kill anyone. It goes against everything the Terminator has ever known. And yet, it’s what young John wants. You’ll protect me, good, and you’ll do it without killing.
If you’ve ever had someone tell you to go against your own programming, you know how difficult — or absurd — such a request is. You are who you are, pure and simple. You cannot be reprogrammed, though many will try in this world filled with talking head sound bites, divisive rhetoric, and devious veils meant to brainwash you. It works on the Terminator easily, though, since he is a machine. In this scene, we get to laugh at his absurd workaround. Yes, I shot him. But not to kill. He’ll live. Oh, Terminator, what are we going to do with you?! Cue 80s sitcom freeze frame and end credits theme.
The story of Mary and Martha often gets interpreted this way: Martha wrong, Mary right. Certainly, Jesus uplifts what Mary is doing when Martha confronts him about it. She says she’s putting in all of this work as a hostess while Mary just sits there listening to his stories. His response is that she’s doing what she does. That’s her choice. He calls it “the better part” here, though the Ancient Greek agathen could also simply mean “good,” as in good in a virtuous way.
I don’t necessarily see Jesus putting down Martha here. I know many think of it that way. Instead, I wonder if Jesus is showing Martha that the way Mary serves — listening to his teaching — has an importance that does not rival nor diminish nor take away from her serving as keeper of the household and preparer of the feast. We get it, though, because many of us have worked and worked while others seemingly sat around doing nothing. The little red hen story, right here in the Bible as much as we see it in our own lives.
That’s good. Martha does her thing and she does it well. And, so does Mary. Even if Martha doesn’t see it that way. Thankfully, Jesus sees it that way for both of them. Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell Martha to stop playing hostess or that she’s wrong to do so. His concern is with her worry and distraction. Is she playing hostess to serve or to impress? To contribute or keep busy? Only one serves the greater good.
Mary and Martha each have their “programming,” how they serve Jesus. Openness to a new way may help expand their minds, but that’s different than forcing them to change who they are. The Terminator has his programming changed so he is not just open to not killing but forced to proceed that way. Does it change who he is? No more than what adult John already did: program him to protect teenager John. That is who he is and less violent methodst don’t change the “programming” of who he is.
As the credits rolled after we showed our kids Terminator 2: Judgment Day, our oldest said, “Wow, that’s a good movie.” We said yes, it is. She said, “That’s maybe one of the best movies ever made!” We said, yes, it is, and in fact it’s in most critics Top 50 or Top 25 greatest movies ever made. Her young 8-year-old mind was blown away. “Wow, and we watched it!” That was a fun moment. Oh, and before you ask, yes we skipped a few scenes (stabby, stabby!) and muted a few choice bits of dialogue!
When have you been open to doing it new ways? When have you stayed true to who you are and it paid off? How is God calling you to healthy motivation — a much better word than “programming” — in all that you do for the greater good?
Glad you were here today. God’s peace and good movies to you!