Sunday Matinee #80 Heat
Listen to Nate; he has good advice.
2 Samuel 7:1-14a | EnterTheBible.org
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost | 07.21.2024
Context: Following a celebration with David as the new king of a united kingdom, a prophet named Nathan has a vision from God of the covenant God is prepared to make with David and for his descendants. The prophet Samuel who was there for Saul and who met David has passed away, and now it’s Nathan who comes to bring David the prophetic truth, and here, it’s truth that he wants to hear.
1 Now when the king was settled in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is with you.” 4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: 5 Go and tell my servant David... 16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me your throne shall be established forever. 17 In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
Heat | 1995
IMDb | Letterboxd | RRMC|
Context: Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is an expert thief who does daring jobs with high risk and high payout. Hot on his tail is Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), and he needs to know more. His fence, Nate (Jon Voight) obliges him. Like a good friend but also a good prophet, he gives McCauley the prophetic truth, and here, it’s truth that he wants to hear.
Sitting together in the car, Neil and Nate go over Lt. Vincent Hanna’s file. Nate gives Neil his take on him.
Nate: He's a hot dog. Graduate school, marine corps. Lieutenant in Robbery-Homicide, major crimes unit. He's taken down some heavy crews. Blew away Frankie Yonder in Chicago and he was a fucking maniac. He was working narcotics before that. That's the problem. He's divorced twice, current wife's Justine. He's why the extra heat. The vice sergeant says Hanna likes you, thinks you're some kind of star. You do this sharp, you do that sharp. Look how sharp this guy is to figure that.
McCauley chuckles at that. Nate presses on.
Nate: Funny as a heart attack, man. Three marriages. What the fuck do you think that means? He likes staying home?! Means he's one of those guys out there, prowling around all night, dedicated. …With this guy, this much heat, you should pass.
McCauley takes a beat, considering. Finally:
Neil McCauley: …It's worth the stretch.
Nate: This guy can hit or miss. You can't miss once. Are you sure?
McCauley nods.
Neil McCauley: I am sure.
To help with where we are in the story so far…
Sunday Matinee #73 - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
- 1 Samuel 3:1-20 - God tells young Samuel to give his mentor, Eli, a message.
Sunday Matinee #74 - Night of the Living Dead
- 1 Samuel 8:4-11, 16-20 - The Israelites tell Samuel they want a king, he tells God.
Sunday Matinee #75 - The Godfather, Part II
- 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 - God is not pleased with King Saul, Samuel meets young David.
Sunday Matinee #76 - Commando
- 1 Samuel 17:32-49 - The giant warrior Goliath taunts King Saul's army, David kills him.
Sunday Matinee #77 - Goodfellas
- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 - David grieves the death of Saul and his son, Jonathan, in battle.
Sunday Matinee #78 - Army of Darkness
- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 - David is made king of a united kingdom for the Israelites.
Sunday Matinee #79 - Kill Bill Vol. 1
- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 - King David celebrates while Saul's daughter, Michal, is upset.
Sunday Matinee #80 - Heat (You are here!)
2 Samuel 7:1-14a - Nathan tells King David that God believes in him.
Commentary:
A prophet’s job is to speak the truth, whether someone want to hear it or not. If a prophet speaks too much truth, they could find themselves out a job or worse, out of a life. But over and again, the Bible presents prophets who push through that risk to relay what they believe God has told them.
Nathan is one such prophet, working for King David. It’s up to him to deliver the bad news. So when David says tell God I’m going to build the best house for God to dwell, Nathan is the one to whom God says, “Um, actually…”
David does what he thinks he’s supposed to do: build a big house for himself and take the ark out of the big tent to build and even bigger house for the ark and God. But what David doesn’t understand is God is building a house for David, not the other way around. God is building David’s kingdom, his “house” figuratively. Your “house” will be huge and last forever.
God cannot be confined to a house. Or a church or synagogue. Or the mightiest temple you could build. God says stop trying to limit me and let me be there more for you. To this day, it is still pretty amazing how many of us try to confine God into a box in the shape of our own beliefs and ethics. That’s not how God works, not then and not now. Nathan hears all of this and conveys the message to David. Will he listen? Time will tell…
Let’s go to another Nathan, this one named Nate, in the movie Heat. He is a fence, meaning he’s the go-between - the “fence” - for Neil McCauley and whoever would pay for whatever he’s stealing. In a manner of speaking, Nate is a prophet in that he delivers messages to McCauley from the other side, giving him a mixture of information, advice, and warning.
In this scene, Nate warns McCauley about the heat. This cop, Lt. Hanna, he’s different. He’ll keep coming at you and he’s not going to let up. If you sat this one out, I wouldn’t blame you. But McCauley, for multiple reasons, decides it’s worth the stretch. He’s going to go ahead with the job, but perhaps Nate’s advice can serve as a way for him to frame the best way forward. Will he listen? Time will tell…
In both cases, Nathan and Nate can offer a message to David and McCauley, but they can’t make these men listen. That’s the other challenge of being a prophet - not only does the person you speak with either want to hear you or not, they also will actually listen or not. There is no guarantee. Most of us who have sound advice to share likely find that to be the case. Take it from me, this is the way to go. Will they listen? Time will tell…
We’re doing to circle back to these two relationships in a few weeks and see if indeed they do listen or not. Later, David will conduct himself in behavior unbecoming of the king, and Nathan will call him on it. Also, McCauley will be out and free and ready for a new life yet thirst for revenge, and Nate will call him about it. Who speaks the truth? Who listens? Time will tell…
Those Nates, I tell ya. They’re all just doing their best!
Who is a prophet in your life? Do you listen to their advice? Who will speak the truth to you even when it’s hard to hear? What does it take to push through the challenge of listening to hard truth to do the right thing?