Summary
Episode 7 opens with the residents of Capernaum celebrating the festival of Purim. It is a joyous celebration of life, until the camera pans across the roof balcony to Simon smashing a pot in a fit of rage.
Andrew and Philip are traveling along the road and their conversation is tense. They are returning from the Decapolis. It is apparent that their ministry there was not received well by all. Philip says that their teaching has torn apart the city and caused “multinational crisis on the verge of erupting into violence, maybe even war!” He believes their mission was a failure.
When Philip and Andrew return to Andrew’s house they recount what had happened in the Decapolis to Judas. They explain that they told Jesus’s parable of the rich man and the banquet. Unfortunately, the crowd was a mix of Jews and Gentiles. The parable was not received well. Judas understood immediately why there was a problem, points Andrew and Philip clearly didn’t consider.
Tamar, Matthew, John, big James, Nathanael, and Mary Magdalene welcome back Thomas who has just returned to Capernaum. To their disappointment, Ramah is not with him. She stayed behind with her father to convince him to bless her betrothal to Thomas. The mood is somber but Thomas says he is hopeful. Philip, Andrew, and Simon Z join the group and discuss the impending crisis in the Decapolis. After disagreements about where Jesus should focus his attention, they go to Jesus and let him decide. The scene ends after Mary Magdalene asks Matthew why he had hidden away prayer tassels in the safe at his old house. Matthew is upset and storms away.
In Jerusalem, Shmuel is interviewing an elderly man and recording his account about an apparent con-man. Shmuel is trying to gather accounts of Jesus’s preaching to add to the formal inquiry being prepared by the Sanhedrin. Atticus is also in Jerusalem asking about Jesus for his own investigation.
Meanwhile, Simon stumbles into the Roman quarter of Capernaum. Luckily, Gaius gets a hold of him before he is arrested and takes Simon to his home. We are introduced to Gaius’s wife and son. We also learn that the other boy, the son of their former servant is very sick and that Gaius has told his wife that there is a Jewish doctor that may be able to help. Gaius leads Simon out of the Roman quarter but not before Simon questions him about the sick boy and what Gaius has told his wife about Jesus. Gaius reveals that the boy is his son, admitting his affair with his former servant.
Matthew returns to Mary Magdalene later in the evening and apologizes for his outburst. He asks Mary if he can explain why he was upset. Matthew tells Mary a flashback story about one of the shepherds that met Jesus on the day of His birth. Years later, this shepherd had come to Matthew’s booth when he was still a tax collector. Before Matthew has the old shepherd arrested for his large sum of unpaid debt, the shepherd gives Matthew the prayer tassels. Matthew tells Mary that he kept the tassels “to respect the genius of that old man. I also kept them as a reminder of the sins against my people.” The two have a beautiful exchange about their past and their call to redemption. Later, Thaddeus helps Matthew tie the tassels to his tallit katan during a humorous scene.
When Jesus returns, all of the Apostles except for Simon gather to discuss what has happened in the Decapolis. Jesus reminds them that He said not all parables will be understood by every audience. The problem in this particular situation, however, is that the crowd did understand and now Gentiles and Jews are fighting. Jesus tells the Apostles to return home and prepare to depart for the Decapolis in the morning. Jesus commands John to stay behind in Capernaum while the others travel with Him on the perilous journey to reach “hard hearts”. John does not understand until Jesus explains that John must stay behind to wait for Simon. The success of the trip relies on Simon so John must bring him along when he returns. John questions profusely but relents when Jesus insists that he ask no more questions. Jesus and ten of the Apostles travel along the road to the Decapolis the next morning.
Simon shows up to the new gathering space where Mary Magdalene and Tamar are working to find out that the Apostles have departed without him. Simon admits to the women and Zebedee that he didn’t know about the trip. John arrives and tells Simon to get his things. The two squabble. John is visibly angry when the two begin their journey.
Just before Jesus and the Apostles reach the Decapolis they are met on the road by Leander the Greek man, and Telemachus, a boy along with his deaf and mute father. Jesus heals the man and insists that they tell no one. A Jewish healer named Nashon arrives outraged by the fact that Telemachus’s father is healed. He also accuses Jesus of diluting the Jewish faith. Andrew and Philip run to the crest of the hill to see that a tent city has formed outside of the town just as a group of Syrophoenicians arrive on the road to confront Jesus and His followers. They demand a sign or provisions for all of their people displaced from their homes because of the violence and unrest. Then the Nabataeans arrive, also angry. Crowds gather and Jesus tells everyone to “settle down and gather in”.
