The Chosen 1x06 - Not a Tame Lion

[@michaelclark6223]

Definitely one of the best episodes. I love how thinkers and scholars like Nicodemus and CS Lewis methodically and logically approach their faith.

[@cathymathis7266]

“Contagious faith”. That’s exactly what you give us each time you talk about God’s truth, Durban. Thank you!! That scene where Jesus stops mid-stride and turns to look directly at Matthew is so powerful. The look of hope on Matthew’s face gets me deep. Each time I watch it now, I say “He’s coming for you, Matthew! Woo Hoo!’

[@cynthiarandall5984]

Gah! "... in a tomb!" I have seen this episode at least a dozen times and never caught the foreshadowing. It just clicked that he was so desperate that he was willing to meet Jesus in a unclean tomb. I love your insights.

[@johnandsheilaalderson]

One of my favorite scenes is his interaction with the leper on the road. When the leper begs for him not to turn away and Jesus looks in his eyes and said "I won't", it wrecked me as I could hear him saying that to me, with all of the rejection I've experienced over the years.

[@bryangustafson2748]

Something Interesting I actually noticed from Narnia. "People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time. If the children had ever thought so, they were cured of it now." Such a fascinating line. I just remember growing up Christian while trying to write about my faith (I love acting & writing). What stood out for me in the way The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe wrote that scene is that everyone's "knees where knocking" (that's showing fear in Britain) but the 3 just keep trying to not look scared, then aslan introduces himself, and then doesn't say anything else until they've all calmed down. Then instead of "your brother was frightened, your sister was frightened, you where frightened" he just goes straight into asking the question about Edmund "But Where is the Fourth?".

[@lynnanderson2412]

I just love your insight and enthusiasm. So true, contagious faith.

[@sabineonline553]

I love this "He is not a tame lion" "But he is good". It´s funny, recently I read book from Johannes Hartl, a german theologian, which is called: "God untamed - Out of the spiritual comfort zone" In this book he says that God is way too big, mighty, terryfying and wonderful to put him into a box (or like we in Germany say `put him into a drawer`). This book was so spiritually enriching for me and I loved that The Chosen took the same line and you as well. Thank you for this video.

[@suzanne7269]

Great commentary on this episode! Contagious faith… I long for that in my heart too! Thanks Chris!

[@panktiporecha7969]

Love the Contagious Faith thread insight!

[@ashleypenn7845]

I love how you brought up that verse in Isaiah where God says, "Behold, I am doing something new!" I brought up the same thing when we did this episode with our small group. We discussed the meaning of authority that class. How authority can mean that someone has the power to make something happen. But also talked about how "authority" can be a synonym for "expert". Various people in the episode act as though they are "authorities" because they have this Jesus guy all figured out. To Simon, He's a rising political figure, which is why he runs around acting like Jesus' PR guy, practically handing out flyers and saying "vote for this guy". Rome thinks He's a zealot and a threat to law and order, just another rabble rouser in a long line they've already dealt with. The religious leaders think He's a threat to their control over the people and their internal hierarchies but also their understanding as "authorities" on Messiah. That's why one of the key moments was Shmuel asking Jesus "By what AUTHORITY do you do these things?" meaning a greater rabbi He would have studied under. Because in their mind, that's the only place authority can come from. They had closed themselves off from God ever showing them anything "new". But Jesus's response prove they don't know the first thing about REAL authority, which comes directly from God, the ultimate Authority. And then you have people like Matthew and Nicodemus and Mary. Who openly admit they don't fully understand what's going on. They no longer consider themselves "authorities" on much of anything, if they ever did. Jesus has completely upended any "expertise" any of them had previously. But they're desperate to know more and more and more. And so, as Mary said to Nicodemus, "I follow Him, not the other way around." They are open to going wherever God leads and doing whatever He asks, even if they don't quite get it. Sometimes Christians (especially if you've been one a long time) can get stuck in this rut. We think we've heard every sermon. We think we know all the old stories inside and out. That we are "authorities" on everything God has ever done and everything He is. And we close ourselves off to the opportunity for God to do anything NEW in us. New perspective. New understanding. New spiritual growth. New chances to serve. Best we remember Who the REAL authority is, and be forever open to Him doing a "new thing".

[@dixierockholt4592]

Excellent presentation! Even today people still try to put GOD in a box. Love your juxtaposition of the "contagious disease" of leprosy & "contagious faith" in this episode. People struggled with the mystery of leprosy then as Nicodemus & Matthew struggled with the mystery of their beliefs as they witnessed Jesus' miracles. Always look forward to your videos about The Chosen. ✝️👍

[@karenreynolds349]

Love your insights and thoughts on The Chosen.

[@ChrisDurban]

Thank you so much!

[@al-stephensonlapastora2226]

another beautiful review... i love how Jesus' compassion is displayed in this episode... He's a hugger! the "eye-contacts" are incredible... between Nico and the healed man... between Jesus and Matthew... what you said about contagious faith, that's real... and that's what we should be spreading around... 😊

[@joolz5747]

Hi Durban It is so great to listen to your explanations and detailed thoughts about the Chosen. You point out small things I did not notice! Awesome, so appreciated. I am sorry about your family situation. Seems a lot of families have some suffering. Mine does too. Let’s all pray for healing. The Chosen really gives hope and you help so much with your insight. I agree, we tend to put God in a box! It can’t be done. Religion isn’t God but in correct perspective it is supposed to be a means to find God-Truth. We need to go higher and deeper! God bless you.

