Shabbat
The Chosen (Season One, Episode Two)
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! :)
“I WILL KNOW HIM FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE”
Here we go!! Second episode of The Chosen. Right away, we see a RADICAL change in Mary Magdalene. Her appearance, her smile, her laugh…she just radiated a new beginning! She helped some women in a hair shop (a place where she would have been unwelcome in her former state), and later, she fetched a flower from the market, only to be seen by one of the religious leaders. He is completely shocked at the new, demon-free woman before his eyes, ran to report his findings to the others. Nicodemus, still haunted by what he witnessed in the “woman from the Red Quarter,” had been deeply studying about demons and exorcisms when he was summoned by higher religious leaders, who had heard about Mary’s miraculous healing. Nicodemus wanted to investigate “the miracle” himself, since he knew that he had initially failed to perform the exorcism and that “only God himself” could heal her.
The moment between Nicodemus and Mary Magdalene in the marketplace was so beautiful. You could tell how uncomfortable Mary was when he initially called her “Lileth,” especially because she said “she doesn’t answer to that name anymore.” She had officially closed that door of her life and had no intention of reopening it. Even though Mary didn’t remember Nicodemus, he was still interested in learning about what happened, and Mary shared that a stranger had called her by her real name (the name given to her at birth) and told her that she was redeemed. Mary didn’t know his name and claimed that she still didn’t understand how it all happened. What she did know was that she used to be one way and was now completely different, and “the thing that happened in between was him.” I absolutely loved that line, and how she said that she would know him for the rest of her life! It reminded me of all the times I have encountered Jesus, especially the first time I heard his voice speaking directly to me.
During high school, I went on a week-long Catholic HEART Work Camp mission trip in Nashville, TN with my parish’s youth group. Every day, we would report to our work site and build, paint, and clean for several hours. During the evenings, there would be time with our group to reflect on the day and usually a prayer experience. For one of the nights, they had Eucharistic Adoration with live music provided by the music team. It was one of my first experiences of praying in this way, and I remember feeling so happy to have that one on one time with Jesus, being able to see each other face to face. I was deep in prayer when all of a sudden, I heard the words “You are so beautiful. I love you, and YOU are mine.” I can’t explain how I heard what I heard or why I did, but all I know is that I broke down crying because it was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. I didn’t know it then, but those words would later carry me through several low points in my life, and I constantly think back to those words whenever I battle the “demons” of loneliness or insecurity. That special moment was a gift from God, and because of that moment and other special moments like that, I will know him for the rest of my life.
HOLY HUMILITY!
I loved that Mary held her first Shabbat dinner after it had been “a long while,” and I especially loved that she was open to having guests join her. Her spirit of hospitality was inspiring and something that I strive to live out in my own life. When asked why she had an extra seat at her table, she said it was for Elijah, but her guests informed her that that tradition was only once a year for Passover. However….guess who was the last guest to knock at the door? :) There are SO many details about this scene that I loved. First, Jesus didn’t force his way into Mary’s home. He allowed her to invite him in. How symbolic for how God doesn’t force his way into our hearts and lives. He gently knocks, but we have to be willing to let him in. Second, Mary introduced Jesus to her guests, even though he already knew two of them because they were his “students.” How symbolic for how we are called to “introduce” Jesus to others daily. Third, Jesus officially shared his name out loud. This gave me goosebumps because it was the first time that people were learning who he was, and yet, they had NO IDEA who he really was (at least not yet)! Fourth, Jesus invited Mary to begin the reading. Mary, already nervous about potentially messing something up, felt incompetent to lead, especially since Jesus was in their presence. Even though Jesus is fully capable of doing it (he is God after all), I absolutely LOVED his humility, as he encouraged Mary and shared how much he would like her to do it since it was her own home. This small act inspired me to continue to strive to live out humility in my own life. Finally, Jesus gave Mary a little nod after she finished reading. This tiny gesture, which you could have easily missed if you weren’t paying close attention, was so moving for me. It provided me with an image of how God might respond whenever I pray or do something right in His eyes. A small gesture of approval, one of a proud, loving, and supportive Father.
EPISODE TWO REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
~What is your first memory of learning who Jesus is? Who shared about him to you? How was he described? Do you still have that image of Jesus today, or has it evolved over time?
~When have you encountered Jesus in such a way that you felt like your life was completely different afterwards? What was your life like before, during, and after that encounter?
~How do you currently “introduce” Jesus to others? If you don’t, why not? How can you start today?
~What are some ways that you can model the hospitality that Mary shared with her Shabbat dinner guests (those invited and those unexpected)? What are some ways that you can model the humility that Jesus modeled in Mary’s home?
To watch all eight episodes of season one for free, download The Chosen app on Apple or Android mobile devices.
If you end up loving the show and want to “pay it forward” to help fund season two, you can either make a donation in the app and/or purchase the season one DVD set for yourself or friends/family.
