Matthew 4:24
The Chosen (Season Two, Episode Three)
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing some thoughts and reflection questions for each episode of the TV show, The Chosen. I hope you’ll join me for this spiritual journey and pray that you’ll be open to hear what God might be wanting to communicate to you through this show! :)
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
“His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them” (Matthew 4:24).
What I love about this episode is that you do not actually get to see Jesus heal those “who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, [and] those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,” as the Gospel verse reports. Instead, the writers of The Chosen have chosen (pun intended) to focus on the behind the scenes of this scene, highlighting what the disciples might have been doing during that time of waiting.
The episode begins with Matthew and Philip walking alongside the large line of those waiting to see Jesus and hoping to be healed by Him. Matthew looks for advice on where he should begin his study of Torah, and Philip recommends the Psalms of David as a good place for him to start. As they are walking, they console those in the crowd and thank them for their patience, as it is evident that they have been standing in the line for a while. Philip shares Psalm 139:8 with Matthew — “If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:8). He reminds Matthew that no amount of knowledge or study can bring one closer to God or make him/her more or less precious to Him because He is always here, right now.
They return to the camp and switch spots with Thaddeus and Little James. It becomes obvious that they are taking shifts to keep an eye on the crowd and help and accompany them while they wait. Matthew reports that there are still fifty people waiting in line, and Big James questions how much longer until they finish. Matthew, Mary Magdalene, and Ramah begin to practice memorizing the scripture passage Philip shared with Matthew, while Big James and John finish building a firepit for their camp. Big James complains to Philip and Thomas about how they didn’t even have a chance to settle into their camp before Jesus started healing people. He says that he knows that what Jesus is doing is a good thing, but he wishes that it had started the next day. Thomas responds, “What IS happening? What are we a part of?” The disciples share in their mutual feeling that they have no idea to what they have said yes. They recognize how fast everything is happening, and yet, they are still trying to figure it all out.
The disciples, gathered around a campfire, begin to actually take the time to think about what will happen now that they’ve said yes, such as the fame and recognition they may now acquire. John shares that for his entire life, he has prayed and prayed for the Messiah to come and that he would actually get to see Him and know Him, and it almost hard to believe that his prayer has now come true. Philip warns the group that with the fame comes enemies, and that they will be hated by many. They contemplate how they would have responded if someone had told them back in the day what was to come, especially being a student of the Messiah and helping Him with His mission, and they each respond in different ways. Ramah says that she would have referred that person to her brother because she is a girl and didn’t feel like she could be a part of such thing as a female. Thomas says that he would’ve thought that he needed military training to be a part of such a mission. Big James says that he didn’t think being a part of this mission would’ve been spent waiting and watching Him heal others instead of “fighting.” Mary Magdalene says that she didn’t have any expectations, which is why the transition has been a little easier for her. She also says that she doesn’t think Jesus is waiting for them to be holy, but that “He’s here because we can’t be holy without Him.”
Little James returns the camp, exhausted and slightly frustrated. He says to Thomas that he’s witnessing people praising God and rejoicing after they are healed, but he thinks it is only because Jesus is healing them. He shares that he doesn’t know how many of them would believe in Him if He wasn’t healing them. Little James reveals that he has a form of paralysis which has caused problems since birth, and yet, Jesus hasn’t healed him yet. He recognizes that he hasn’t asked for healing yet, and when Thomas asks, “Why not?” Little James says that he doesn’t know. He feels grateful that Jesus has called him to follow Him in spite of his paralysis, but it has never come up. He is afraid that if he mentions it to Him, it will make Him change His mind about him or something. Thomas laughs and says that he is pretty sure that Jesus already knows Little James’ situation.
