The specific demon is not named in Scripture. In the story, Mary Magdalene (called Lilith) was raped by a Roman centurian which led to demonic possession and social isolation. 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. The Chosen isn't trying to mess with the Bible. 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. As it was, we didn't really get a good sense of why Mary responded the way she did. 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. For more details, check out my post focused specifically on Lilith, Demons, and Evil Spirits. 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 Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. Luke notes that Mary had seven spirits exorcised from her, but the other women experienced miraculous healing as well. Jesus is said to have cast seven evil spirits out of her (Luke 8:1-3). As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. 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. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. The trauma of her rape is hinted at again in Season 2, Episode 5, and is the trigger that causes Mary to backslide. 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. The creators of The Chosen have published a series of interactive Bible Studies that help viewers explore some of the Scripture and biblical themes that inspired the show. This association with prostitution opens a variety of directions for adaptations to take in their portrayal of her, especially given the affection Jesus shows for her (John 20). 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. The last passage is an optional bonus for youth that like digging deeper. Your contributions mean so much. 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? Episode 7 Guide: Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? 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. But she was not possessed by one as the movie mentioned but by many. 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? Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. However, I'll acknowledge that what the show is suggesting about Mary's past life is certainly open to interpretation.]. It's certainly not The Exorcist, but demonic stuff can really freak some people out. In the Bible, there is no indication that Nicodemus met Mary Magdalene or that he tried to heal her or exorcise her evil spirits. He attempts to heal her and exorcise the evil spirit in her, but he is unsuccessful and concludes that she is beyond hope. Over time, the Western artistic tradition repeatedly depicted Mary as a prostitute and the mistaken association got stuck in the cultural consciousness. In The Chosen, when we first meet Mary Magdalene, most of the characters refer to her as Lili. 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. Enough said.). We turned it into a bit of a game, where one of my youth would constantly ask "Is that Jesus?" In the same way, we get our first glimpse of the pre-resurrected Jesus as we follow her struggles in the first episode. 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. The Bible includes Mary Magdalene in a list of women who had evil spirits healed by Jesus. 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). She becomes too perfect and seems to have no ongoing struggles in her faith like Peter or Andrew. 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. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. 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. 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). 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. In The Chosen, it is not entirely clear whether Mary Magdalene was engaging in prostitution before the events of Season 1, Episode 1. 1 ) Kathleen McGowan Kindle Edition are three Christian Goddesses, making up a female.! After sharing that information, you can ask: What stuck out to you about Mary Magdalene's depiction in The Chosen? See a Roman centurion fill Lilith/Mary s sight, a suggestion that the woman have. Unfortunately, because Mary's change happens so quickly, her character goes from being pretty dynamic in episodes 1-2 to being a pretty flat in the remainder of the season. 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." 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. In Episode 8, we see that Mary is still struggling a bit - her failure is driving her to be a bit too unrelenting in her work for Jesus- but other than that she seems to be back on track. When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. FYI: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can also purchase the DVDs of season 1 on Amazon if you're worried about trying to stream & do Zoom at the same time. 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. For Mary's actual fall, it felt like the show was trying too hard to keep her character PG. However, some scholars believe the word would be better translated as demoness and see it is a reference to a Mesopotamian spiritual being. It is an excellent form of Lectio Divina. Due to COVID restrictions, my youth group watched The Chosen online using Zoom. 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. Mary Magdalene is never called Lili or Lilith in the Bible. 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. Initially Mary doesn't recognize Jesus. Your contributions mean so much. East pencil writes or draws used for note taking West pencil is yellow has a eraser and lead. The Bible never mentions "the Red Quarter." 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 Mary Magdalene in Season 1 Episode 1, she has already been possessed by an evil spirit, Lilith, for some time. And we also just had fun chatting about random stuff, like how Quintus was totally fitting the stereotype of the evil bald guy. Do you believe Jesus knows you by name? Can you think of moments when you may need to be reminded that God is with you? Season 2 Reflection P2: What was The Chosen Season 2 about? [SPOILERS] Is the Jon Snow spin-off really such a good idea? These experiences cause Mary to flee back to her old life, drinking and gambling. It's a great comfort in the midst of the pandemic and other turmoil. Below I'll share an outline describing how to do a Viewing Party for The Chosen Episode 1 (I Have Called You by Name). What do you think Mary's life was like before Jesus showed up? 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? Thank you! I hope I better can temper myself. Still, at the end of the day, the 12 disciples who get the most screen time in the Gospels are all males. And the parallels don't end there. 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. Jesus heals her evil spirit(s) at the end of Episode 1. The Bible never suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. every time a new character showed up. One challenge that film adaptations of Jesus' life need to overcome is the lack of significant female characters. 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. In The Chosen, we see a brief flashback during Season 1, Episode 1 that strongly implies that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. In The Chosen, Nicodemus meets Mary Magdalene in Season 1, Episode 1. Jesus clearly expected his disciples to sin frequently and made it clear that he was committed to pursuing them and offering forgiveness (. (he is God). When Nicodemus encounters her, we discover that the evil spirit that is possessing her is named Lilith. Many Christians still memorize this passage to remind them of how God is always with us, even in the most difficult trials. 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. Click here for my affiliation policy. Thats as far off-script as they go for the rest of the season, everything else is pretty true to a harmonized Gospel narrative. 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. I have not seen any anti Catholic scenes. Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus. As a general rule, the characters who follow Jesus aren't bad people; they're misunderstood and rejected and in need of love. I also suggest setting expectations for the first episode. 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. This story was invented by The Chosen for the purposes of the plot. 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. As COVID drags on and winter sets in, if you're looking for a good activity to do online with your youth group, you might want to consider doing a series of The Chosen Viewing Parties like this. 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. 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. (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. 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. As I noted above, in the Bible there is no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. That being said, there's no biblical reason to think that she could not have done so. 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). 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.
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