Jesus Loves the Little Children
(4/19/2019)
30 min
Summarized by: Michelle Llewellyn
Cast
Shahar Isaac
Simon Peter
Jonathan Roumie Jesus
Elizabeth Tabish Mary Magdalene
Paras Patel
Matthew
Noah James Andrew
Janis Dardaris Zohara
Lara
Silva Eden
Shaan
Sharma Shmuel
Nick Shakoour Zebedee
George Xanthis John
Shayan Sobhian James
and Erick Avari Nicodemus
Directed/Produced and Written by Dallas Jenkins
Exterior-Night: This episode heavily features Jesus who is
standing, alone, in a camp (location not yet revealed) with a crackling fire.
He is praying, almost pleading, to Father to glorify him with Yourself as he
looks up into the night sky in solitary reflection. Cut to him sitting in front
of his small tent/shelter erected near the fire, meditating, looking troubled,
almost as if in pain. (Is it the Garden of Gethsemane already?)
Opening Credits (not all the usual names are listed as this episode
only features Jesus!)
Outskirts of Capernaum
AD 26
Exterior-Day-A young girl, who can’t be any older than nine,
named Abigail (thx subtitles!) runs out the door of her home. She is off to
play by the stream, calls back to the off-screen voice, her mother, that she
won’t be doing any swimming today!
Skipping through tall grass and wilderness
she “flies” her small, homemade doll in one hand before coming to an abrupt
halt. It is Jesus’ camp but he is not here. Curious, she investigates first one
area then another. A small worktable with a leather pouch holding a few
carpenter’s tools and a knife, a wooden spoon, newly carved and completed, that
she pretends to feed her doll, “Yum Yum.”
She wanders over to the remains in the
fire pit (Jesus has the exact same red, covered, earthenware bowl Matthew ate
out of in the last episode and it is sitting in the ashes) A small boat that
looks like it was fashioned out of balsa wood is used to give her doll a brief
ride “I’m sailing away-whoo whoo,” She turns to uncover a small bowl holding
some kind of food, little black balls of…something…not blackberries or
bread-hard to make out. Again she pretends to feed it to her doll then is about
to eat it herself but thinks otherwise, replaces the item and covers the bowl
again with the cloth.
A branch breaks nearby and the girl scampers away to hide
behind some rocks that look like they’ve been set in some kind of cement to
form a crude wall. Camera cuts to looking over the girl’s shoulder as Jesus
comes strolling into his camp, humming, he sets down and unloads a large pack.
He is wearing a brown leather skirt and a white tunic. He pauses and looks
right at our little friend who gasps and runs away. He smiles.
That evening, Jesus makes his fire by rubbing a stick and
blowing on the tinder. Crickets chirp in the night air as he prepares something
for an evening meal in his earthenware bowl. Jesus is totally DOWN with the
“alone but not lonely” routine so many single childless women have learned to do in the
21st century!
Cut to Abigail sitting at her own dinner table with her
parents who talk about grown up things. Someone they know needs help and Mom
hopes Dad can find time tomorrow to stop by and check on this person? Dad
grunts while Abby continues to eat her soup. After mom acknowledges her, Abby
asks if she might play with her friend Joshua tomorrow. Mom gives her consent
but only AFTER Abby finishes her chores-and don’t forget, no swimming! Abby
promises and they exchange smiles with each other. This is a good, stable home.
Jesus prepares for bed, washing his feet with the small
amount of water in a very small bowl set by the tent, lies down on his sleeping
mat directly on the ground wearing nothing but the long white tunic we saw
earlier. It is apparently balmy enough that no covers are needed tonight. He
mummers his prayers: Blessed are you,
Lord our god, King of the Universe who brings sleep to my eyes…
It is the next day. Abby leads her friend, Joshua, through
the grassy field, talking a mile a minute describing the curious camp she found,
the food she nearly ate, and the man she spied on. She doesn’t THINK he’s
dangerous, but does Joshua have a sword, just in case? And should they speak up
this time if the man sees them?
Sure enough, Jesus is there, seated at his humble little
table about to take his midday meal. The children hide behind the rocks and
observe Jesus reciting the Torah blessing for bread, adding, both to the
children’s and the viewer’s delight “And if there just happen to be two
children visiting me, I pray they might have the courage to say hello and not
run away. Amen.”
With these words Joshua is ready to run for his life but
Abigail urges him to stay. Jesus makes a strange noise imitating flatulence to
draw the children out, “What’s that I hear? Sheep don’t sound like that!”
