This first episode of the series begins by telling us, "The Chosen is based on the true stories of the gospels of Jesus Christ. Some locations and timelines have been combined or condensed. Backstories and some characters or dialogue have been added. However, all biblical and historical context and any artistic imagination are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures. Viewers are encouraged to read the gospels. The original names, locations and phrases have been transliterated into English for anything spoken."
We see a man humming outside a tent at night by a crackling fire in Magdala around 2 B.C. He begins coughing deeply. A little girl of about 5 or 6 years comes out of the tent, inquiring, "Abba?" She is tightly clutching a doll. Her father addresses her kindly, saying, "You should be sleeping, Little One." She protests that she cannot sleep so he invites her to sit down. He asks if she is thinking about what he calls "the big, new star," known later as the star of Bethlehem, and points it out to her.
It turns out that the little girl is simply scared, of what she does not know. Her father says, "Hey, what do we do when we are scared?" She answers, "We say the words." He continues, "Adonai’s words from the prophet Isaiah: 'Thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not."'" He gently encourages her to say the words herself so he can hear her pretty voice. She replies, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name. You are Mine." The father repeats, "You are mine. That's right." He kisses her and she smiles, hugging a wooden doll close to her chest.
A young woman wakes up suddenly from a dream. We know it is the little girl grown up because we see the same wooden doll nearby looking a few decades older. A caption tells us she is in the city of Capernaum 28 years later. Something has gone badly wrong for that woman since she has blood on her hands and a young man is fleeing downstairs from where she is staying. Blood is running down his neck. He tries to get help and blurts out to a Roman soldier, "She tried to kill me. Demons live inside her!" That soldier realizes something needs to be done soon about this threat in his district.
The credits for The Chosen television series usually run after an introductory scene like we just viewed. The gray fish on the screen represent most people in this world; the teal fish swimming against the stream one at a time represent Jesus, the Chosen One, and those who follow Him.
In an elegant covered wagon, an elderly Pharisee is praying. His well-dressed wife is with him in the wagon. The wagon comes suddenly to a halt when the servants pulling it see 5 Roman soldiers riding swiftly toward them. When they approach, their leader dismounts and walks to address the couple in the wagon. The Pharisee asks, "Why have you stopped us?" The Roman answers lightly, "It's not enough to say hello?" The Pharisee states, "I'm on official business." The Roman asserts, "Only Roman business is official business. My name is Quintus, the praetor of Capernaum." Before the Pharisee can state his name, Quintus interrupts him, stating, "You are the great Nicodemus. Word travels fast."
Nicodemus wants to know what Quintus wants from him, but Quintus takes his time in making that known since he enjoys asserting his dominance, especially over the subjugated people of Israel. Quintus tells Nicodemus, "I'm a magistrate, not a military man. I serve the will of the people and Pilate [the Roman governor]." Nicodemus tells him, "And I serve only God." Quintus replies testily, "Yes, yes. So do your enemies: the Sadducees, the Essenes, the Zealots, and rogue preachers in the wilderness raving about a coming Messiah. They are all vying for the people's attention." Eventually Quintus tells Nicodemus he will help the Pharisees to thrive if Nicodemus will help him collect unpaid taxes that have something to do with fish.
Earlier that morning, a rich young man is going through a fastidious routine as he gets ready to go out for the day from his stately home. In his courtyard he takes a leather satchel from a slave waiting for him, slings it across his body, and locks his large golden front door. He looks ill at ease in the street, covering his nostrils and turning his back toward people walking by and rats scurrying in corners. Not watching his feet with care, he steps into a pile of animal refuse and wretches.
A man with a covered wagon calls out to him surreptitiously. He uses a rude term to refer to the wealthy young man, who is a publicanus: a Jewish man paid high wages by the Romans to collect taxes from Jewish subjects. The tax collector, whose name is Matthew, limps over toward the wagon. Before he gets in, he discards his soiled sandals on the street and puts on a new pair he had stored in his sachel just in case. Outraged, the man with the wagon points at the old sandals, exclaiming, "That's a month's salary for all my sons combined! You just toss them out?" Matthew tells him, "These are my property. I do with them as I wish. I pay you to drive. You sift through trash on your own time." The driver scoffs, "Driving you is a bit of both. If any citizen asks about my cargo, I must tell the truth: It's the biggest pile of dung in all Capernaum!" As he laughs, Matthew covers himself with a heavy cloth in the wagon.
