The Chosen - S1E7

Invitations

Summary

The episode starts off with a flashback scene to Moses in a tent working a piece of metal in a forge. Joshua enters the tent and informs Moses that more Hebrews are dying from snake bites. It is revealed that Moses was forging a bronze serpent, which angers Joshua, but Moses reassures him that all Israelites that simply look at the serpent will be healed.

This episode almost entirely on two characters: Matthew and Nicodemus. Both of them are starting to question their personal notions of what is possible. Matthew’s mother is introduced when he visits her, seeking comfort in his state of confusion. Nicodemus argues with Zohara, trying to convince her that he needs to stay and continue his research, but he can’t tell her why without revealing what he suspects about Jesus. Quintus tells Nicodemus that he wants to question Jesus to see if He is a political threat.

Nicodemus arranges a secret meeting with Jesus. Nicodemus tells Jesus about his concern that Jesus may be imprisoned or killed if He continues preaching and performing miracles. Jesus reveals His mission to Nicodemus and invites him to be one of His disciples. Nicodemus now truly believes that Jesus is the Messiah.

The episode ends with Jesus and His students walking past Matthew’s tax booth. As Jesus walks by, He stops and calls Matthew to follow Him. Without hesitation, Matthew leaves the booth to join Jesus’ followers and he is invited to a dinner party. Matthew tells Jesus that he is not welcome at dinner parties; however, he is told that the dinner will be at Matthew’s home.

Michael’s Insight

Nowadays, we have an incredible amount of religious resources. We have Christian podcasts, Youtube channels, prayer apps, and faith-based media like The Chosen. Most importantly, we have The Holy Bible. There are around 5 billion Bibles in the world, including Bible apps on our phones. Furthermore, we have a more literate society than ever before in history. Despite all of this, we do not have a strong proficiency and mastery of scripture when compared to that of our ancestors. I’m sure that many of you have come across someone who was able to effortlessly quote the Bible chapter and verse. We all wish that we had this extensive knowledge of scriptural passages.

First century Jews did not have the massive library of resources that we possess today. The young Jewish boys went to Torah school to read and memorize scripture, and the girls would have to learn from their parents if they wanted to. When Nicodemus perceives that Jesus is the Messiah, he immediately recalls Psalm 2. For most of Nicodemus’ life, this Pslam probably wasn’t much more significant than the multitude of other passages that he had studied. After all, the Jewish people didn’t fully understand who or what the Messiah truly was, or if they would ever get to see Him in their lifetime. So when in the presence of Christ himself in the flesh, Nicodemus knows what to do. “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling kiss his feet, or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled.” This scene is an important reminder that scripture is not just an account of the past, it is a spiritual tool preparing us for the end.

Megan’s Insight

Nicodemus struggles with the seemingly impossible things Jesus tells him on the rooftop in The Book of John Chapter 3. Jesus tells Nicodemus near the end of their discussion, “I know mysteries aren’t easy for a scholar.” In that moment we are called to think back to the opening scene when Moses tells Joshua, “It’s an act of faith, not reason. Faith.” I think mysteries are difficult for all of us, scholars or common folk. We want to understand and be able to reason the circumstances around us. God did not send His Son to save His people from the oppression of the Romans or our many earthly sufferings over the past 2,000 years. He came to save our souls and give us the opportunity for eternal life in Heaven. All He asks in return is that we look at Him, there on the cross, and believe. We don’t need to understand, we just need to have faith.

Jesus offers the words “Follow Me” twice in this episode. To both invitees, Jesus is asking them to give up a great deal. These aren’t desperate men living in poverty and hardship. Both Nicodemus and Matthew are successful and wealthy. Nicodemus responds with “I can’t”. He asks Jesus to tell him specifically what He is inviting him to. Nicodemus is fearful that Jesus is asking him to give up who he is. Jesus agrees; Nicodemus would give up a lot but He assures him in doing so he would gain something “far greater and more lasting”. The second invitation is to Matthew who turns over his key and title to Gaius after only a moment of hesitation to make sure Jesus was indeed speaking to him. Matthew has already found faith. He knows that what Jesus is offering is beyond the earthly wealth and success he is giving up.

Mitchell’s Insight

I want to focus on two lines from Nicodemus and one action from this episode. The first line from Nicodemus is, “When I met Lilith, Mary, that day, I told my wife and my students that she was beyond human aid. Only God could have healed her. Then I saw her healed. And here you are the healer.” Nicodemus is a learned man. He is intelligent and logically. In his discussion with Jesus, we see him misunderstand Jesus’s symbolic language. However, this line proves to us that Nicodemus understands exactly who is before him. Only God could heal Mary. Mary is healed. Jesus did the healing. Only one conclusion follows from this logic. Jesus is God.

The second line from Nicodemus that I want to look at comes right at the conclusion of their visit. This line does not speak to Nicodemus’s reason. He says, “My heart is swollen with fear and wonder. It can tell me nothing except that I am standing on holy ground. . . holy roof anyway.” He is amazed with the reality that he reached early and is overwhelmed with emotion. He stands before God made man. This is where his action comes in. Nicodemus falls to his knees and kisses Jesus’s hand. These two lines make me think of the Mercy Me song I Can Only Imagine. What will you do when you are able to look at God face to face in the holy realm of heaven?

Take to Prayer

Are your hearts prepared to relinquish everything that you have at the drop of a hat to follow the Lord? Try to focus every day on loosening the grip of earthly worries and possessions on your spirits and minds so that when the time comes, you will readily accept the invitation of the Lord.

Bible Verses

The Bronze Serpent

Numbers 21:4-9

God’s Promise to His Anointed

Psalm 2

Jesus’s Meeting with Nicodemus

John 3

The calling of Matthew

Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, Luke 6:27-31