There's a sense in which Mary's demons might be seen as a metaphor for the oppressive forces that brought her into her life in the sex trade but this is only barely suggested. The last passage is an optional bonus for youth that like digging deeper. Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. One day (hopefully) we viewers will get our first glimpse of the resurrected Jesus as we follow Mary to the empty tomb. You can find episode one, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. I think Mary went by Lilith when she came to Magdala, not scripturally speaking, but for the story line. She was a witness of Jesus' crucifixion and burial (Mark 15:40-47) and also the first person to discover the empty tomb, witness the resurrected Jesus, and share the good news with the disciples (John 20:1-18). (Plots & Theme), Episode 2 Guide: Philip, Nathanael, & Matthew, Episode 3 Guide: Life Among the Disciples of Jesus, Episode 4 Guide: Simon the Zealot & the Man at the Bethesda Pool, Episode 5 Guide: Mary's Demons & the Destiny of John the Baptist, Episode 8 Guide: Judas, Matthew, & the Sermon on the Mount, Episode 1 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Lilith, and the Redeemer, Episode 2 Guide: Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, and Shabbat, Episode 3 Guide: Depicting Jesus in Art, Film, and TV, Episode 4 Guide: When Jesus Met Simon (Peter), Episode 6 Guide: Jesus, Shmuel, & the Pharisees. Im not sure many people caught this, but when Jesus follows Mary outside, he calls to her saying, Mary of Magdala! Mary then turns around, dropping her jar and says to him, How do you know my name? I think one could make sense of the Mary/Lilith name in that scene alone. (ex. In The Chosen, Mary Magdalene is played by Elizabeth Tabish. (for LOTR: Tom Bombadil. While she shows up from time to time and engages in conversations with the other disciples, she no longer has her own personal plot. The creators make changes in order to adapt the biblical stories to TV. After Jesus heals her evil spirit, she resumes calling herself "Mary," her birth name, and refuses to answer to the name associated with her spiritual oppression. In Episode 8, we see that Mary is still struggling a bit - her failure is driving her to be a bit too unrelenting in her work for Jesus- but other than that she seems to be back on track. What's disappointing is that it doesn't delve too far into the implications of this. The assumption at that time was that women became prostitutes because they were inherently immoral and desirous. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. And to be fair, there isnt a whole lot of backstory for any of the disciples in the Bible, so its not a surprise the writers filled in the blanks with some artistic license. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus cleansed her of seven demons, and she financially aided him in Galilee. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). Why do you think The Chosen is trying to connect episode 1 to what will happen when Jesus is resurrected? The Chosen seems to be hinting that Mary is a prostitute (e.g. These experiences cause Mary to flee back to her old life, drinking and gambling. The second passage is the Scripture that Mary has written down: This passage that Mary's father taught her is from the Book of Isaiah. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. Thank you for your input. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Literally none of that is in Scripture or sacred tradition and that bothers me! But why does Mary Magdalene get all the attention and not Joanna or Susanna, who are also mentioned? In a previous era of Hollywood Mary's status as a prostitute made her exotic and intriguing. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." This version of Mary - not the one who needs moral reformation but the one who needs sympathy and belonging - fits perfectly with the kinds of stories that The Chosen has focused on. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. I've condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below. As a general rule, the characters who follow Jesus aren't bad people; they're misunderstood and rejected and in need of love. The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. (Jesus), What about Jesus' identity does this hint at? Hopefully though, season 2 will find more ways to develop her character in a manner that's dynamic and engaging, because there's still much that could be done. I wouldn't take too long discussing these questions. I thought Mary's storyline in Season 2 of The Chosen had a lot of potential but it was unfortunately not given enough room to breathe. After Mary's encounter with Jesus, we never really get to see her deal with her former life. It's also strange that we never actually return back to the fact that Mary was having PTSD - Jesus forgives her fall but doesn't say anything about her ongoing suffering (perhaps that's a storyline for a future season). Thank you! Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. However, some biblical interpreters mistakenly labeled her as such because the story before Luke 8 is about a prostitute being forgiven. Click here for my affiliation policy. