PROUDLY CREATED WITH WIX.COM, Mary Magdalene in The Chosen (Adapting Biblical Characters), Mary and Nicodemus in Season 1 of The Chosen, The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of, Be that as it may, the Gospel of Luke tells us that there were women who went Jesus and names Mary Magdalene among them (, But why does Mary Magdalene get all the attention and not Joanna or Susanna, who are also mentioned? (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. 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. Catholic priest burned to death, another shot in north Press J to jump to the feed. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. In Episode 6, Jesus sends Peter and Matthew to find Mary and bring her back. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. 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). 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. The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. The assumption at that time was that women became prostitutes because they were inherently immoral and desirous. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (, As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Describe a pencil. So you have to watch past the first couple episodes to get to the good ones. In the passage, who is it that says, "I have called you by name"? The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of Nicodemus. 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. Why do you think they were removed? There are also characters and stories from the Gospels that the creators have left out. Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (. After sharing that information, you can ask: What stuck out to you about Mary Magdalene's depiction in The Chosen? Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? Expert Answers: The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. I agree with the Twitter post that the show clearly depicts Mary as a victim of rape/sexual assault, but prostitutes often are victims of rape and sexual assault. However, In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. As a result, adaptations of the Gospels from previous generations place a greater emphasis on how Jesus calls Mary to repent and brings about her moral transformation. Have my posts about Bible adaptation helped you learn more about the Bible and explore it with your ministry or family? Anyway, I love the series. Starting around episode three I think is when it finds its groove. After Mary's encounter with Jesus, we never really get to see her deal with her former life. 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. 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. East pencil writes or draws used for note taking West pencil is yellow has a eraser and lead. 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. 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." FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. They speak to different audiences & look good on screen), Can you think of characters or stories that the film left out? Did anyone notice what it was that made her recognize him? 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. 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. 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. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (, As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Season 2 Reflection P1: What is The Chosen Season 2 about? The Gospels never refer to Mary as Lilith. [SPOILERS] Is the Jon Snow spin-off really such a good idea? There was just a hint of judgment in Episode 7, but it gets brushed aside way too quickly, given the cultural expectations. Episode 1 depicts how she got these demons cast out of her by Jesus. I offer my work for free and rely on the generous support of readers like you. 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. 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. . Thats as far off-script as they go for the rest of the season, everything else is pretty true to a harmonized Gospel narrative. /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. In The Chosen, when we first Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by evil spirits for some time. Below I'll share an outline describing how to do a Viewing Party for The Chosen Episode 1 (I Have Called You by Name). 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. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. Lilith here could just mean demon possessed. Over the past year, we've been exploring how The Chosen adapts biblical characters like Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, Peter, Andrew, Matthew, Jesus, and the Romans. By. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Luke briefly describes how Mary Magdalene was exorcised by Jesus and became one of his traveling followers (Luke 8:1-3). According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus cleansed her of seven demons, and she financially aided him in Galilee. Thank you for your input. [SPOILERS] what is Jordan Peele's 'Nope' about? PROUDLY CREATED WITH WIX.COM, Mary Magdalene, Lilith, & the Redeemer (Exploring The Chosen with Youth), Elizabeth Tabish as Lilith/Mary Magdalene in The Chosen, Over the past year, we've been exploring how The Chosen adapts biblical characters like, You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. 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. Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. The Chosen introduces a lot of characters and expects us to just keep up. Although The Chosen is still a few seasons away from the Resurrection of Jesus, it is clearly beginning with the end in mind. While she shows up from time to time and engages in conversations with the other disciples, she no longer has her own personal plot. In the modern vernacular, a "red light district" is a term that refers to an area of the city known for prostitution, strip clubs, and other immoral establishments. You may want to warn students beforehand that this episode contains some demonic activity. It hints at where the show is going: This passage takes place after Jesus' death and resurrection at the end of the Gospels. It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. 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. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. I've condensed the lesson into an easily printable pdf below. 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. Because The Chosen seeks to be kid-friendly, it may use the term "Red Quarter" in order to hint to older viewers that Mary is either a prostitute or a sexually immoral woman without explicitly mentioning prostitution or sex. Without getting too detailed, I found it helpful to get my youth thinking about what adaptations are and how they work. This passage is one of the few appearances of Mary Magdalene in the Gospels. 