The episode opens with Nathaniel losing his job and later he sits under a fig tree to pray. In his prayer he pours out his heart and tells God that his work was an offering to Him, he requests God to answer his prayer and give the reason as to why he lost his job, even though it was done in honour of Him. Why do we feel the need to be rewarded for doing what we are supposed to do? Yes, it’s true we are called to offer our work, or everyday activities our actions, that they may bring glory to God. Although the need to be rewarded feels unjust, as this is what we are meant to do, we go out of our way, if we do more than we are asked to do, we desire a reward that that is unconditional.
In this episode the creators of The Chosen have taken the liberty to re-imagine Nathanael’s backstory as an architect – but it’s an interesting story and it fits with the context.
In the Gospel of John (Chapter 3), where this story is from, we see how Jesus knows the hearts and minds of others – and especially their struggles with sin . For example, when he meets the Samaritan Woman at the Well (Chapter 4), he knows everything about her past failures with men. So likewise when Jesus tells Nathanael that he saw him under the fig tree, this possible is another instance of Jesus seeing into someone’s heart and soul.
Philip and Matthew’s conversation can be considered of great significance in this episode. How often do you need someone to talk to? A friend, a confidante, and how often do we keep our feelings bottled up and blame our surroundings for situations that we may or may not have control over. Mathew, a former tax collector is shown to be stuck in his past, on how he never did manual labour in his life, he feels his past actions are holding him back. We can look deeper here and understand this can be many of us even today, still uncomfortable to get out of our comfort zones, when Jesus is waiting for us to walk and work with us in our most vulnerable moments. Philip reminds him its no longer about who he “was” but about who he “is” that matters when you follow Jesus. He also reminds him how nothing else feels like home, apart from when he is with Jesus. In Philips words from the series “what you think you know doesn’t matter, only that Jesus chose you, that’s where your confidence comes from” (and gives meaning to your life).
Mary and Rehma (and then Matthew) felt their lack of understanding of Scriptures. Philip assures Matthew that he has not ‘missed the boat; he’s just on a different ‘timeline’. Is it never too late to read and study the Word of God? Can you imagine their joy if they had our access to the internet and online tools like ‘YouTube’, to read scripture and be taught by top biblical scholars, or even to join a local bible study group?
Jesus’ disciples were a rather eclectic group of individuals. When Simon Peter requests for more structure within the group, Jesus said, “Each brings something unique to the whole. I want every voice heard. We can all learn something from each other” These words echo Paul’s teaching about spiritual gifts and how they can benefit the people in the community.
Read
- John 1:43-51
- Psalm 27:7-95
- Deuteronomy 6:4-5
- Ezekiel 39:6-10
QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO REFLECT:
- Which characters stood out to you most? Which were most interesting? Most moving?
- The episode begins and ends with Nathanael. He thought his life was lost, only to discover something beautiful after meeting Jesus. He told the bartender that he had died of “hubris.” What did he mean and why is that significant to the story?
- Philip played a key role in bringing Nathanael to Jesus. Nathanael said, “I’ve never seen you talk like this.” Have you ever been compelled to talk about Jesus to someone?
** Please note this episode review is also inspired from other comments and reviews on the net. More specifically (www.thebibleartist.com, northstarfamily.org)
.
Do leave your thoughts and comments below.