The
children chortle with laughter and stand up. Jesus greets them, assures them he
is not a bad or dangerous man, just passing through but they were wise to come
together as it is not always safe for children to wander around alone.
(Nonsense! That’s 21st century thinking. Why, when Jonathan Roumie
and I were latchkey, Gen X kids growing up the 80’s all our free time was spent running wild
with our friends, parents didn’t care as long as we were home by dinnertime.
And we survived! Children in ancient times were already a solid part of their
community, adults knew who their parents were and if they got into any trouble,
the village raising the child could be trusted to step in and intervene!)
Jesus thanks Abigail (who did not introduce herself so Jesus
does not call her by name here) for not taking any of the food yesterday and offers
her the bowl. Chewing all the while, Abby asks him one question after another
which Jesus obligingly answers: He is both a carpenter and a craftsman, he has
some orders he needs to complete today for customers and is traveling right now
between jobs-that’s why he’s camped here.
Joshua, sotto voce, chides Abby for asking so many questions but she
brushes him off-this man is NICE, he should ask a question too but Joshua is
too shy so Abigail continues. What kinds of things does he make? Jesus explains
many of his customers are wealthy and often request him to make toys for their
children. She holds up the doll her mother made for her. Her family is not
rich. Jesus tells her that is not always a bad thing and admires her doll. Abby
hands back the bowl and says goodbye. Jesus chuckles as he watches them both
run off.
Evening again, Jesus is lying on his sleeping mat under his
tent finishing one of his orders-sanding and fitting the wooden pieces together
so that when he is done and it is pronounced good he can simply lie down and
repeat the same evening prayer we heard last night.
Cut to next morning, fairly early. Jesus is apparently
having a bit of a lie in as the camera is close up on his face and V/O whispers
of children wondering if he is awake yet or not. Abby is back and brought MORE
friends along with Joshua.
Shalom Jesus
greets them all in his pleasant way and the children respond as one. Abby asks
if they might all hang out with him today? Jesus has more work he needs to do but
if they would be willing to help? All nod eagerly.
Squatting by a small stream that ends in a miniature
waterfall the children solemnly watch Jesus clean his teeth and splash water on
his face while, once again, peppering him with questions: he is not dangerous,
he has friends and will have many more.
Back at the camp all the children have
been given a job to do such as sanding wooden spoons and such as they continue to ask
him many questions. His favorite food is bread and while he is not a wealthy
man, his “Father” provides him with everything he needs. He chuckles at the
children’s assumption his Father must be very rich indeed.
Now, he has a
question for them. He would like to hear them all recite the Shema or Sh’ma
(the Jewish declaration of faith taken from Deuteronomy and Numbers in the Old
Testament and recited every Sabbath in the synagogues and at least twice a day
in a devout Jewish home which all of these children obviously come from) all the
children, including Abby and her two friends can recite it as well as Joshua
and his two friends (there is third girl who only appears in two scenes-watch
for her).
Jesus mouths some of the words along with them, surveying them all
with approval as they all speak as one: (From Deuteronomy 6:4-5) Hear Israel, The Lord is our God. The Lord
is One. You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, all your soul,
and all your might. (Deuteronomy 11:14) And
it shall come to pass, if you surely listen to the commandments I command you
today, that you may gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil, and you will
eat, and you will be satisfied. (Numbers 15:41) I am the Lord your God who led you from the land of Egypt to be a God
to you. I am the Lord your God. Amen They do not recite the ENTIRE
confession of faith as that would take too much time but the writers did a good
job giving us the “short” version here. It is beautiful, as Jesus praises them
when they are finished.
Abigail breaks the silence. Why is he not at his own home?
Jesus explains while he IS a traveling carpenter/craftsman right now, he also
has a more important calling-to spread the word of God. The House of Israel
shares this same responsibility, but for now, he wants them all to honor their
parents and…who else? Joshua the Brave, as Jesus has christened him, knows the
answer-To love God with all your heart. Jesus tells him he has answered
correctly.
The children walk home through the field talking about their
remarkable day with this man who is obviously MORE than just a man; perhaps he
is going to be a new teacher at synagogue school or maybe he is a new prophet
even if one of the Rabbis at school said there are no new prophets. Abby
reminds them of their agreement, that they will tell no one about him. The children nod
and part ways-Shalom.
