Jesus : The chosen

Jesus is being confronted by some Pharisees. Three Pharisees stand before him; behind him are his disciples: Simon (Peter), Andrew, James the Lesser, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the Greater, Judas Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, as well as some women from his ministry, such as Mary Magdalene, Rama, and Tamar. There is also a large crowd of lower-class people, in contrast to the Pharisees who are listening. Shmuel, a Pharisee, interjects: "Nazarene, I have just spoken with a man who claims you cured his blindness. Today! On Sabbath!" Jesus looks around and spreads his arms to the sides: "Is there a question, or...?" "I was told that you put mud in his eyes. Where did you get the mud, knowing that curative brews should not be prepared on Sabbath?" Shmuel asks: —It was easy, I just spat on the ground. Jesus says: —What? You touched his face with dirt? Shmuel exclaims: —Pharisees. You clean the outside of a cup and a plate, and then you eat and drink foods that enter a body that is filled with greed and wickedness on the inside. Jesus says, causing the Pharisees’ eyes to widen and the crowd to murmur and exclaim. —Your obsession with what is clean and unclean goes far beyond what God intended. And it benefits no one but yourselves! Jesus affirms, to which Shmuel responds harshly: —We cultivate everything so that the poor may benefit, even the smallest plants that grow in our gardens! We cultivate everything so that the poor may benefit, even the smallest plants that grow in our gardens! Jesus responds immediately: "Woe to you, Pharisees! You mix precisely down to the last drop of mint, dill, and cumin, neglecting the essence of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Blind guides! You guard the proper path as if you were swallowing a camel! Look at these people! What have you done to help them?" "All of you! This man is dangerous! He is deceiving you!" Samuel says: "Woe to you, Pharisees! You have the best seats in the synagogues and the warmest greetings in the plazas!" Jesus responds, provoking Samuel’s anger: "Retract your words! Right now!

Updated September 23, 2026