Jesús (Jonathan Roumie) habla a la multitud durante la presentación de un episodio de la serie ¨Los elegidos.¨ | Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) speaks to the crowd during the presentation of an episode of the series "The Chosen."
He visto varias películas acerca de la vida de Jesús y hasta las he usado en algunas de mis campañas evangelísticas. Este programa es algo diferente de otros por varias razones. En primer lugar se trata de una serie de dramatizaciones que depende financieramente de fondos que aportan personas que apoyan el proyecto. Es diferente también porque se presenta en una serie de siete u ocho episodios por año con el fin de terminar el proyecto en siete años. Pero lo que más distingue esta serie de otras películas es que el énfasis no tiene que ver solo con la vida de Jesús sino también con la vida de los elegidos, los apóstoles.
En el primer episodio de esta serie se presenta a María Magdalena, una mujer poseída por demonios pero que es sanada cuando se encuentra con el Salvador. En el segundo episodio se la presenta como una persona nueva. Y cuando le preguntan qué fue lo que produjo el cambio ella responde: “Yo vivía de cierta manera pero he experimentado un cambio total que se lo debo a Él.” En realidad, lo que ella dijo es que su nuevo modelo era Jesús y que anhelaba lo que él ofrecía. Lo que es de inspiración en los siguientes episodios es ver los cambios radicales de cada uno de los apóstoles cuando Jesús los llama diciendo: “Sígueme.”
Recuerdo muy bien cuando recibí el llamado para ser discípulo de Jesús y que incluía ser parte del pueblo remanente. Ojalá pudiera decir que he sido perfecto en seguir su camino, pero debo confesar que he cometido muchos errores y he tenido momentos en que he seguido mi propio camino en vez de seguir lo que Dios quería enseñarme. Doy gracias a Dios porque es un Dios que perdona, que no me abandona y que continúa insistiendo a través del Espíritu Santo que lo siga. Los apóstoles eran también pecadores y la Biblia nos demuestra que en algunas ocasiones se manifestaron sus debilidades. Doy gracias a Dios que la mayoría de ellos se mantuvo fiel a Dios.
Al comenzar un nuevo año invito a cada hermano a que piense en el momento en que escuchó por primera vez el llamado de Jesús: “Sígueme.” No importan las veces que uno se haya desviado. Los animo a iniciar este año con un nuevo compromiso de seguir a Jesús y ser parte de sus escogidos.
Carmelo Mercado es el vicepresidente de la Unión del Lago
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." John 15:16
For more than a year my wife and I have been watching a program on the internet called "The Chosen". The program is a dramatization of the life of Jesus and the apostles. I have seen several Jesus films and have even used them in some of my evangelistic campaigns. This program is very different for several reasons. One reason it is different is that it is a series of dramatizations that is financially dependent on funds received from the people who support the project. It is also different because they present it in a series of 7 or 8 episodes per year, to finish the project in 7 years. But what is most different from all the Jesus movies is that the emphasis is not only on seeing Jesus, but the emphasis is also on seeing the chosen ones, who are the apostles.
In the first episode of this project, Maria Magdalena is introduced, she is a woman first introduced as possessed by demons but later healed when she meets the Savior. Then in the second episode, Maria is introduced as a new person. When she is asked what it was that made her change, she responds by saying – “I was one way and now I am completely different. And what happened in between was Him.” In truth what she was saying was that Jesus was the new model for her and she longed for what He offered. What continues to be inspiring in the following episodes is seeing radical changes in each of the apostles when Jesus calls them by saying the words "Follow me."
I remember very well when I received the call to be a disciple of Jesus and as part of that call to be part of the remnant people. I wish I could say that I have been perfect in following his path, but I have to confess that I have made many mistakes and have had moments of following my own path instead of following the direction that God wanted to teach me. I thank God for being a God who forgives and does not abandon me but rather he continues to insist through his Holy Spirit. The apostles were also sinners and more than once they demonstrated their weaknesses. I thank God that with only the exception of Judas Iscariot, most of them remained faithful to God.
As we get ready to begin a new year, I want to invite readers to think about the moment when they first heard the call of Jesus, "Follow me." It doesn’t matter how often you have strayed from His calling. As we begin this year, I want to encourage you to renew your commitment to follow Jesus and be part of his faithful chosen ones.
Carmelo Mercado serves as the vice president of the Lake Union.