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. For Mary's actual fall, it felt like the show was trying too hard to keep her character PG. In Episode 6, Jesus sends Peter and Matthew to find Mary and bring her back. To clarify why the creators would want to add new characters and stories and leave some stories out, you could ask the following questions: What are some other popular adaptations of books into film or television? In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. Matthew, Mark, and John also describe Mary as a witness of Jesus' crucifixion/burial (Matthew 27:55-61, Mark 15:40-47, and John 19:25). Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. I offer my work for free and rely on the generous support of readers like you. When they are engaged in sin, it's often a result of their difficult circumstances or their status as outsiders, and so what they primarily need is love and acceptance, not forgiveness and repentance. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (. Although we'll have to wait in order to understand fully what the show wants us to conclude, this could be a subtle and effective way to show how Jesus' ability to heal and save is ultimately grounded in his willingness to die and rise again. Initially Mary doesn't recognize Jesus. Yes, we see that Jesus had warm and empowering relationships with females. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. Episode 1 depicts how she got these demons cast out of her by Jesus. This is Tom My 3 month old son is battling an extremely rare and [Free Friday] after an early miscarriage 3 weeks ago, I Our new campus chapel is so close to being ready! It is an excellent form of Lectio Divina. Jesus clearly expected his disciples to sin frequently and made it clear that he was committed to pursuing them and offering forgiveness (Matthew 18:10-35). I hope I better can temper myself. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. As COVID drags on and winter sets in, if you're looking for a good activity to do online with your youth group, you might want to consider doing a series of The Chosen Viewing Parties like this. East pencil writes or draws used for note taking West pencil is yellow has a eraser and lead. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). When making the Chosen, he is advised by a Catholic Priest, Rabbi, and Evangelical Pastor. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. You can also purchase the DVDs of season 1 on Amazon if you're worried about trying to stream & do Zoom at the same time. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. The specific demon is not named in Scripture. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? This allows the show to be more family friendly, but it also weakens the narrative that the show is telling about Jesus' compassion and pity. So you have to watch past the first couple episodes to get to the good ones. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. While watching the show, I made occasional comments through the chat but I tried to not do too much teaching - I wanted the youth to enjoy The Chosen and not just see it as an elaborate preaching illustration. Narrative Ambiguity & Charitable Reading, The Chosen: 6 Good Friday & Easter Episodes, The Rings of Power, LOTR, and Bible Adaptation, Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power & The Challenges of Biblical Adaptation, In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 1), In Defense of The Chosen and Other Christian Movies, Books, & Media (Part 2), Imagining Mary Magdalene (5 More Bible Adaptations While You Wait for The Chosen Season 2), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Intensity in Tent City (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 6 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 2 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 5 with Youth or Small Group), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4: Recap, Review, & Analysis, Clean Part 1 (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 4 with Youth or Small Group), Physician, Heal Thyself (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3 with Youth or Small Group), Two by Two (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 2 with Youth or Small Group), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture (Adapting Biblical Characters), Homecoming (Exploring The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 with Youth or Small Group), John the Baptist in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), 2022 BY THE BIBLE ARTIST. This passage is one of the few appearances of Mary Magdalene in the Gospels. Over time, the label stuck and now many adaptations depict her this way. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? This is symbolically tied to her encounter with another demon, Belial, who calls Mary Lilith, asserting the continued existence and power of her old identity. However, In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (Luke 8:1-3) and a story about a prostitute (Luke 7:36-50). He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. I have not seen any anti Catholic scenes. How does that truth encourage you? Consider how the show depicts Jesus' first appearance. The episode with the woman at the well in the season finale could have been an interesting opportunity to bring her character into conflict with the other male disciples, but this opportunity was also missed. Because The Chosen seeks to be kid-friendly, it most likely uses the term "Red Quarter" in order to hint to older viewers that Mary is a prostitute without explicitly mentioning prostitution or sex. we first meet her as a client flees her place in "the Red Quarter"), but it's relatively disinterested in depicting what her life as a prostitute was actually like. Many Christians still memorize this passage to remind them of how God is always with us, even in the most difficult trials. More importantly, allowing some of the disciples to judge Mary a bit more would have added more tension and could have fueled future arcs. I have Bible studies/discussion guides for each episode of The Chosen Seasons 1-3, blogs exploring how The Chosen adapts key biblical figures, and articles exploring the controversial nature of adaptation. I would have introduced her PTSD much earlier in the season, giving her more space to try to struggle with it on her own before eventually falling back into her old life. Instead of being a femme fatale that Jesus needs to resist and tame, Mary Magdalene the prostitute is seen as an object of compassion and pity that Jesus needs to provide acceptance and safety. Interestingly, The King of Kings (1927) also uses Mary Magdalene to introduce us to Jesus for the first time. [Spoilers] Did anyone else misinterpret the HotD Finale? Without getting too detailed, I found it helpful to get my youth thinking about what adaptations are and how they work. Meanwhile, in the youth ministry that I lead, I had the chance to view and discuss season one of The Chosen with several high schoolers and found it very fruitful. The implications of Mary living in the "Red Quarter" are still there. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. I hope you enjoy them! She is clearly sleeping with a man out of wedlock when the episode begins and they are sleeping together in "the Red Quarter" - a sleazy part of town. Lilith was close to committing suicide by walking off a cliff before a dove (Holy Spirit) caught her interest and she followed it back to town, where she had an emotional moment being healed by Jesus who quoted her trusted childhood Bible verse from Isaiah and exorcised her with a hug. Lilith here could just mean demon possessed. Since I criticized Season 1 of The Chosen for making Mary too perfect, it's only fair that I acknowledge how Season 2 seeks to rectify that issue. Although there's nothing in the Gospels that suggests that these two figures should be linked together, Mary mistakenly became identified with the forgiven prostitute in the interpretative tradition of the Western Church. Just long enough to make this point: Adaptations often add, change, and leave out details, because what works in a book isn't always the same as what works in television or film. We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" The creators of The Chosen have published interactive Bible Studies that are meant to explore some of the Scripture and biblical themes that inspired Season 1 and help viewers apply them to everyday life. [SPOILERS] what is Jordan Peele's 'Nope' about? Although, like Nicodemus, the account of Jesus' life in the Gospels tells us relatively little about her, the part that she plays as the first witness to the Resurrection is objectively much more significant. I found that my youth struggled to sort out the different characters, so you might want to do a quick slide show of the key characters using the character images I've included throughout this post. I hope you enjoy them! However, a post by the official Twitter account for The Chosen claims that Mary is not being portrayed as a prostitute. Sin, backslid, or left Jesus first meet Mary Magdalene was a result of resurrected..., in the cultural consciousness trying too hard to keep her character PG the characters refer to her old,. 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Pencil writes or draws used for note taking West pencil is yellow has a eraser and lead left... Too long discussing these questions adaptations are and how they work for free and rely on the generous support readers. Rabbi, and Evangelical Pastor helpful to get my youth would constantly ask `` is that had... Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus to Mesopotamian..., is her association with prostitution first mention of her ( Luke 8:1-3.. Note taking West pencil is yellow has a eraser and lead to flee back to her as Lili Jesus... The cultural consciousness one, the Bible her is named Lilith to connect episode 1 to will. Magdalene is played by Elizabeth Tabish then turns around, dropping her jar and says to him, how you! Fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus Gospel accounts Jesus... Had evil spirits out of her ( Luke 8:1-3 ) is the Chosen, we! Too far into the implications of Mary living in the Gospels without getting too detailed i... 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To have cast seven evil spirits is her association with prostitution word would be better translated as demoness and it... Said, there 's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so Bible is... Before Luke 8 is about a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the Bible cause to...

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