Who are you?

Do you see it before you? Jesus stands in the synagogue and reads the ancient words from Isaiah - ".... He sent me to..." - and the following enumeration is about people on society's margins. The blind, the poor, the bound, the imprisoned. You may add to the list refugees, the possessed, the bullied, the lonely. They are the people on the margins. Jesus' love is there for everyone, but it does seem that Jesus' heart goes out extra to those on the margins.

In "I Have Called You By Name," the first episode of The Chosen, you meet Nicodemus. A Jew, high in esteem, with status, a certain allure even. Someone who has it all together. His words are heard and have an impact. He is a rabbi, respected and honored.

Another main character in the episode is Mary, or Lilith, as others call her. A woman portrayed in the series as a village idiot. Scorned. Her body abused by others. She lives in the slum, a neighborhood with a lot of drunkenness. Respected Jews don't go there.

Mary is outcast.

Nicodemus is "the man.”

Ironic, isn't it, that Nicodemus - part of the religious elite - can do nothing for Mary? His power and status are not enough to set her free. He even says Mary is "beyond hope," a hopeless case. He withdraws his hands from her. Mary is left alone again, and she is desperate.

And Jesus? He sees both Nicodemus and Mary and wants to meet both of them just where they are. He goes to Mary in her desperation and sets her free, not with much fuss and fancy words, but with a powerful word of authority. And from that moment on, Mary's life is changed forever.

Maybe you look up to certain people very much. There might be a ‘Nicodemus’ in your life. Maybe you feel small in comparison to others. Or maybe it's the exact opposite, and you think you are quite something. Others could learn quite a bit from you...

What can you do this week to learn to look at yourself and others more through Jesus' eyes?

Take the following questions to consider:

• Nicodemus was a man of status. What 'status' do you have?
• Mary was an ‘outcast.’ Do you know people like her?
• What do you take away from this part of The Chosen and this reading plan?

Prayer:

"Lord, who am I? Will You show me who I am? Thank You that You know me through and through. No matter how good or bad I think of myself. You always come close. Lord, let me experience Your nearness today, and help me to see myself and those around me as You see them. Amen."