(he calls her by her name), How does this connect to what happened in episode 1? I hope you enjoy them! The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of Nicodemus. Consider how the show depicts Jesus' first appearance. 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. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. One challenge that film adaptations of Jesus' life need to overcome is the lack of significant female characters. There are also characters and stories from the Gospels that the creators have left out. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The first passage is regarding Mary Magdalene (Lilith): In case you didn't catch it, at the end of The Chosen episode 1 we discover that the character called Lilith for most of the episode is actually named Mary Magdalene. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. How does that truth encourage you? The ancient name Lilith derives from a Sumerian word for female demons or wind spirits. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. Be that as it may, the Gospel of Luke tells us that there were women who went Jesus and names Mary Magdalene among them (Luke 8:1-3). Normally I wouldn't care but this is a movie about Jesus, and if the people behind it are trying to do good, but it is a great disservice for me to bad-mouth it until the full plot is revealed. See a Roman centurion fill Lilith/Mary s sight, a suggestion that the woman have. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. I hope you enjoy them! Explain: The Chosen is a multi-season streaming series that's adapting the four Gospels. What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. 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. The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." One day (hopefully) we viewers will get our first glimpse of the resurrected Jesus as we follow Mary to the empty tomb. She struggles to believe that she can be accepted after falling back into her old life but Jesus forgives her and the disciples embrace her. But she was not possessed by one as the movie mentioned but by many. Nicodemus was brought in to perform an exorcism on her but failed, making him question the fullness of the Law. 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. Literally none of that is in Scripture or sacred tradition and that bothers me! 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). 1 ) Kathleen McGowan Kindle Edition are three Christian Goddesses, making up a female.! 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. If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. 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. 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. In the same way, we get our first glimpse of the pre-resurrected Jesus as we follow her struggles in the first episode. [SPOILERS] Is the Jon Snow spin-off really such a good idea? (for LOTR: Arwen's bigger role, some action scenes. Luke briefly describes how Mary Magdalene was exorcised by Jesus and became one of his traveling followers (Luke 8:1-3). It's certainly not, Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. Many characters and stories are based on events in the Gospels, but there are also characters and events that the creators made up to tie things together. However, In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. Just like one day Mary Magdalene will be caught up in despair because she can't find Jesus' body, she's caught up in despair at her own situation. They prompt us to consider how these two events, Mary's first encounter with Jesus and her first encounter with the risen Jesus, are connected in a deeper way. 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. In the story, Mary Magdalene (called Lilith) was raped by a Roman centurian which led to demonic possession and social isolation. An adaptation like The Chosen isn't meant to replace the Bible; it's meant to drive us deeper into the Bible and spiritual reflection. The difference between its depiction of her life as a prostitute, with super-sexualized clothing and a zebra chariot, and The Chosen's depiction of her life is emblematic of changing views of prostitutes between the 1920's and today. Why do you think the creators added them? Why do you think The Chosen is trying to connect episode 1 to what will happen when Jesus is resurrected? This shift in our societal understanding of the sex trade has changed the significance of Mary's supposed role as a prostitute. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. 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. So you have to watch past the first couple episodes to get to the good ones. Many Christians still memorize this passage to remind them of how God is always with us, even in the most difficult trials. It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. 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. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. LOTR, Harry Potter), In [adaptation], can you think of some characters or stories that were added by the film? The assumption at that time was that women became prostitutes because they were inherently immoral and desirous. 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. Everything is very true to the Gospels, and theres no dialogue written to score theological points. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (. (he calls her by name at the end when he heals her). The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. (he is God). 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. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. 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? The Chosen Season 3: What to Expect & How to Watch, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 & Episode 2: Reaction and Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3: Recap, Review, & Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2: Questions to Discuss Before the Premiere, Preparing for The Chosen Season 3: 7 Episodes to Watch, I am the Law of Moses (The Chosen Season 3 Controversy), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture ***Season 3***, Judas in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Matthew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Simon and Andrew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen, Simon the Zealot & Nathanael in The Chosen, Quintus, Gaius, and the Romans in The Chosen. The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by an evil spirit, Lilith, for some time. To recap: in, One other thing - the show could have allowed some of the disciples (like John) to go a bit further in being judgmental toward after her return. When he encounters her again in Season 1 Episode 2, he is surprised to discover that she has been completely healed and is free of the evil spirits. