Remember “The Chosen?”
As readers may remember, Abby and I have been excited about the filmmaking project known as “The Chosen” which portrays the amazing life and ministry of Jesus Christ based on Bible accounts. We were deeply moved and impressed by the eight episodes of Season 1, and now we are among many others who are “paying it forward” to assist writer/director Dallas Jenkins and VidAngel in the completion of all eight episodes for Season 2.
As subscribers to the YouTube channel of “The Chosen,” we regularly receive updates on the progress toward completion of Season 2. This weekend, we were treated to a sneak peek of the scene in which Jesus extends His call to “Follow Me” to a despised tax collector named Levi (Matthew 9: 9; Mark 2: 14; Luke 5: 27). Levi, who came to be known as Matthew, is the man who would later receive the inspiration from God’s Spirit to write what we now call the “Gospel according to Matthew,” the first book of the New Testament of the Bible. According to the biblical accounts of the “four gospels,” Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we know that Jesus had already called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to leave their fishing nets and become “fishers of men” (Matthew 4: 19; Mark 1: 17). But Jesus’s call of Levi (Matthew) to become one of His disciples was much more striking and radical.
Matthew was a despised tax collector, an employee of the Roman Empire! During the time of Christ, the Romans were harshly ruling the nation of Israel as one of its Roman colonies. Jews who had chosen to serve Rome as tax collectors were naturally despised by their Jewish countrymen. Therefore, Matthew was hated as one of those who profited from extracting hard-earned money from his Jewish brethren and had gotten rich doing so. It is likely that Matthew lived a life of luxury from his allotted share of the taxes he collected, plus any additional monies he may have illegally taken for himself. And, never mind—Matthew was protected by Roman soldiers stationed not far from his “collecting booth.”
Many years later, Matthew remembered Jesus’s abrupt and brief call, perhaps
a wonderful memory to him, like it happened only yesterday. From his account, Matthew’s response was
nothing short of decisive, and almost spontaneous:
And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he arose, and followed Him (Matthew 9: 9).”
Before you watch how “The Chosen” film portrays this scene, realize that this was Matthew the tax collector’s “big choice.” His decisiveness seems almost unbelievable. Breathtaking! Inspiring! Matthew’s choice to follow would be costly from the moment he arose and walked out of his secure, lucrative tax office.
Consider for example, the reaction of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. These former fishermen had left their fishing boats, possibly with the fresh memory of having been taxed many times by Matthew. Imagine their surprise and disgust at seeing this despised tax collector being invited by their new Teacher to join them! How did Matthew feel at that moment?
Portrayal of the Call of Matthew
So abrupt and decisive is this account that we wonder if Jesus had already had an ongoing impact on Matthew in times past. Indeed, the life of Matthew as portrayed in “The Chosen” during the eight episodes of Season 1 reveal a fascinating relationship between Matthew, the Romans, and the Jews. The historical fiction account presents a Matthew that is increasingly stirred by the Spirit of God while he watches from a distance the ministry of this unusual Jewish rabbi, Jesus. “Followers” of “The Chosen” who have watched Season 1 will be greatly impacted by the sneak peek of the scene in which Jesus calls Matthew.
Now why not take a few minutes to watch the short clip from “The Chosen,” entitled “Jesus in Every Language?” This clip from Season 2 includes Jesus’s decisive call of Matthew, and Matthew’s resolute response. Additional footage of the clip reveals its main purpose-- to showcase how writer-director Dallas Jenkins and staff are editing the “The Chosen” with dialogs in multiple languages?
Please click HERE to watch, then come back for the remainder of this article.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
“Follow Me.” Who, me?
Matthew, a despised tax gatherer, couldn’t believe Jesus was inviting him to be His disciple, meaning “a dedicated Christ-follower.” After all, wouldn’t Jesus rather invite “good people” like the Jewish religious leaders known as Pharisees? Gospel writer Luke (Luke 18: 11) records how a “Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” Surely, if this Pharisee knew the difference between despicable sinners and “the righteous,” wouldn’t Jesus know? The answer is “Yes” according to Luke’s account of Jesus’s call of Matthew (Luke 5: 30-31).
