Season 2 Episode 3 Forgiveness

[Dr. Shane]

The campfire scene in Season 2 Episode 3 has the disciples sitting around the campfire with Mother Mary and the other ladies.  The discussion turns into an argument when they start talking about being rich and Matthew becomes the focus.  Peter especially gets upset and tells Matthew he will never forgive him.  Of course, we do not know that Matthew was Peter's tax collector, although it is quite possible as they were from the same town which was not a large city.  The hypothetical scene in The Chosen does touch on something very real to many of us.  It is difficult to forgive someone that has harmed you AND continue to interact with them on a daily basis.

Forgiveness is a principle and not a feeing.  When we forgive someone, we treat them with kindness.  The way we act toward them is as if they had never harmed us.  We do not seek revenge.  We do not gossip about them.  We do things for them that would help them in life.  We can do all these things regardless how we feel.  We act on principle.  When someone repents, it makes it a lot easier to forgive them.  In the case of The Chosen, Matthew has repented.  His behavior has changed.  That should make it easier for Peter to forgive him.

Note:  Most of the episodes of The Chosen, after Season 1 are pay-per-view on YouTube now.  So I cannot embed a video here.  You can watch it for free by downloading The Chosen app on your smart phone or tablet.

[Dr. Shane]

The beginning of this episode has Philip and Matthew talking about learning Tora as they walk. Philip shines as a teacher, or what many call a sage. The term sage is used by some eastern religions and some non-religious philosophical groups to describe someone that is wise, enlightened (or highly educated) with a reputation of a strong ethical character. A sage focuses on teaching and caretaking (shepherding). They are not known for leading out in worship or leading movements to reform a religious body or political institution. This scene takes Philip and Matthew to Mary Magdalene and Ramah who also also interested in learning more Tora.

The campfire scene transitions as it becomes dark. Philip participates in the discussion as the sun is setting. He doesn't take part after dark. Before the sun sets, the discussion was about becoming famous. Philip points out that it isn't always easy and it creates enemies. When Matthew mentions he has had a lot of enemies, Philip points out that Matthew had protection and those enemies didn't have power. After dark the discussion becomes dominated by Thomas, Peter, Big James and John and develops into an argument focused on Matthew's sin of being a tax collector. That is the part where Peter says he will never forgive Matthew.

There are two schools of thought in the disciples in Season 2. One is that of Philip, groomed to be a sage by John the Baptist. The other school of thought is that of Big James, John and Peter. They are fighters and quick to lose their temper. The role of Philip completely changes in Season 4 but it is worth following in Season 2 and 3 and thinking about how that role plays in the church today.

In the laity (which are church members that are not ordain clergy) there are some that want to be up front, lead and dominate church board meetings. Those act more like pastor-want-to-bes than sages. Sages do not typically seek the spot light. They tend to hold positions as head of a ministry department like Sabbath School Superintendent, Pathfinder director, men's ministry director, laymen ministries director, prison ministries, etc. They tend to get roped into these positions and would be quite content simply teaching a Sabbath school class or facilitating a small group Bible study. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul uses the metaphor of the church and the various parts of the body. The church needs people like Philip, those like Peter and those like John.  

In this discussion it is also important to remember that the term pastor is taken from the word shepherd. It refers to a member of the clergy but is a humble title. Some denominations use the term reverend which is a more esteemed title. Pastors sometimes have to rope the sages into leadership roles and help guide over zealous paster-want-to-bes into learning humility. The pastor has a role that is distinctly different from the leadership roles filled by laity. In The Chosen, the disciples are much like the laity of today while Christ was with them. They transition to be more like pastors and denominational leaders after the ascension. Modern chaplains are ordained clergy but many work in hospitals, prisons and military and may be more like a sage than a traditional pastor.