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| Matthew, the tax collector, hidden in a cart. |
Nicodemus sits outside with a rapt audience of rabbis from the synagogue of Capernaum. He tells them, "I always look forward to my annual visit to Capernaum and your magnificent Sea of Galilee. It is truly the envy of the kingdom." Delighted, they all applaud. Nicodemus tells them a joke about the Dead Sea to the south and then says, "Your sea boasts the most exquisite fish."
Turning serious, he continues, "How unfortunate that those who do the actual fishing are unholy, foul-mouthed, given to gambling in secret dens, and even fishing on Shabbat. Can we eat the catch and not be stained by the sins of the catcher?" Nicodemus asserts (contrary to what Jesus will soon assert later), "Make no mistake, it is a sin to eat fish caught on Shabbat. What goes into the body of a man defiles him. Why are our Jewish brethren taking their boats to sea on Shabbat? I assure you, the Messiah will not come until this wickedness is purged from our midst. Your actions are being watched and studied. God has entrusted you to be exemplary in every way. Now, if your status is too great a burden, you do not deserve to bear the name of Israel."
A young Pharisee named Shmuel, directing fellow Capernaum rabbis to host Nicodemus, says in a nervous, fussy voice, "He's a member of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. I won't have him seated at a dull table!" Shmuel orders another young Pharisee named Yussif to straighten out his tallit (prayer shawl). Shmuel catches his breath as Nicodemus walks into their synagogue, blurting out, "Teacher, you have moved us all!" Everyone bows before him. Nicodemus acknowledges Shmuel by name and makes a joke about fish to make his young audience feel more at ease.
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| Rabbi Shmuel is upset by dust on a table. |
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| Rabbi Yussif tries to adjust his tallit. |
Later, Nicodemus tells Shumel before them all, "A fine Torah room is the heartbeat of a worthy synagogue." Shmuel instantly responds, "Thank you, teacher of Israel. You do us a great honor." "The honor is mine," says Nicodemus, "not only for your bright students, but also for the soul of this city. You heard my address." "Your words will resonate for generations," gushes Shumel. "You were luminous!" adds Yussif. Nicodemus returns to the subject of Jews taking boats to sea on Shabbat, pressing Shmuel on what he personally plans to do. Shmuel pledges to control it better. He explains, "The Romans believe we do not work on Shabbat so they do not patrol the seas then. Greed has overcome the fishermen." Yussif, seeking to be fair, says, "Or they are just trying to feed their families." Rabbi Shumel gives Yussif an angry look. Rabbi Yussif looks down.
The entrance of a Roman soldier puts a halt to this conversation. He whistles, admiring the finery of the synagogue, and says, "Impressive. Looks like we're not the only ones taxing the people." Nicodemus asks, "What do you want, Commander?" The soldier states, "I'm no commander but at least you know your place." Shmuel hotly replies, "This is Nicodemus, teacher of teachers: Show some respect!" The officer is happy to hear that: "Just the man I want to see. I'm here about a Hebrew woman in the Red Quarter." Since that is the most disreputable part of town, the Pharisees protest to having anything to do with a disruption there, but the soldier insists that because this involves demons, a holy man is required. If Nicodemus will not help, the officer threatens to set the Red Quarter on fire. Nicodemus will reluctantly agree to help, bringing Shmuel and Yussif to assist him.
The man secretly transporting Matthew the tax collector stops his wagon and tells Matthew to get out. Matthew is upset because the man is dropping him off at the edge of town instead of taking him straight through to his tax booth. Matthew offers to pay him double, but the man hisses, "Money won't buy the stink off me and my family if I am seen with you. Out!" Matthew protests as he gets out, "This is very unprofessional." "Fire me," dares the man, shaking his head in disgust.
As Matthew tries to slink through town unnoticed, we see why he was willing to pay double. He covers his nose repeatedly, finding it hard to bear normal city smells. A boy spots him and cries out harshly, "Tax collector, go!" That draws the attention of the adults around Matthew, a woman giving him a disdainful look and a man spitting at him. A blind beggar grabs at him, saying, "Please, are you the Messiah?" Matthew shouts, "No, I am not!" The beggar says, "Please tell me when he comes!" When Matthew shakes him off, he finds himself staring at a long line of customers waiting for him at his booth.