Luke reveals that one of Matthew’s first actions as a Christ-follower was to invite his friends to come to his home to meet Jesus! Can you imagine the drama of this scene in which some Pharisees also come and observe this odd mix of people? Luke recorded the larger context of the call of Matthew (Levi):
After these things [Jesus] went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So, he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?
Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
Matthew heard the call of Jesus, “Follow Me.” Soon he invites his friends to meet this Man who had shown love, compassion, and welcome to a lonely, despised tax collector. Jesus is still calling needy sinners through His followers around the world in many different languages.
“Follow Me.” Do You Hear Him?
“Follow Me.”
'Siga-me.'
'Sígame.'
'Следуйте за мной.'
"跟我来。
"اتبعني"
“Follow Me.”
The call of Jesus to “Follow Me” is becoming clearer to more and more people
regardless of language, culture, or ethnic group. If you watched the short clip from “The Chosen,”
you met Luiz Laffey, International Language Manager with “The Chosen.” According to Luiz, “When I heard about ‘The
Chosen’ and its purpose to share an authentic Jesus Christ and His story in a
way never seen before…it gave me chills.”
Luiz has not only answered the call of Christ to “Follow,” he has also
committed to use his knowledge of language, culture, and audio technology to manage
production of “The Chosen” in five foreign languages so far, with more coming.
Jesus’s invitation is a call to discipleship. We saw in the Gospel accounts of Matthew’s decisive answer from within his collection booth to Jesus’s call, “Follow Me.” He came out, locked up the booth as a symbol of his past life, gave the key to his Roman superior, and followed Jesus. The following description of Christ’s call to discipleship is clear:
According to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "through the call of Jesus, men become individuals." The necessity of this individualism is again the call of Christ to come apart from the world. He wants to be at the center of our world. The break with the world is 'identical with the acknowledgement of Christ as the Son of God, the Mediator'." When we receive the call of Jesus, we realize that our present physical world has been built on an illusion. When we receive His call, we realize that even in such relationship as Father and Son, husband and wife, stands Christ the Mediator, and no other relationship can be as important as the one with Christ the Mediator." (From: Shepherd's Notes-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship (1998)).
“Follow Me.” Your “Big Choice?”
As I said at the beginning of this blog post, my “big choice” in life was who I would marry. Through my marriage to Abby, I have been humbled enough to be able to hear and respond to Christ’s call in my life. Since then, through our marriage and devotion to Christ, my selfishness is regularly challenged and surrendered in the power of Christ’s love.
If you would like to know more about what it means to respond to Christ’s call, “Follow Me,” and to experience the life of an individual, filled with the Spirit of Christ Who comes to dwell in you, please check out the online booklet entitled, “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life?”
Maybe you have questions you’d like to ask, or comments you’d like to leave. Please use “Comment” below if you believe other readers can benefit. Or you can write to me at silviusj@gmail.com. I would love to hear the story of your “big choice.” Thank you for reading, and I welcome you to “Subscribe” and “Follow” Oikonomia if you haven’t already done so (see right sidebar).
And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he arose, and followed Him (Matthew 9: 9).”
Before you watch how “The Chosen” film portrays this scene, realize that this was Matthew the tax collector’s “big choice.” His decisiveness seems almost unbelievable. Breathtaking! Inspiring! Matthew’s choice to follow would be costly from the moment he arose and walked out of his secure, lucrative tax office.
Consider for example, the reaction of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. These former fishermen had left their fishing boats, possibly with the fresh memory of having been taxed many times by Matthew. Imagine their surprise and disgust at seeing this despised tax collector being invited by their new Teacher to join them! How did Matthew feel at that moment?
