More wine over here!
white and red wine. Take it over there.
Now, bring that dish here.
More wine!
I have often wondered about the beliefs of these nations - the Egyptians, the Syrians.
King Herod... er... to revert to the jews. l wonder,...
..is it because they identify future with past that they have so many prophets?
Oh, the prophets. lt's the sun which breeds them!
Many are harmless. They preach religion, we let them go,...
..but some of them preach rebellion because it is written.
Altogether, literacy has had a disastrous effect on this country.
And those we eliminate,...
..Rome has taught us that, although this may be indifferent theology,...
..it is very good government.
Majesty, l've heard the word Messiah.
What exactly is a Messiah?
Oh, even you have heard that awful word, Proculus.
Is he a prophet, or is he something even...
Well, Rome, even Rome, cannot influence men's dreams.
And the Messiah is a bad dream...
..disguised as a solution to every problem.
It's a leveller of scores, a rewarder of righteousness,...
..a scourge for the wrongdoer.
It is the bringer of everlasting peace!
Then, as l understand it, from what you have said,...
..a Messiah is worse than a prophet, from the Roman point of view.
Oh, from the jewish viewpoint, too. Only you try telling that to the jews!
No, don't. lt's wiser not to consult them just when a Messiah appears.
Crush it underfoot like a scorpion!
No, you can tell Great Augustus that he can rest in peace in Rome.
There will be no Messiahs, true or false, in Palestine while l am alive.
Mary! Mary!
Come down, Mary! They're waiting for you!
Mary! Mary!
Mary, come quickly!
Child, your shawl.
- Thank you. - Do not be afraid.
Yes, here she is.
Joseph.
May this betrothal, one to the other,...
..Joseph, Mary,...
..be blessed and sanctified according to the Law of Moses and of lsrael.
Amen.
Who are you?
How can that be?
No man has ever touched me.
Behold the handmaiden of the Lord.
May it be done unto me according to your word.
Mary,...
..Who are you talking to?
There's news of Elizabeth.
My cousin Elizabeth? what news?
She's going to have a son in three months' time.
She conceived the child six months ago...
..on the nineteenth day of Tishri.
But Elizabeth was always barren.
Now she's far too old.
What nonsense is this, child?
Oh, but it's true.
She's going to have a son.
And l must go and visit her.
Come, Mary. You'll be comfortable.
God bless you, child.
Here. Take this to my sister in Be'er Kuni and tell her l'll be with her for Passover.
- All right. l will. - Go safely on your journey.
where do you want this grain? where should l put it?
Mary!
l've been longing to see you.
Mary.
So it is true.
How did you know? who told you?
A messenger...
..from God.
And he told me another thing.
A thing even more wonderful?
You're blessed among women,...
..and blessed shall be the fruit of your womb.
I too am highly favoured...
..that the mother of the chosen should come to me.
From the moment your greeting reached my ears...
..the child in my womb leapt for joy.
My soul doth magnify the Lord!
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my saviour,...
..for he has looked kindly upon the most humble of his handmaidens...
..and he has told me that all generations shall call me blessed.
He who is mighty has done unto me a mighty thing!
- ls it true about Mary's dream? - Oh, yes.
News came that Elizabeth is going to have a child.
- Even though she's past the age? - Yes. She must be 50.
- The wife of Zacharias? - Yes. She's Mary's cousin.
Well, joseph,...
..are we going to get an invitation to your wedding?
Plenty of time for that, jotham. The contract's just been signed.
just betrothed and his beloved's left him already.
just like her. She's always been a bit strange. Not like the others.
That's something you'll have to live with.
But seriously, joseph, Mary is remarkable.
We all think so.
A remarkable girl.
Ahhh!
Elizabeth is here!
Give him to me, Elizabeth.
Blessed be thou, our Lord, King of the Universe,...
..who has blessed us with your commandments...
..and ordained us to initiate our sons in the Covenant of our Father Abraham.
Amen.
As this child enters the Covenant, so may he enter into the study of the Torah,...
..into marriage, and into good deeds.
Amen.
This is the seal in flesh of the Covenant between the Lord and his people.
What is the name of the child?
His name is...
His name shall be john.
When you get back to Nazareth,...
