In Rogue One, the first non-Skywalker focus Star Wars film, we meet many characters with dubious backgrounds.
The call sign used when stealing the impounded Imperial ship, and the title of the movie is Rogue One.
The definition for a rogue is not a flattering one.
- Rogue is defined by Merriam Webster’s online dictionary as
- a vagrant or tramp;
- a dishonest or worthless person;
- and/or a mischievous person.
Rogue Characters
Just look at Jyn, Cassian, K-2SO, Chirrut Îmwe, Baze, and Bodhi.
We have an insurgent, a murderer, a former Imperial droid, a blind thief, cynical soldier, and former Imperial pilot.
They are not the most moral group of people.
In fact, Cassian admits that “Some of us – well, most of us – we’ve all done terrible things on behalf of the Rebellion. Spies, saboteurs, assassins.”
And yet this group of criminals was used to secure the Death Star plans. In sacrificing themselves, they were able to get the message out to the Alliance.
That message would spread and lead to the destruction of the Death Star, bringing hope back to the galaxy.
They were not the first group of criminals and sinners to be used to get a message out.
God Uses Rogue People
God can and does use anyone, and even at times a donkey (Number 22:28), to spread His message and to bring about the changes He wants.
Look at some of the “rogue” people that God has used in Scripture to spread His message.
Abraham lied, multiple times. Genesis 12:11-13; 20:1-2.
Moses was a murderer and stuttered. Exodus 2:11-15; 4:10.
Hosea’s wife was a prostitute, Hosea 1:2.
Lazarus was dead, John 11:1-44.
Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal, Jeremiah 20:1-11a.
Why Them? Why You and Me?
What did all these people from Scripture have in common?
They all had sinned but had a relationship with God who forgave them.
We have sinned as well. When we confessed our sins to God, believed in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were washed cleaned. Our sins will not be held against us by God.
We then are in a position to go and share our story of God in our lives.
We will be able to bring hope to people in need.
Just as those in Rogue ultimately sacrificed themselves, Jesus told us in Luke 9:23 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
But when we deny ourselves and follow Jesus, we know that He will be with us through it all.
Remember, He was in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In Daniel 3:24-5 we read: Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