[@ChrisDurban]

My family is doing good now. We've had some tough times for sure, but God never left. We still face some challenges and I have no idea how we'd do it without Jesus. The Chosen does a great job of reminding us of His indescribable compassion. That is a solid point, religion from the right perspective is about coming closer to God and finding truth. It is great in this episode to see Jesus be bigger than all our expectations. Instead of coming in as a mighty General, He comes in humbly and meets where we are and overthrows the real oppression, Sin, and conquers death. It's a great reminder that Jesus is bigger than one of the biggest diseases of their time, and bigger than paralysis! He's bigger than the most impossible situations!

[@joolz5747]

AMEN! PRAISE THE LORD! 🔥☄️✝️🕊

[@clintonlagdameo5452]

15:25 Wow! I'm glad to see you also marked this moment of Andrew's answer: "What good is our answer if you won't even listen to yourself?" I thought it was characteristic of a cautious Jew, yet a believer of Messiah. It was one of the first quotables that got my attention along with "Get used to different." I kind of hope this gets referenced back when their arc comes to the time when the three of them are on conversing terms in later episodes & seasons.

[@aaronwhite3298]

Awesome review as always my dude. Contagious Faith... Love that term!

[@ChrisDurban]

Thank you Aaron! Yeah, contagious Faith, I think it's something we all need to spread.

[@lindahopson5003]

I have always wondered how religious men could see the miracles Jesus preformed and yet not believe he was The Son of Man. Your description of the box they put the Messiah in helped me understand better. And, now we are part of the contagious faith...

[@kathierouse5306]

I love all the insight you got from this episode, Chris! I agree with your comments about Matthew. It gets me every time I see Jesus intentionally turn to face him, and I can't imagine what Matthew is thinking! To think that he's face to face with Almighty God in the flesh! WOOHOO!!! As to the pharisees...I don't know if you have a Strong's Concordance to help you study the Bible, but here is something very interesting that I discovered. The word "pharisee" is not in the Old Testament, only the New. So, really, who were the pharisees, and where did they come from? I know that Jesus knew their history as well as what was in their hearts. If you recall, when Jesus confronted them in the Gospel of John, He said they were sons of the devil. How interesting that Nicodemus was different! And how God used him as a tool to receive the Gospel so he could share it! I think it's thrilling that if God would choose to use a pharisee for a good purpose, He can use anyone, including us! How cool is that! 😊🤗👍🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@ChrisDurban]

I think Pharisees came into existence in that time of 400 years of silence between the old and new testament. So there really weren't Pharisees in the Old Testament. I feel like (and I may be very wrong) they came into existence around the time of the Macabees. Again, double check that. But what I like about Shmuel is he's not trying to be a son of the devil. He really wants to defend the Word. But he's very cleary put God in a box. Nicodemus, by faith, is beginning to understand how much bigger God is.

[@aliciamcdowell4711]

I'm planning to get my mom to watch the Chosen with me tomorrow. She hasn't watch all of it yet

[@aliciamcdowell4711]

They was talking about that no one can see God face to face and live, didn't Abraham see God, and so did Jacob

[@BrendaBowman104]

Chris, did the Pharisees not recognize that the appearances of “the angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament were appearances of God in human form, ( the pre-incarnate Christ as we know him)? Like the Angel of the Lord and 2 other angels who appeared to Abraham and Sarah, or even in Zachariah 3:1.

[@ChrisDurban]

Very good point!!

[@BrendaBowman104]

Schmuel obviously wasn’t thinking that way and Nicodemus would have brought it up if he thought it so maybe they didn’t understand it the way we do?

[@ChrisDurban]

@@BrendaBowman104 They may not have. I'll have to research that more. But that is a a valid point

[@jdbuder]

10-1-21

[@justmecarter1717]

Maybe Shmuel forgot about the time when God revealed His Plan to Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins. The two angels left to help Lot, but ONE stayed and Abraham tried to negotiate a deal to spare the cities, for the sake of the 10 righteous, he had hoped would be still there: Lot, his wife, two virgin daughters, two married daughters and their husbands, and Lot's two sons. Unfortunately, the older children had spent and been too corrupted by the ways of the world, to even listen to their father's and the angels' warnings, so only 4 left with the angels, although Lot's wife looked back. But, God DID take a human form on that occasion. I guess Shmuel forgot about that.

[@justmecarter1717]

Another thing is this: IF we had a God whom we could know all about or understand, why would anyone want that? I mean, if our little, fallible brains can make sense of God....that would be a God I could not respect nor worship. I NEED a God who is bigger than me, or anyone. He states that He was "slain from the foundations of the Earth". So, from the very "In the beginning", God was creating a Perfect Plan for, not just Israel, but for the salvation of all the world....down to the minutest detail. I am glad to know that I do not totally understand God, nor His Ways and His Plans, because then, He wouldn't be such an awesome God now would He?

[@Stevage76]

HOLY $π!+!!!

[@ChrisDurban]

Thanks for watching! Have you seen the show?

[@Stevage76]

@@ChrisDurban 👍

[@trayevans6004]

In Genesis Abraham welcomed three visitors, one of which was the Lord in BODILY FORM. They brought news to Abraham that Sarah will have a son. Tell that to Schmuel.