Matthew stands by the locked door of the booth. When a Roman soldier approaches, Matthew says, "You're late, Gaius." Gaius replies with cheerful contempt, "I know. Could you feel it? The market's on fire today. Everybody's on edge. All it would take is one person to snap and you are ..." "Just do your job," says Matthew, trying to refuse what is obviously one of many attempts to upset him.
Another soldier in another part of town is leading Rabbis Nicodemus, Shmuel, and Yussif through the Red Quarter toward the demon-possessed woman. He is enjoying observing how uncomfortable those Pharisees are in being there. When they reach the house, they hear unnatural shrieks coming from the woman inside. Truly horrified, Nicodemus taps on Shmuel's shoulder and tells him in a shaky voice that he needs sulfur, nettles, hyssop, and wormwood. Shmuel is frozen in place at first, staring, but soon gets going.
The Roman soldier, asserting dominance, says to Nicodemus, "Well, do your job." Nicodemus, trying to assert his own dominance and dignity, tells him, "Listen, I agreed to Quintus's request—not a demand because he should not demand anything of me—to stop Shabbat fishing, which is already our law and not a violation of my practice. And I will try to help this woman, even though it falls outside of my purview, but do not think of me as a tool to fix Roman problems! I will not continue to use my position of religious influence to benefit those who look down on my people, whether it's you or someone like Quintus. So, I will perform this task but I want it noted for your superiors this is an exception!" The Roman, who has been listening quietly with a bemused expression on his face, merely replies, "So can we go now?" Nicodemus answers yes with disgust.
We see a group of working-class men taking bets as they watch two young men fight in a pit. One of the men in the pit is Simon. The other is his brother-in-law Jehoshaphat, who has been going after Simon like this for weeks. Simon is down, but looking slyly at his brother Andrew's hand signals to determine when to get up and knock out "Jeho" when the betting is most advantageous for them. Their secret plan seems to work until Jeho's brother sneaks up and gives a knock-out blow to Simon. Andrew regretfully hands over their betting money.
By the Sea of Galilee, Simon is dabbing his nose with cold water and protesting the unfairness of that two-on-one fight. Andrew knows fairness is not a consideration in this group and regrets his foolishness for getting involved. Simon apologizes for talking him into it. They share their concern about tax day coming up. Andrew, a worrier by nature, fears the worst: that they could lose their fishing boat, their means of income. Simon gets up and strides toward that boat, intent on going to work, even though the Shabbat rest begins in an hour. When Andrew protests, Simon replies, "The Pharisees make allowances if lives are at stake." "No one's life is at stake" says Andrew. "No, not this moment, but it's coming," replies Simon. Alluding to John the Baptizer, whom Andrew has been helping, Simon adds, "Are you going to tell your bug-eating friend about this?" Andrew starts walking toward the boat, but Simon decides not to drag his brother into this sin and tells him to go home. Andrew inquires about Simon's beloved wife, Eden. Simon tells him Eden already planned to spend Shabbat at her eema's (mother's) house, so he is hopeful only Andrew will know he was fishing on Shabbat.
Two Roman soldiers are holding a battering ram near the door of house where the demon-possessed woman is staying. The horrible shrieking from her continues. Nicodemus tries talking with the woman's hostile landlady, Rivka, who is concerned that all he and the Romans are going to do is mess up her place and not lift a finger to help afterward. Nicodemus tells her sternly, "The demons that torment her soul will turn your place to dust. Even if you care nothing for her soul, at least—" Rivka, who really does care for her, interrupts: "Lilith never hurt anyone who didn't hurt her first, mostly. She has these spells. We let her be and then she's as sweet as an angel again." Hearing the shrieking growing worse and things getting smashed inside, Rivka softens and asks Nicodemus if he really can put an end to her friend's suffering.
The battering ram easily opens the locked door. Nicodemus walks in slowly, shaking bells attached to a smoking incense censor he is waving about. Addressing the demons, Nicodemus says with increasing fervor, "I adjure you by the holy angels Michael, Gabriel, Rafael, Uriel, and Raziel. I adjure you, cursed dragon and diabolical legions, come out! I adjure you, spawn of Beelzebub, Abbadon, and Sheol! By the utterance of all the watchers and the holy ones, in the name of Adonai, God of the heavens, cease to deceive this human creature! I command you, in covenant with Abraham, in the names of Jacob, Isaac, Moses, the all-powerful El Shaddai, fly from this innocent soul!"
