Maleficent
Be Careful of Your Words and Hate Will Destroy You
Maleficent was a beautiful
retelling of a classic fairy tale. This is Sleeping Beauties story told from
Maleficent’s point of view. Read further but be aware of spoilers if you have not seen the movie.
At the beginning of
the story Maleficent is a young and happy fairy living in the moor. The moor
was the land held by the fairy folk. She is strong, powerful and kind.
A young human boy
is found at the edge of the fairy land. He had come into the moor looking for
items he could sell to better his life. He had taken a gem from a pond. The
fairy believed in leaving the gems where they lay. Maleficent stepped in and
got him to return the stone and calmed those of the fairy folk that were upset
at his “stealing”.
Maleficent walked
the boy, named Stephan out of the moor and back into the human realm. As they parted
they shook hands. The boy’s iron ring burned Maleficent’s hand! He quickly took
off his ring, his only worldly possession and tossed it away so he would not
hurt Maleficent again. Maleficent was touched by the boy’s kindness and
willingness to toss away his only possession for her safety and comfort. Before
they parted Stephan told Maleficent his goal was to live in the castle someday.
He had no family and was living in poverty sleeping in a barn.
Maleficent and Stephan
became close friends and would often meet to talk. On her 16 birthday Stephan
gave Maleficent a kiss and said it was “True Loves Kiss”. Shortly after that
Stephan stopped coming to meet Maleficent. Maleficent wondered what had
happened to her friend.
Stephan had given
into the greed that controlled the humans in that area. The king was greedy and
bent on finding a way into the moors so he could take control of the fairies
and their land. Maleficent had grown more powerful and lead the fairies in the defense
of their land.
The king made a
great attack on the moor boarder. Maleficent was there to defend the fairy
folk. In the fight Maleficent gravely injured the old king. The king knew he
was dying and told all his lords whoever killed Maleficent would become king
after he died. Stephan was aid to the king and heard the declaration. Stephan
came up with a plan to become king.
Stephan, now a
young man, no longer a boy went to find Maleficent. He sat and talked to her
about their feeling of the past. He plied her with drink that was drugged and Maleficent
fell asleep in his arms.
While Maleficent
slept Stephan pulled a knife to kill her so he could bring her head to the
king. He could not bring himself to kill the creature he had once loved.
Instead of killing her he took an iron chain and used it to burn off her wings!
He took the wings to the king and because of that was made king after the old
king died.
Maleficent’s heart
was broken when she awoke. Her beautiful, strong wings were gone! Worse she had
been betrayed by the only human she had ever trusted and yes loved. Maleficent’s
heart turned dark with hate. She became consumed with the idea of revenge. Once
she found out that king Stephan was going to have a child she planned on
cursing the child! She took control of the fairy realm and made herself queen.
Once the child was
born a celebration was planned to mark the birth of the new princess. Maleficent
attended the celebration and cursed the child. The curse was one of eternal
sleep. The only thing that could save the child was “True Loves Kiss”!
Maleficent thought it was funny and perfect because she did not believe in “True
Love”.
King Stephan sent
his precious daughter off with three fairies that offered to raise her until
she was 16 and protector from the curse. These three fairies did not know
anything about raising a human child. The only reason the baby survived was because
Maleficent was following them and watching the child. When the fairies forgot
to feed her Maleficent sent in her minion to provide for the child. When the
child wondered off Maleficent used her powers to save her.
As time ran on
Maleficent could not deny her affection for “the little beasty” as she called
her. The days before her birthday Maleficent reviled herself to the child. She
tried to reverse the curse but her curse could not be broken. Maleficent came
upon the idea of allowing her to live with her in the moor. Sadly this was not
to happen. The girl ran into a boy! A young prince named Phillip. When she ran
home to tell the 3 aunties that had raised her that she was going to the moor
and she had met a boy they reviled the truth. Arora ran to the castle to meet
her father.
The spell took
hold and Arora fell into her cursed sleep. Maleficent took Prince Phillip in to
try to wake Arora. She hoped that Phillip loved Arora enough to wake her but it
failed. Maleficent felt shamed for doing this to Arora. She realized that it
was wrong. She bent over and kissed Arora on the forehead and Arora awoke! It’s
was Loves True Kiss!
Stephan had gone
mad. I believe the guilt of what he had done to Maleficent and fear for his
daughter drove him crazy. He was so out of his mind he refused to answer the
request of his dying queen to come to her. He sat in the dark speaking to
Maleficent’s wings that he had locked in a case. When Arora came to him he had
her locked up instead of responding to her. He refused to stop with his
thoughts of killing Maleficent even though Arora was ok and had awakened.
Arora saw her
father’s insanity and chose to trust Maleficent. Arora freed Maleficent’s wings
and they flew to her and reattached. Stephan and Maleficent battled and Maleficent
tried not to kill him. She saw that Stephan was crazed and she knew if she did
not give up her hate she would end up the same way. In the end Maleficent won
and Stephan died because he would not stop attacking her.
The lesson I want
to share today from this story is a word of caution. Your words have weight and
meaning. When you curse someone, say mean and hurtful things or say things to
control them or change their behavior it will backfire on you. It is not what
you put into your heart and mind that poisons you it is what comes out of your
mouth.
In Matthew 15:8-10
Jesus said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far
from me. They worship me in vain; their teaching are merely human rules. Jesus
called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into
someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that
is what defiles them.
I believe one of
the lessons Jesus was talking about is of thoughts and actions and not so much
about food.
We can take in
hate and anger and either be consumed by it and spit it out to hurt others,
Stephan was. In doing so we are consumed by hate. We can make the choice to
take the ugly things that come at us and instead of cursing people (trying to
hurt them) we can return love instead. The hate does not have to consume us! We
do not have to be poisoned by it. We can choose forgiveness, happiness and
healing.
A closing thought.
Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and
tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps
you on the right cheek, turn the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue
you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to
go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not
turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Maleficent learned
that she could only win when she forgave Stephan for his deception. She learned
love is freeing and true love really exists. This is true! When we forgive we
are free to trust others again, not only the one that wronged us bot others as
well. True love really exists in the person of Jesus Christ and he can show us
how to live in that love as well.