..tell joseph what you have seen and heard, what you know.
The Lord God gives life where no life is possible.
And one life shall be the Son of God,...
..and the other shall be his prophet.
Go.
Tell all this to joseph.
But will he believe me? will he believe me?
God will open his heart.
Come on, off you go. Go on. Play somewhere else.
That's it.
It is written in the Law...
..if, in the time of betrothal, a woman sins with any other man,...
..let them both be taken beyond the gates of the town...
..and stoned to death.
That the abomination may be crushed out of the heart of lsrael.
Should a man marry a woman and she find no favour in his eyes,...
..because he has found in her the stain of uncleanliness,...
..let him write a bill of repudiation and deliver it into her hands.
This applies, even if l haven't taken Mary into my house?
Yes.
All that is needed is for a bill to be written...
..and delivered in the presence of two witnesses.
No.
If I do that, I will expose her shame.
I can't.
I'll send her away if l must,...
..but in secret.
God knows the secret of the heart.
Trust in him, and accept.
Accept it, joseph.
The Lord will not abandon you.
Thank you.
Oh, no... no...
Oh...
No...
No! No!
No!
Joseph!
Joseph, son ofDavid.
Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.
It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived.
She will bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus, the Saviour.
Hey, joseph, joseph! The bride is arriving! Mary's here!
With this ring...
..be thou consecrated unto me.
According to the Law of Moses and of lsrael.
May the Lord bless and preserve you.
May the Lord make his face shine upon you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance towards you...
..and give you peace.
Amen.
Ah! Census!
It's a trick to increase the taxes.
And we all know where the money ends up - in Rome.
But why should it?
- What does Rome give us? - That's not the point.
The Romans want to count us - how many we are, where we are.
They want us to know that they are our rulers.
But we should have no earthly ruler.
No rule but the Lord. No king but God.
It's not for you to remind us of the Scriptures. Be quiet and go home.
I apologise for my son. He's too young to understand.
What are you doing to the faith of our fathers?
All over Galilee are thousands of jews preparing for what you talk about in there:
..the coming of the king who'll liberate us. But what are you doing about it? Nothing!
- We accept Rome's violence like sheep. - Come!
- we are not worthy of the king to come! - Stop!
- The king to come will not bring violence. - Huh?
It is written.
He himself is pure from sin.
God shall cause him to be mighty through the spirit of holiness,...
..and wise through the counsel of understanding.
Now come home. Stay there till you learn more respect for your elders.
Anna.
I must go to Bethlehem.
Uh?
It's my native town, and...
..and Mary must come with me.
- Why? - For the census.
So even Augustus obeys God.
- The prophecy. - Yes, the prophecy.
For thou, O Bethlehem, art in no wise the least of cities,...
..for from thee shall come forth a shepherd of my people.
Israel.
If only... I could come with you.
If only...
I...
Joseph,...
..you'll need help...
..When he's born.
Don't be troubled, Anna.
He will be well cared for.
Everything will be done as God ordered.
They seem to be kings, Lord Melchior, from different lands.
I told you we could not have been the only ones to see the sign.
I am sure that Herod keeps a strict watch on his frontiers.
He must know that we have crossed them.
I would have to tell him, as Balthazar has said,...
..that l follow that star wherever it leads.
But what will we find?
All my calculations showed that there was to be a new heavenly creature, a new star.
lt was even precise as to place and time,...
..so l made up my mind to set forth and seek what they would unfold.
You did not know?
Only that it would be something wonderful.
The stars are not distant and aloof, cut off from the lives of men.
The rising of a new star entails an immense labour in the heavens...
..that always has its counterpart on earth.
The universe is about to bring forth a prodigy beyond our understanding.
Your star, my brother Balthazar,...
..is indeed a sign of wonder.
The divine Zoroaster says "The next prophet will show himself...
..in a foreign land,...
..and the truth he will reveal will be at first only for his own people."
- But there is only one truth. - And only one God.
All the rest are vain,...
..or parts of him.
The people of lsrael know this.
Many of their wise men have been close to him.
And their writings confirm my calculations.
A king is about to be born.
Look... Mary...
l thought l heard a baby crying.
Born in a stable!
Ohh... a beautiful child!