Rabbis Shmuel and Yussif watch and listen with Nicodemus as the demon-possessed woman moans throughout this recitation and then suddenly becomes silent when Nicodemus finishes. Lilith rises slowly and stares mockingly at Nicodemus. Multiple demon voices speak through her feminine voice somehow as one, telling him, “We are not afraid of you. You have no power here, teacher.” Nicodemus, now terrified, backs away slowly and tells his fellow rabbis, "We're finished here." He exits swiftly with Shmuel following on his heels. Yussif takes a last look at the woman before leaving.
Shabbat morning, Simon walks through town in his work clothes with his head held low as he passes by people dressed for worshiping at the synagogue. He sneaks into his house, puts down his work tools, and washes his feet before entering the main room. His wife, Eden, steps out into the room, calling out his name sharply with her arms folded. He responds, "Hello, love," but she quickly says, "Don't you 'Hello, love' me,' demanding to know why he beat up her brother Jehoshaphat. "He attacked me again," Simon explains. Eden tells him, "He needs to know the husband of his sister is strong. But Andrew had no right to jump Abrahim from behind!" Simon makes it clear that's not what happened.
Eden suddenly laughs and says, "My brothers are fantastic storytellers, no?" "Tellers of fantastic stories, yes," responds Simon, who tells her more about the fight. "Oh no," says Eden, "they shouldn't cheat you like that, but you also were cheating." Simon concedes that last point. Continuing to make light of the situation, Eden explains that her family is colorful and fun, contrasting that with Simon, whom she comically describes as "stoic and purposeful." He says, surprised, "You think I'm stoic?" She clarifies affectionately, "Well, compared to me. Together, we're perfection." He likes that, adding, "You and me: fire and water." Eden inquires how fishing went for Simon yesterday, not realizing he was fishing on Shabbat. He tells her he pulled something in that could be big. She says, "Good. Let's go to synagogue. Please change—you smell."
The demon-possessed woman now called Lilith wakes up on a stone pavement near an open door after dreaming about her father telling her as a little girl, "What do we do when we are scared? We say the words, Adonai's words: 'Thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not."'" Poor Lilith has blood on her hands and clothes. She slowly rises and walks into her disheveled room. As she washes her hands and face, she pictures in her mind her father coughing and then later standing by his deathbed as a little girl, clasping her doll tightly, watching as a woman drapes a blanket over his head.
Lilith, sobbing, looks for that old doll in the mess created from her demon-possessed state. Finding it, she eagerly takes off the head and pulls out a small scroll from within the doll, reading, "Thus said the Lord who formed you, O Jacob, and He who created you, O Israel: Fear not." Suddenly a terrible memory comes to mind that makes her pound her head. We briefly see a Roman soldier dragging her into a room while she was talking to him outside as a teenager. Lilith tries to calm down and finish reading the Scripture from Isaiah, but she becomes frustrated and rips up the scroll. She sinks to the floor in tears. Lilith was actually known as Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdalene) when she was little. Luke 8:1-4 in the Bible tells us that Mary eventually became possessed by seven demons.
The next thing we see is Lilith walking slowly along a wall with drinking tables outside. She knocks rhythmically at a door and gives this password when her knock is answered: Chaverim maqqaba. Lilith enters the bar known as The Hammer, the nickname of famed Jewish deliverer Judas Maccabeus. The barkeeper, Sol, warmly greets her as Lili, happy to see she is alive after hearing about her most-recent bout of demonic oppression. Sol gives her something strong to drink.
Lili tells him, "Yesterday they brought in a holy man—someone important, maybe even from Jerusalem. I only remember bits and pieces in flashes." "A Pharisee?" inquires Sol. "He's a leader of the Pharisees, but he ran away in terror," answers Lili. Her concern is that her condition is getting worse, but he tries to reassure her, saying, "One religious big shot's just as full of it as the next." Lili, not reassured, tells him loudly, "I am in hell." Other bar customers stare at her. Sol encourages her to try the drink he put before her.
