The Charlie character in the Willy Wonka story is a perfect example of how to apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Charlie, my boy, you won! You did it! You did it! I knew you could do it!...Thats not Slugworth he works for me! I had to test you my boy! You won the jackpot!”
Charlie got a golden ticket to come to the factory with a gang of other children that also won a golden ticket. All of the children but Charlie had serious problems of letting their appetites get the best of them; they were selfish, self satisfying, and uncaring about others. These kids were also the victims of their parents’ weak discipline to just give their kids everything without any sacrifice on the part of the child. While going through the chocolate factory tour with Mr. Wonka, everyone of the kids did something that Willy warned and told them directly not to do. With each kid leaving the tour guide by following their self indulgence, they were led onto another place away from Mr. Wonka’s guidance, never to be seen again in the movie except for Charlie. But, Charlie was allowed to stay on the tour because Wonka had faith in him and didn’t have so much faith in the rest of the group. At the end, Mr. Wonka’s faith in Charlie was rewarded much to his delight and satisfaction.
Earlier in the film, Charlie is approached by a man claiming to be working for a rival chocolate factory and offers Charlie a reward if while in the factory he is able to steal the never ending gobstopper. Charlie steals the Gobstopper but then upon hearing that he didn’t qualify for Mr. Wonka’s reward, Charlie then is quite sad and is about to leave when he does something that we must all do, he returns the never ending gobstopper to Mr. Wonka. What humility! What absolute love! What an impressive offering! Wonka is overjoyed and now is able to trust giving Charlie everything.
I can’t believe I never saw this movie with this light before. Let me break it down. We are represented by Charlie (unless we’re a slave to our appetites, then we’d be one of the kids that didn’t make it). We’re given an opportunity to be let into this magical world with a guide leading us along the way which represents Christ being our shepherd. Satan is given permission to tempt us and test us but really God is watching to see what we’ll do and then reward us. Finally, at the end, Christ says you can’t have the prize because you didn’t do what I said. We are very sad and maybe very bitter as Charlie’s grandpa was at Mr. Wonka saying that it all was a cruel trick. But, instead of setting out to being an enemy to God and cursing his name, we are to give up our pride and love Christ anyway and make an offering to him of our willingness to be loyal to Him. We give up our life for Christ and then He rewards us with everything.
“What do you think of the chocolate factory?”
“Who can I trust to run the factory, take care of the Oompa Loompas for me? Not a grown up, they’d want to run things their way.”
Jesus Christ taught the children to be of the kingdom of God. King Benjamin said “becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” Just as Wonka couldn’t trust a grown up or a spoiled brat with his factory, God won’t trust us with all that He wants to give us if we’re not worthy and unappreciative of it. “He that is faithful shall be made ruler over many things” (DC 52:13).