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. However, some biblical interpreters mistakenly labeled her as such because the story before Luke 8 is about a prostitute being forgiven. 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? Im not a person who cries during Jesus movies, but Ive cried several times during this series, because you can just feel the humanity of the scenes and everything is ten times more relatable. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. 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. Mary Magdalene was a female disciple who traveled with Jesus during his ministry (Luke 8:1-3). This is not a theologian or an apologist. What do you think Mary's life was like before Jesus showed up? Its not perfect, but its a pretty great start. Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus. In the Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene fell back into sin, backslid, or left Jesus. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. (ex. In The Chosen, Mary Magdalene is played by Elizabeth Tabish. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. The Chosen does the "misunderstood reject rather than sinner" quite a bit in Season 1, but I think it's a sensible direction for Mary's character. 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). 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. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. [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. We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" Why do you think the creators added them? 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. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. 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? He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. It is an excellent form of Lectio Divina. I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. 1 ) Kathleen McGowan Kindle Edition are three Christian Goddesses, making up a female.! Thank you! Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. But she was not possessed by one as the movie mentioned but by many. I admire your comment. every time a new character showed up. Jesus clearly expected his disciples to sin frequently and made it clear that he was committed to pursuing them and offering forgiveness (. In The Chosen, during Season 2, Episodes 5-6, Mary Magdalene briefly leaves Jesus and falls back into sin, before being sought out, forgiven, and restored to ministry. For Mary's actual fall, it felt like the show was trying too hard to keep her character PG. I love this series. I will definitely continue watching it then, I just wanted to make sure! What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. 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. The Chosen seems to be hinting that Mary is a prostitute (e.g. 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. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. Everything is very true to the Gospels, and theres no dialogue written to score theological points. In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Do you believe Jesus knows you by name? The creators of The Chosen probably chose this name because it is associated with demons in Jewish traditions. He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. (he is God). There you go! I hope I better can temper myself. 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. Thank you! Until Jesus shows up, some youth may find the show a little slow. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. Episode 8 Guide: The Woman at the Well, Eden, & Zohara, Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, The Chosen Season 2 Controversy (Jesus, the Bible, & the Process of Inspiration), Should Nicodemus Kneel? As it was, we didn't really get a good sense of why Mary responded the way she did. Explain: The Chosen is a multi-season streaming series that's adapting the four Gospels. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. Why do you think The Chosen is trying to connect episode 1 to what will happen when Jesus is resurrected? I hope you enjoy them! All four Gospels suggest Mary was the first witness of the resurrected Jesus (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-11, and John 20:1-18). 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. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. (he calls her by her name), How does this connect to what happened in episode 1? More importantly, allowing some of the disciples to judge Mary a bit more would have added more tension and could have fueled future arcs. In the same way, we get our first glimpse of the pre-resurrected Jesus as we follow her struggles in the first episode. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. (the Lord), Who is it that says these words in the show? Personally, I would have been much more interested in a subplot about Mary's former pimp trying to coerce her back into her former life than I am with the overly long fish taxation plot. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. For the most part, I just clarified who characters were (see my comment above) and occasionally I briefly explained a reference or allusion that was confusing to my youth. How does that truth encourage you? 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. 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. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. One day (hopefully) we viewers will get our first glimpse of the resurrected Jesus as we follow Mary to the empty tomb. 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. They were fully engaged by the show on the level of entertainment but also seemed solidify their understanding of important gospel events and figures, as well as the cultural context. Her name always was Mary, but through her past of turmoil, mental illness, rape, or whatever else caused her to be mentally tortured, she led everyone to believe she was Lilith. Interestingly, The King of Kings (1927) also uses Mary Magdalene to introduce us to Jesus for the first time. There was just a hint of judgment in, Mary Magdalene was a female disciple who traveled with Jesus during his ministry (, All four Gospels suggest Mary was the first witness of the resurrected Jesus (, The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. This shift in our societal understanding of the sex trade has changed the significance of Mary's supposed role as a prostitute. Over time, the label stuck and now many adaptations depict her this way. Later Jewish tradition described a demonic figure known as Lilith in a variety of ways. The Gospels don't tell us very much about what these women do, with the significant exception of the burial and resurrection, but this provides leeway for female characters to play a more significant role throughout the ministry of Jesus and not just when they are mentioned. 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