Lili gives him her old doll, wrapped up as a present for a young family member. He thanks her, observing it was well loved. She tells him, "It used to hold something valuable. I don't need it anymore." He says, "You're beginning to scare me." She comments, "You and everyone else" before tasting the strong drink, which she says is terrible, but still she thanks him for it. Then Lili tells him, "There's something I need to do." Not liking the sound of that, Sol ignores a bar customer who calls out to him, telling Lili, "You listen good: You drink that up, and then the next one and the next one. Stay here until you feel better or until hell comes. And if it does, we face it together." She smiles and says, "Not if you were my worst enemy." Lili takes one more sip before leaving the bar as Sol tends to insistent customers.
At twilight, Nicodemus is seated and looks troubled in thought as his wife, Zohara, rushes about their room. Noticing, she tells him, "We'll be late to dinner!" He says in a low voice with head bowed, "I know." Zohara, understanding what is bothering him, insists, "You did everything you could for her." She urges him to put the failed exorcism out of his mind. Nicodemus whispers, "I can never forget what I saw." Zohara says, "Tonight, you are an honored guest. Leaders will expect you to perform and have your wits about you." Resenting that, Nicodemus rises and states, "Why must I perform? First I perform for Quintus, then for the soldiers, and then for the slum dwellers. What sort of performance is this tonight? When did Shabbat become theater?"
Zohara tells him firmly, "You are the Teacher of Israel. You do not have questions; you have answers. You have authority. You bring clarity, not confusion." Nicodemus urges her to stop with her preparations and come to him. He puts his hands on her shoulders and urges her to look into a mirror and tell him what she sees. Zohara retorts, "That is a cheap glass. I can barely make out anything at all." Nicodemus says quietly, "Sometimes I wonder if what we can know of Adonai and the Law is just as blurred. What if we're not seeing the whole picture? What if it's more beautiful and strange than we can ever imagine?"
She stares at him disapprovingly and says, "That is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. It might even be blasphemy." Nicodemus responds, "It was just a thought." Zohara tells him, "You will never utter those thoughts in public." Nicodemus quietly asserts, "A man is free to question in his heart, Zohara." She says sharply, "Then leave it in your heart. This is a serious engagement! They expect an erudite teacher, not a doubting, blaspheming fool."
Nicodemus tells her, "Others saw what happened in the Red District." Zohara asks, "But what did they see? You rose to your rank on merit. You have dedicated your life's work to serve God, not become Him." Now she puts her hands on his shoulders. Nicodemus sighs and says, "I failed." Zohara tells him, "Stop it: It was a mistake to be there in the first place. From now on, stick to the Academy. Leave exorcism to the exorcists." Taking that in, Nicodemus concedes, "You're right. I should never have been there." "You spoke the words," continues Zohara. "The demons did not respond." Nicodemus concludes, "Only God Himself could have drawn them out." Zohara opens the golden front door of their guest house and says impatiently, "Nico." He replies, "I'm coming."
In the morning it is tax day for Andrew and Simon. Looking nervous, Andrew heads for the tax booth with a small pouch of coins. Before joining Andrew, Simon looks at his wife sleeping in bed, contemplating what he must do to protect and provide for her.
Nicodemus that morning is speaking with fellow Pharisees, trying to explain his exorcism failure. He reasons: "When we follow God's Law to the letter, God is alive through us. Now imagine, if you can, one who heeds only wickedness for a lifetime. Demons root in wicked souls as pigs in filth. A possession like this was fatal, and souls such as hers, sadly, are beyond all human aid." (Nicodemus will begin serious soul searching as he becomes increasingly aware of the shallow religious faith inside himself and those around him, including his wife and the rabbis.)
Lilith tentatively approaches a high sea cliff, weeping as she gets nearer. At the edge she opens one hand and tosses the pieces from the small Isaiah scroll that was once tucked inside her doll. As she looks down and prepares to make a fatal leap, a noisy dove fluttering above catches her eye. It flies directly away from the cliff. Lilith once again looks down, but the bird chirps loudly and Lilith feels compelled to back away from the cliff and keep focusing on that special dove. She follows it away from this deadly place.
