Luke Skywalker: From Farmboy to Student to Hero of the Rebel Alliance, Part I

This post has to be written in the next 499 days, in order for it to make sense (assuming the saga of Luke will continue in Episode VIII).  In the life of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, we see a growth from farmboy to hero; from innocent child to mature adult.  The unspoken thing in each of those phrases is the path in between.  Luke went from moisture farmer to student to hero pilot.  He went from his innocence, through an awakening of cause which resulted in a mature Jedi.  This progression is a good way for us to talk about the Christian teaching of theosis. 

            Admired by the whole galaxy, Luke Skywalker is a hero who burst on to the scene in, what may seem to the observer, a quick rise to prominence.  The man who destroyed the first Death Star and the one who brought the Galactic Empire to ruin through his unwavering love of his erring father.  He unites the cause and is pure in his intentions.  His ascendancy from moisture farmer to general is a case study in the development of the human person.  As usual, my dear readers, let us use his story as a framework for understanding the lifecycle of the real world Christian. 

            When we first come upon Luke, he is a cocky but immature teenager who is trying to shirk his work and meet up with his friends.  He is a bit resentful of his Aunt and Uncle because they are keeping him on the farm in order to shield him from the dangers of the galaxy.  He is living on a desert planet.  The desert was and is seen by the Church as a place of purification.  John the Baptist went into the desert to get away from the allurement of the material world and to unite himself with God.  Luke is trying to get away from the very same thing.  He wants to leave the desert and taste the sweet things of Anchorhead.  What he does not realize at this immature age is that he is being purified from his inheritance.  Luke is no mystery to Uncle Owen.  Ben is keeping a close watch waiting for the moment when the boy will be ready to restore balance to the Force.  But for now, the naivete needs to be purged so that the next steps of his growth and development will take sure root.

            This is the level of purification.  It is during this phase of spiritual development that one realizes that there is something greater and better which ought to be sought after.  As children, we often yearn to be more mature (and now that I am in my mid 30s, I am not sure when that is supposed to happen).  In order to begin that journey, a spiritual soldier needs to prepare for that journey.  We need to purify our lives - reject all things that stand in the way of union with God and train ourselves in spiritual exercises.  The obstacles to Luke's growth were his desires to follow after his friends.  He was tied to a farm that he longed to leave.  When his opportunity arises, we see the purification process through the rest of the events leading up to the Battle of Yavin.  Through saving the princess, we see the change from the thrill of the adventure to desiring to be part of the larger quest to overthrow the evil empire.  His motivations become pure, and are guided at that point by the Force itself, through the voice of old Ben.