Short musical montage with woman vocalizing as Jesus walks
with the children beside a large stream of water chatting with them-there is no
dialogue. Back at the camp, he is teaching them what all Christians will
immediately recognize as “The Lord’s Prayer” as they repeat the words after him
while helping him with more projects. Night scene-Jesus treats a bleeding cut
on his arm which he wraps with a long white cloth. Daytime again with the
children all seated around a campfire as Jesus tells them the story from 2 Kings 2:23-24 about two she-bears that attack
children (Don’t make fun of bald men, kids!) Jesus roars while Abby and
Joshua giggle, the other children look stunned-they obviously were not
expecting that! Night again and the woman continues to vocalize as Jesus stands
by his campfire looking up into heaven for inspiration as he was doing at the
prologue for this episode.
Cut to Daytime again-Jesus’ (Vacation Bible School) camp. Today
he is teaching them a song that comes from Psalms 133:1 and has already been
set to modern music which, while not sung or taught in my church, will probably
be recognized by other viewers. The YouTube versions I pulled up have different
melodies than what Jesus sings but it is supposedly a very old Hebrew hymn so
perhaps it WAS sung in Jesus’ time, they just didn’t have radio or iTunes back
then! Jonathan has a pretty decent voice too.
The children do their best to follow
along Behold how good and how pleasing;
if brothers could sit together in unity…the children help stack wood and
other items as they sing then cut to these (now SEVEN) children chattering
happily as they cross the field obviously headed home after another incredible
day with Jesus. (This seventh girl was NOT in the previous scene singing the
song while helping with the tasks-where did she come from? Oh well)
New scene, the “goodbye scene” as this is the last time
Jesus will be with them, though they don’t know this yet. (There are SEVEN
children seated in front of Jesus but this new girl has no lines) He wants them
all to live a higher law, to be peacemakers. He bears testimony that while
their parents and teachers, including the Rabbi who teaches the occasional
incorrect doctrine “eye for an eye” and that when Messiah comes he will be a
great military leader, all the adults in their life should still be respected
and honored. Even though they are only regarded as children, they all have
great faith and the adults in their lives need that faith, desperately. They
will understand all of this when they are older, he promises them.
He compliments Abigail who knows the answers to most of his
questions, better than the boys “And she doesn’t even go to Torah class!” he
points out, but Joshua the Brave also knows the answer to one of his questions.
The youngest girl asks him where he was yesterday.
He had to go to town and
help a woman who had experienced much pain in her life, she was in trouble,
needed his help, so he helped her. No, he didn’t build something for her but
she is now his friend and will soon become one of his followers. (We know who
he is talking about!) He will choose more followers very soon and he hopes
these new followers/students will ask the same questions they did.
They are all
very special, he tells them, and he has enjoyed spending this time with them
very much. He wants them to consider the idea that perhaps the self-righteous
culture their people have come to believe and follow is wrong, that they should
always be the better person in a negative situation by showing love and mercy
to all. Abigail asks him, straight out, exactly WHY is he here? Looking very
solemn, Jesus sighs and tells them he is here for all of THEM, for everyone. He
recites the same scripture he will read on that famous Sabbath in his hometown
synagogue (story is found in Luke 4:16) proclaiming himself the Messiah only to
be rejected. Joshua recognizes the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2) Jesus nods
confirming, “Isaiah”
He hopes they will tell others about Him and spread the word
of God.
The children walk back, (the original SIX again-Jesus
must’ve kidnapped the other girl!) all lost in their own thoughts, solemnly contemplating
this last visit; they do not speak with each other. That night, Jesus completes
another project made out of wood, then takes another large, thick, square of
wood and begins to write on it with a burned charcoaled stick from the nearby
fire.
It is overcast and rainy; Abigail’s hair is slightly damp as
she skips across the field only to find Jesus’ camp empty. He is gone but he
left something for her as she reads aloud the sign posted on top of the gift. The
black foreign characters are already bleeding from the damp,
“Dear Abigail, I
know you can read. You are very special. This is for you, so you will know I
did not come only for the wealthy.” Abigail smiles, removes her doll from the
cord tied around her waist that she wears and begins to play with the cunning
structures all made out of wood and attached to each other. The ancient
Galilean version of a “doll house” consisting of a Jewish dwelling with a roof
complete with a sleeping mat on top, a pen holding two carved wooden horses and
a stable. Camera slowly zooms out. Abigail continues to play with her new gift.
(Merry Christmas, Abigail!)
END CREDITS
Also starring (Thx IMDB!)
Noah Cottrell Joshua
David Delao Abigail’s father
Eshar Inamdar Child #1
Nyah Johnson Child #3
Alycya Magana Abigail’s mom
Reina Ozbay Abigail
Gabriel Putnam Child #4
JoJo Regina Child #2
Uncredited, for obvious reasons,
child #5 Stella Rose according to
IMDB but not listed here.
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