Recommended Time: 90 minutes

1. Watch The Chosen Episode 2.3. (35 min)

* Here is the passage where the episode title comes from:
“His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics and paralytics, and he cured them.” - Mt 4:24

2. Quietly reflect or journal on either of the sets of questions below or combine them to fit your group’s needs. (15 min)

    1. All the disciples had different expectations of Jesus as Messiah. Most of them were looking for a savior to vanquish their Roman oppressors. Mary of Nazareth was surprised that the Son of God “was cold, crying and needed [her] help.” Big James remarked that Jesus would be healing people for the next five years without ever addressing political liberation. What kind of Messiah are you looking for? How do you imagine him saving you and others?

    2. Little James said, “He’s healing the Samaritans. How many would believe in Him if he wasn’t healing them?” How has your faith been affected when Jesus hasn’t done what you hoped for? How do we know when we’re following Jesus for who He is and not for what He can do for us?

    3. Is there anything else from the episode that puzzles, moves, or surprises you? How so?

    1. Around the campfire at the end of the episode, the disciples talked about their expectations of Jesus and about what kind of Messiah Jesus should be. They also talked about the cost of following him, even blaming Jews like Matthew for their suffering. Yet, when they encountered Jesus exhausted from a full day of healing, their perspectives and concerns shifted. Share any shift you may have had when you went from knowing about Jesus to knowing him (through an encounter or a number of moments).

    2. Little James said, “He’s healing the Samaritans. How many would believe in Him if he wasn’t healing them?” How has your faith been affected when Jesus hasn’t done what you hoped for? How do we know when we’re following Jesus for who he is and not for what he can do for us?

    3. Is there anything else from the episode that puzzles, moves, or surprises you? How so?

3. Break into small groups and share answers to your questions above. (30 min)

4. Reconvene with the large group and discuss the following large group questions below. (10 min)

  • Is there an insight that came up from your small group that you think the large group can benefit from?

  • Is there a question you’d like to pose to everyone in the large group?

Source: The Chosen

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