Farther along the road John and Simon are still bickering. Simon is questioning Jesus and John shows his jealousy. They hit a breaking point and Simon is in despair when John brings up Eden. Simon tells John that Eden lost their baby while they were away on their two-by-two missions. Not only did Eden almost die along with their baby but Simon explains that the doctors say because of the damage she sustained, Eden may never be able to carry another baby. Simon is furious with Jesus. John tries to defend Jesus and reminds him that Jesus said this mission all depends on Simon just as the group comes into view in the distance.
Megan’s Insight
“Sometimes God sends a dove.”
What a moment. I’ve watched this scene several times now trying to decide what I want to say about it and I still find myself pretty speechless. There are times in our life when we have wondered, we have forgotten that we are a beloved creation, left behind our heavenly mission in pursuit of earthly desires, lost hope, buried hurt, or got caught up in the tragedy all around us; then God sends a dove, or an old man.
Matthew admits that he was perplexed by the old man. He said he kept the tassels to “respect the genius of that man;” the man that outwitted even him. He was not able to comprehend the sacrifice he was undertaking, but he kept the tassels because to sell them would only increase the regret and guilt Matthew felt for the sins he had committed. Little does Matthew know, even later in the scene with Mary, that this experience with the shepherd is foreshadowing a time that is coming soon when another father will take on the debts of his children at the cost of His life. Mary tells Matthew that the value of the tassels is not monetary, the shepherd wanted Matthew to have his faith.
Both Mary and Matthew have experienced trauma and pain that left them feeling alone and isolated. They had turned their back on the God of their ancestors. They had made such poor decisions and traveled down a road so far from God that they felt unworthy of being rescued. Mary tells Matthew about the day she had been ready to end her life by jumping from a cliff, but before she did, God sent a dove to lead her to the place where she met Jesus.
Mitchell’s Insight
“We failed in our mission. We created a mess.” -Philip
“We did not intentionally create a mess. We preached the words of our Rabbi.” -Andrew
Tell me which of these apostles sounds most like you? Are you a Philip, who is judging the success of obedience to Jesus’s command by the results he observes? Are you an Andrew, who is recognizing that obedience is the faithfulness to do what is within our control and leave the rest to God? Or maybe you go back and forth? I know that is where I sit.
As I have spoken about in this publication before, I try to frequently engage in theological and apologetic discussion. I have spent a substantial amount of time listening to Catholic podcasts, reading Catholic books, reading Scripture, and praying with saints that have gone before us. In my mind, these actions are my version of listening carefully to Jesus’s preaching. The dialogues and discussions about the faith, those are my preaching in the Decapolis. Now which apostle am I going to behave like? A doubter who steps back from presenting the truth because I’m not happy with the results? Or a humble servant who has been faithful to the command put in my heart and allows the Holy Spirit to cultivate the seed I planted? Be an Andrew, not a Philip!
Michael’s Insight
Jesus tells John that the success of the mission to the Decapolis depends upon Simon. John is frustrated by this as he thinks that Simon is neglecting his role in Jesus’s ministry. When John tells the rest of the disciples that Jesus said the success of the mission depended on Simon, they all look to Simon for answers, but he remains as confused as the rest of them.
Jesus says to John that the people they are going to speak to at the Decapolis have hardened hearts. At this time, both Simon and Eden have a similar problem. While dealing with the pain of their loss, they have allowed their trust in Jesus to be shaken by grief which has led to a feeling of resentment towards Him. Because they did not seek healing from the Lord and instead let their feelings of sorrow and anguish fester inside, they have allowed their hearts to become hardened.
The final episodes of this season perfectly tie in two significant scenes from the gospels with the show’s story arc for Simon and Eden. In the season finale, the importance of Simon’s presence on the mission will be revealed.
Take to Prayer
Mary Magdalene to Matthew:
Our lives have often been painful, yes? So we think life is full of scarcity and not abundance. But then there are those times when out of nowhere, somehow the world expresses its longing to be whole. And suddenly God steps in. And we are pulled out of our blindness and we are invited into redemption.
Do I live my life in scarcity or abundance? Where do I seek wholeness? Do I allow God to pull me out of blindness? Do I accept His invitation to redemption?
Shalom, Shalom
Once for peace, twice for perfect peace, complete wholeness.
Bible Verses
Perim
Book of Esther and Deuteronomy 25:19
Parable of the Banquet
Matthew 22:1-14 and Luke 14:15-24
Jesus Heals the Deaf Mute
Mark 7:31-37
Prophecy that the Messiah Will Preach to Gentiles
Isaiah 42:1-9