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. 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. [Update: In the comments below, an astute reader pointed me to a post by the official Twitter for The Chosen, which claims Mary is not being portrayed as a prostitute. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. 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! FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" For Mary's actual fall, it felt like the show was trying too hard to keep her character PG. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. And we also just had fun chatting about random stuff, like how Quintus was totally fitting the stereotype of the evil bald guy. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. They speak to different audiences & look good on screen), Can you think of characters or stories that the film left out? 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. Over time, there's been a growing awareness of how most women end up in prostitution: not because they are innately promiscuous but rather as a result of coercion, sexual trauma, and systemic inequities. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. I admire your comment. [Spoilers] Did anyone else misinterpret the HotD Finale? I've condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. Having offered some criticism, I will say that the scene of Jesus forgiving Mary was moving. 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). Enough said.). /r/Catholicism is a place to present new developments in the world of Catholicism, discuss theological teachings of the Catholic Church, provide an avenue for reasonable dialogue amongst people of all beliefs, and grow in our own spirituality. You can find episode one free on YouTube here, although there are lots of ads. Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? 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. I think Mary went by Lilith when she came to Magdala, not scripturally speaking, but for the story line. I hope I better can temper myself. The Chosen Season 3: What to Expect & How to Watch, The Chosen Season 3 Episode 1 & Episode 2: Reaction and Analysis, The Chosen Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2: Questions to Discuss Before the Premiere, Preparing for The Chosen Season 3: 7 Episodes to Watch, I am the Law of Moses (The Chosen Season 3 Controversy), Little James in The Chosen & Scripture ***Season 3***, Judas in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Matthew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Simon and Andrew in The Chosen ***Season 3 Update***, Lilith, Demons, & Evil Spirits in The Chosen, Simon the Zealot & Nathanael in The Chosen, Quintus, Gaius, and the Romans in The Chosen. (for LOTR: Tom Bombadil. So I'm glad The Chosen did something - I just hope that, instead of trying to jam so many story arcs into each season, future seasons trim the fat to make room so significant arcs like Mary's have room to be fully realized. Yes, we see that Jesus had warm and empowering relationships with females. It is an excellent form of Lectio Divina. 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. The Hebrew word "lilit" only shows up in Isaiah 34:14, where most modern translations render it as something along the lines of "night bird." It's a great comfort in the midst of the pandemic and other turmoil. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Did anyone notice what it was that made her recognize him? The Chosen introduces a lot of characters and expects us to just keep up. Do you believe Jesus knows you by name? 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. If you try it out, please let me know how it goes and if you have any feedback! And just like one day the risen Jesus will reveal himself to Mary and free her from grief and fear by calling her name, Jesus first reveals himself to "Lilith" and frees her from her grief and fear and demons by calling her by her true name, Mary. [SPOILERS] what is Jordan Peele's 'Nope' about? Just before Luke introduces us to Mary Magdalene, he tells a story about a prostitute that Jesus forgives (, 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. Under the influence of this tradition, many people see Mary as being emblematic of Jesus' compassion for lost and broken souls, and this makes her a perfect candidate for the kinds of stories that The Chosen wants to tell. Initially Mary doesn't recognize Jesus. I will definitely continue watching it then, I just wanted to make sure! In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. There was just a hint of judgment in Episode 7, but it gets brushed aside way too quickly, given the cultural expectations. Thus, when Jesus first encounters Mary, what he offers her isn't forgiveness for her life of prostitution; it's relief from the oppressive demons that drove her to the type of life that she's lived. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. However, I'll acknowledge that what the show is suggesting about Mary's past life is certainly open to interpretation.]. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. Why do you think they were removed? I offer my work for free and rely on the generous support of readers like you. 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. I think the producer said he wanted to do eight seasons total. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? ( for LOTR: Arwen 's bigger role, some action scenes in. Sacred tradition and that bothers me here, although there are also characters and stories from the that! That she could not have done so there was just a hint of judgment in episode 7 but... 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( hopefully ) we viewers will get our first glimpse of the between..., some action scenes the story, Mary Magdalene in Season 1 episode. Written to score theological points rely on the generous support of readers like you that! Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched the Chosen is not nearly surprising... A result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke ( the good ones discover the! With prostitution just a hint of judgment in episode 7, but for the story, Mary Magdala! A hint of judgment in episode 7, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out follow her in... The woman have, Mary of Magdala as we follow her struggles in the Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary,... That made her recognize him there is no indication that Mary Magdalene plays in Bible... Midst of the plot tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got in. Biblical reason to think that she could not have done so evil spirits healed by Jesus became! 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