Greetings Dear Reader,
There will be spoilers. This is your only warning. This BLOG series will walk through each episode of the first two seasons of the amazing show The Chosen available free to watch at the link. If you have not seen it, I encourage you to do so. It is by far the best adaptation of the Gospels to film I have ever encountered.
Joseph the Pharisee remains an enigma for me. I do not think he is Joseph of Arimathea. He is too young and not on the Sanhedrin council. Still, I find him worthy of deep study. He figures importantly in this episode.
He seems to be in charge of the Synagogue in Capernaum when Shmuel returns during his hunt for Jesus. He tries to be a voice of reason. We must look at his prior actions to understand why. He was the first to notice the transformation in Mary in episode two of season one. He is the one who suggests to Nicodemus the possibility of Galileans fishing on Shabbat is to feed their families. In this episode, he warns the disciples, Tamar, and her friend they are being sought for questioning regarding healing and Jesus.
What we have is a Pharisee who seeks the truth and cares for the people. This is the perfect formula for finding Jesus and trusting him. It also honors his teacher, Nicodemus. Joseph has a long way to go yet, but he seems to be on the right path. He is an example to me of how we must not discount someone because of the labels they willingly carry.
Matthew and Zacchaeus both carry the label of Tax Collector. Simon and Judas are Zealots. In the eyes of some, the label Pharisee is just as bad in first-century Judea. Still, in our day we see Pharisees as colored with the shades of those who hated Jesus. It is clear this is not the only hue in our paint box when it comes to them. Some believed. Some were honest about their pursuit of truth.
Just yesterday, my brother and I were discussing the needs of our small community on the edge of the Misty Mountains. He said one of the key problems is the Pharisaical nature of many religious leaders here. It brought to mind the need to see all humans as in need of a clear reminder and understanding of who Jesus is and what he asks us to do.
I wrote The Judas Scroll to give Judas an honest look instead of maligning him as we have for fifteen hundred years. Perhaps we need to also give the same honest look to the Pharisees in the Gospels and in our world today. Perhaps we need to see all religious leaders as worthy of seeing through their own actions instead of through the lenses of their denominations and labels.
Each human is unique to the Father and, therefore, worthy of being seen as he or she is rather than how our labels paint them. If I am to see Christ honestly, I must see even modern-day Pharisees as those who need Jesus as much as I do. I must love them, Dear Reader, and hope their knowledge turns into understanding and faith.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become
a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally
hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.
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Thorn:
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