Simon asks his brother as they walk together to the tax booth, "How much do you trust me?" "With my life," answers Andrew. "Let me talk to the tax man, Matthew," says Simon. Andrew decides he doesn't trust Simon that much. Simon asks him, "What if I told you I could save the boat and put us back in good standing?" Andrew doesn't believe him, but is soon humiliated when talking with Matthew at the tax booth and finding out how much debt they are in from exorbitant interest rates especially. Simon interrupts and tells them, "What my brother didn't mention is our arrangement with Quintus." Matthew, shocked, asks, "You have business with Quintus?" Simon answers, "Yeah, my brother's debt and a year gratis for both of us." Matthew tells him sternly, "This will be verified with Quintus directly. If there's any inconsistency—" Simon interrupts to inform him there won't be and directs Matthew to give back Andrew's small bag of coins. Gaius, the Roman soldier guarding the booth, also looks surprised, but he and Matthew let the brothers go in peace for now.
At The Hammer, Simon and Andrew are seated at a table inside. Simon tells his brother, "Fishing did not go like I planned the other night. I caught nothing, net after net empty. But I caught a breeze around the point and now knew why the nets were empty: a merchant fleet, six boats across, netting everything. I followed them, thinking maybe I'd catch them sleeping or snatch a net during cleanup, but it didn't work. I even anchored and swam in, thinking maybe I could get scraps, but they loaded up like clockwork. They had carts with mules, ready to move. So I sail home, dock up, and then see a sniveling Roman standing on the shore. I couldn't believe it: They never bother patrolling on Shabbat. But then I realized they don't get the tax because we don't report any Shabbat catches. So I told the Roman when he confronted me that if he took me straight to Quintus, I'd let them know who caught more in one night then they guy they're arresting catches in a week."
Andrew, shocked, says, "Wait, so you offered to turn in fishermen?" "No," answers Simon evasively: "Not fisherman, but merchants." Simon then tells his brother that Quintus himself walked up in back of him just then. "He's thorough, I guess," says Simon, "so we talked and what I said to Matthew was real." Andrew tells him, "I don't like it: It's dangerous." "So is sleeping outside," quips Simon, adding, "Besides, what has a merchant ever done for you?" "So what?" persists Andrew. "They are our people." Simon, undaunted, claims, "We're clearing the way for the little guy, leveling the playing field." Andrew rejects that we and says, "You will be cursed if you inform on them. We are not doing anything." Simon tells him sarcastically that he better hurry to catch the taxman and that maybe there will be enough daylight to get out of his house before the Romans take it. Simon strides away from their bar table. Andrew pounds it in frustration before following his brother. Meanwhile, Gaius reluctantly accompanies Matthew for an audience with Quintus to verify Simon's claim.
Lilith, still fixing her gaze on the dove that just saved her life, is led by it back to the door of The Hammer. Before she can enter, Simon and then Andrew speedily her pass by. Andrew actually bumps into her but is so absorbed with his own problems that he compounds his rudeness by ignoring her. Lilith, apparently used to such treatment, is unfazed and slowly enters the bar when she cannot see the dove any longer.
Sol the bartender notices Lilith seated and looking distraught. He expresses sympathy and chases away a young man showing her unwanted attention. Lilith decides in despair that she wants alcohol and lots of it. Sol tells her, "That's not going to solve your problems. It's mean to distract from them." "No more preaching—just give it to me," she says in a determined voice. He once again tries to get her to listen, but when she says please in a desperate voice, he reluctantly pours her a drink.
She reaches out her hand toward the drink, but a man places his hand over hers, and presses it down gently. She looks down at that hand, saying, "I said leave me." Looking up, she sees a kind face not belonging to the young man who just bothered her. This new man looks back at her and tells her quietly, "That's not for you." Sol stares at him but says nothing. Lilith quickly withdraws her hand and says, "Don't touch me!" Then she grabs at her head as if suddenly experiencing great pain. Sol asks, "Lili, are you okay?" The new man looks at her with concern on his face. She suddenly rises and tells him to leave her alone before swiftly walking away with the drink in her hand.
Lilith takes a quick sip as she walks through the door and looks back to see if she is being followed. She is. The new man is now out the door. He stops and calls out, "Mary." Lilith stops walking. When the man then calls her Mary of Magdala, she drops her drink and gasps. As the cup shatters, she turns around to face the man, asking, "How do you know my name?" He answers as only God can: "Thus says the Lord, who created you … and He who formed you … 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine.'" He places His hands on her head and heals her. Mary sobs with the relief of one whose long nightmare is over.
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