We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. 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 The Chosen depicted Mary as a prostitute? 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. [SPOILERS] Is the Jon Snow spin-off really such a good idea? One challenge that film adaptations of Jesus' life need to overcome is the lack of significant female characters. What's disappointing is that it doesn't delve too far into the implications of this. He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. 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, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. Anyway, I love the series. 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. Everything is very true to the Gospels, and theres no dialogue written to score theological points. (for LOTR: Arwen's bigger role, some action scenes. 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. The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." (for LOTR: Tom Bombadil. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. I hope you enjoy them! Her association with prostitution was a result of the proximity between the first mention of her in Luke (. Describe a pencil. It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. 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. What distinguishes Mary from the other women, however, is her association with prostitution. 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. Just before Luke introduces us to Mary Magdalene, he tells a story about a prostitute that Jesus forgives (Luke 7:36-50). Nicodemus was brought in to perform an exorcism on her but failed, making him question the fullness of the Law. Thank you! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. **Update: I explore the origin of the name "Lilith" in my recent post **. Episode 1 depicts how she got these demons cast out of her by 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. Below I'll share an outline describing how to do a Viewing Party for The Chosen Episode 1 (I Have Called You by Name). I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. 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. (he calls her by her name), How does this connect to what happened in episode 1? There is however a very clear disclaimer at the beginning of the series saying this isnt word-for-word and its no replacement for reading your Bible, etc. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. I can appreciate what theyre trying to do with the show: Theyre taking their time to build your relationship with the characters and to delve into some of the backstory so that everyone becomes a three-dimensional person, not just a mumbling zombie foil for Jesus. Also the guy who plays Jesus is Catholic, which is kind of cool. If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. Consider how the show depicts Jesus' first appearance. (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. The ancient name Lilith derives from a Sumerian word for female demons or wind spirits. The implications of Mary living in the "Red Quarter" are still there. I admire your comment. Still, at the end of the day, the 12 disciples who get the most screen time in the Gospels are all males. Mary Magdalene was a female disciple who traveled with Jesus during his ministry (Luke 8:1-3). Lilith here could just mean demon possessed. 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. Click here for my affiliation policy. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. 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). 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). In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. She becomes too perfect and seems to have no ongoing struggles in her faith like Peter or Andrew. The important role that Mary Magdalene plays in The Chosen is not nearly as surprising as that of Nicodemus. 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), The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3: Recap, Review, & Analysis, 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. 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. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. And just like one day Mary will initially fail to recognize the risen Jesus, confusing him for a gardener, she initially fails to recognize Jesus when he first comes to her, confusing him for one of the men who's been hassling her. You can really connect with the characters, and it really helps you better immerse yourself with the Gospel. Yes, there are plenty of women who show up in the Gospels. Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? Literally none of that is in Scripture or sacred tradition and that bothers me! The specific demon is not named in Scripture. 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 Bible, there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was raped. 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? 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. In my opinion it works. Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus. 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. 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. 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. I love this series. 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. It is an excellent form of Lectio Divina. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. Having offered some criticism, I will say that the scene of Jesus forgiving Mary was moving. Far into the implications of this the first mention of her by her )... It really helps you better immerse yourself with the Gospel liked this post, you might want to check some. 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