Portrayal of the Call of Matthew
So abrupt and decisive is this account that we wonder if Jesus had already had an ongoing impact on Matthew in times past. Indeed, the life of Matthew as portrayed in “The Chosen” during the eight episodes of Season 1 reveal a fascinating relationship between Matthew, the Romans, and the Jews. The historical fiction account presents a Matthew that is increasingly stirred by the Spirit of God while he watches from a distance the ministry of this unusual Jewish rabbi, Jesus. “Followers” of “The Chosen” who have watched Season 1 will be greatly impacted by the sneak peek of the scene in which Jesus calls Matthew.
Now why not take a few minutes to watch the short clip from “The Chosen,” entitled “Jesus in Every Language?” This clip from Season 2 includes Jesus’s decisive call of Matthew, and Matthew’s resolute response. Additional footage of the clip reveals its main purpose-- to showcase how writer-director Dallas Jenkins and staff are editing the “The Chosen” with dialogs in multiple languages?
Please click HERE to watch, then come back for the remainder of this article.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
“Follow Me.” Who, me?
Matthew, a despised tax gatherer, couldn’t believe Jesus was inviting him to be His disciple, meaning “a dedicated Christ-follower.” After all, wouldn’t Jesus rather invite “good people” like the Jewish religious leaders known as Pharisees? Gospel writer Luke (Luke 18: 11) records how a “Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” Surely, if this Pharisee knew the difference between despicable sinners and “the righteous,” wouldn’t Jesus know? The answer is “Yes” according to Luke’s account of Jesus’s call of Matthew (Luke 5: 30-31).
Luke reveals that one of Matthew’s first actions as a Christ-follower was to invite his friends to come to his home to meet Jesus! Can you imagine the drama of this scene in which some Pharisees also come and observe this odd mix of people? Luke recorded the larger context of the call of Matthew (Levi):
After these things [Jesus] went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So, he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?
Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
Matthew heard the call of Jesus, “Follow Me.” Soon he invites his friends to meet this Man who had shown love, compassion, and welcome to a lonely, despised tax collector. Jesus is still calling needy sinners through His followers around the world in many different languages.
“Follow Me.” Do You Hear Him?
“Follow Me.”
'Siga-me.'
'Sígame.'
'Следуйте за мной.'
"跟我来。
"اتبعني"
“Follow Me.”
Jesus’s invitation is a call to discipleship. We saw in the Gospel accounts of Matthew’s decisive answer from within his collection booth to Jesus’s call, “Follow Me.” He came out, locked up the booth as a symbol of his past life, gave the key to his Roman superior, and followed Jesus. The following description of Christ’s call to discipleship is clear:
According to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "through the call of Jesus, men become individuals." The necessity of this individualism is again the call of Christ to come apart from the world. He wants to be at the center of our world. The break with the world is 'identical with the acknowledgement of Christ as the Son of God, the Mediator'." When we receive the call of Jesus, we realize that our present physical world has been built on an illusion. When we receive His call, we realize that even in such relationship as Father and Son, husband and wife, stands Christ the Mediator, and no other relationship can be as important as the one with Christ the Mediator." (From: Shepherd's Notes-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship (1998)).
“Follow Me.” Your “Big Choice?”
As I said at the beginning of this blog post, my “big choice” in life was who I would marry. Through my marriage to Abby, I have been humbled enough to be able to hear and respond to Christ’s call in my life. Since then, through our marriage and devotion to Christ, my selfishness is regularly challenged and surrendered in the power of Christ’s love.
If you would like to know more about what it means to respond to Christ’s call, “Follow Me,” and to experience the life of an individual, filled with the Spirit of Christ Who comes to dwell in you, please check out the online booklet entitled, “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life?”
Maybe you have questions you’d like to ask, or comments you’d like to leave. Please use “Comment” below if you believe other readers can benefit. Or you can write to me at silviusj@gmail.com. I would love to hear the story of your “big choice.” Thank you for reading, and I welcome you to “Subscribe” and “Follow” Oikonomia if you haven’t already done so (see right sidebar).
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