This short conversation was a beautiful reminder about how we shouldn’t be afraid to ask the Lord for healing. I’ve certainly had moments in my life where I felt like I would be bothering God with a certain request for healing, or, like Little James, that God would look at me differently if I admitted to Him the areas in my life that I need healing. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The Lord already knows what our wounds are, and He desperately wants to heal them for us. He won’t force Himself upon us, but instead, He gives us the freedom to invite Him into our lives and into the spaces in need of healing. Once we invite Him in, then the healing can truly begin!
HERE TO HELP
Mary, the mother of Jesus, arrives at the camp, and the disciples welcome her. She greets them as if they are her own children, and she asks them how their day has gone and if they know when Jesus will be finished for the day. She says that Jesus has always been a worker, which he gets from his father, and she event adds “both of them, I suppose,” referring to both Jesus’ earthly father, St. Joseph, as well as His heavenly Father. Mary sees the food and recognizing that the disciples look exhausted, she says, “I’m here to help” and makes her way over to prepare dinner.
After dinner, the disciples engage in conversation together, and it is obvious that there is some tension among them, especially revolving around Matthew and his previous life as a tax collector. Andrew confides in the group that sometimes he feels like he is living someone else’s life because he doesn’t worthy. Several of the disciples seem to feel the same way, and even Mary says that she definitely felt that way in the beginning too. She shares with the disciples that the birth of Jesus wasn’t easy since they weren’t in their hometown, her mother wasn’t there, and they had no midwife. But she says that when Joseph handed Jesus to her, it was like nothing she expected. She said she had to clean him off, and he was cold and crying and needed her help. She couldn’t believe that, as a teenager from Nazareth, the Son of God would need her help, and she wondered how long it would last, especially since she feels like He doesn’t need her anymore. She says that, as a Jew, she is excited to see everything He is doing for their people, but, as a mother, it makes her a little sad sometimes. She is grateful to be with the disciples for some time and wants to help them as best as she can.
Mary leaves to go check in on the crowd, and the disciples continue to engage in conversation with each other. Tension builds again between the disciples, especially around the topics of Matthew’s past and past mistakes of Simon that affected Big James and John, and Mary returns to the group just as things get heated among them. Simon admits that he can’t and never will forgive what Matthew did and what he caused Simon to do in order to support his family. Just as it seems like the disciples are about to engage in a fight, Jesus, exhausted and dirty, slowly walks back the to camp and simply says “goodnight” to the group. Immediately, Mary recognizes Jesus struggling to remove His sandals, and she hurries over to Him to help. She helps wash His hands, feet, and face while the rest of the disciples watch and realize how petty their arguing was, especially given everything Jesus did that day. She helps Him get into His tent, and Jesus still takes time to pray, even after such an exhausting and long day of healing people.
I’ll be honest and admit that I cried during these last few moments of this episode. It was an incredibly moving scene for many reasons. One, it reminded me of the many times that I’ve been so focused on the what that I’ve forgotten the why. The disciples in this entire episode were focused on the what. They were complaining about the timing of everything, dwelling on their expectations of what it was going to be like to say “yes” to follow Jesus, arguing with one another about the past, etc. They had completely forgotten about the why until they saw Jesus return to the camp, completely exhausted. Suddenly, the what wasn’t as big of deal anymore. The what is certainly important, but it has to be rooted in the why. This concept is something that is often forgotten, and I’ve certainly experienced in my own life. Second, it was a beautiful reminder of the relationship between Jesus and His mother. She loves each of us as her own children, which means that she wants to take care of us in the same way that she took care of her son. Mary wants nothing more than to bring us closer to her son, and it is a gift that she can be our spiritual mother, never leaving our side and always willing to help take care of us, if we let her.
EPISODE THREE REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
~If someone had told you growing up, that YOU would be a student of the Messiah, close to Him and help Him in His mission, what would you have thought? How are you striving or hoping to help Him in His mission, even today?
~When have been times that you have invited Jesus to heal you? Was it easy or difficult to ask Him to be healed?
~What are ways that you can let Mary, the Mother of God, help you?
~What impact did the last few minutes of this episode have on you? What did you notice stirring within your own heart?