Come on, put him there in the manger,...
..and see if there's some fresh straw that'll keep him warm.
I'll take care of her. Poor girl.
Now then,...
..have you some water?
Give it to me.
Come. That's it.
who's that?
what do you want? This is no place for you.
Get out! Get out, d'you hear me?
Off! Off with you.
Can't you see? The poor girl just had a child.
That's why we've come. we were told to.
Told? By who?
we were out there in the fields.
This man came to us from nowhere.
An angel.
"Shepherds," he said,...
.."they say that lsrael is a scattered flock that lacks a shepherd."
And then he said "Tonight the shepherd is born."
"It is for you that he comes", he said. "For the poor."
That's why you came here?
Yes.
The man said...
He said...
The man said: "Today, in the City of David,...
..a saviour has been born... for you. "
"Glory to God in the highest", he said.
"And peace on earth for those whom he loves."
Come.
They cross my border,...
..yet not one of them sends a greeting.
- Are they armed? - Not heavily, Your Majesty.
Our spies say they're equipped to travel fast and far.
But they were not heading here.
If not here, where?
It was Bethlehem, Your Majesty.
They followed a star.
The new star.
Bethlehem?
O thou Bethlehem Ephratah, thou art the smallest...
what was that phrase again?
Thou Bethlehem Ephratah...
..art a little one amongst the thousands of judah.
Out of thee he shall come forth unto me...
..who is to be the ruler in lsrael.
And his going forth is from the beginning,...
..from the days of eternity.
A ruler in lsrael?
Have those travellers watched...
..all the time.
And bring me the names of all newborn children in Bethlehem.
wait.
Don't be afraid.
where is the child?
we have come a long way to greet him.
This is the King of lsrael,...
..who will take away the sins of the world.
I did not know where we were to find you.
And coming here... a stable,...
..I thought my brothers were mistaken,...
..but now I see the justice of it.
There could be no other place.
Mm. Not in glory,...
..but in humility.
Accept these poor tokens of our homage.
Incense,...
..to perfume the halls of the mighty.
Gold,...
..for kingly rule.
Myrrh.
The most precious herb of the East,...
..and the most bitter.
And now... a word of warning.
Leave here as soon as you can.
Herod's soldiers have followed us, hoping we'll lead them to you.
He knows of this birth. He'll seek out the child and kill him.
Go into Egypt.
It may not be for long.
Herod's days are numbered.
Have those travellers crossed my frontier again?
- Yes, Your Majesty. - "Yes, Your Majesty"!
But the child must still be here.
Kill every male child up to one year...
No. Two years old.
Better the innocent should die than that the guilty should escape.
Guilty?
Your Majesty, a child?
Guilty in the womb!
Guilty in the stars!
I'll bring down their stars!
I'll snuff them out in blood!
This is my world!
I will not share it with an infant!
There's no room for two kings here!
Like a newborn scorpion... underfoot!
You know the mark of a real king?
Courage, even in the face of jewish prophecy,...
..bits of old parchment,...
..old blind men! Hah!
Now go to Bethlehem - and make history!
- Kill! - But, Your Majesty...
Kill!
Kill them all!
Kill!
Kill them all!
Aaargh!
Leave my child, you bloodthirsty murderers!
Argh!
No! Don't kill him! Don't kill him!
No!
Don't! Leave me!
Argh!
King Herod is dead.
Taken in the midst of his sins.
Struck down by the Lord, to whom the power and pride of kings are as nothing.
You cannot defy God.
The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Yet the yoke of tyranny will not be lifted from us.
Rome will choose a king from among his sons, and her grip will become stronger.
But you should lift up your hearts, for the Eternal will not abandon us.
He will send us a deliverer.
And his dominion is the everlasting dominion that shall not pass away.
And his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed.
Come.
There. Look.
Do you see? Nazareth.
That's where we live.
Hear, O lsrael,...
..the Eternal our God, the Eternal is one.
Blessed be the name of the glory of the kingdom for ever and ever.
And thou shalt love the Eternal thy God...
..with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might.
And these words, which l command thee, shall be in thine heart.
Amen.
Bar"chu et adonai ha"m"vorch.
Baruch adonai ha"mvorach l"olam vaed.
Bless God, who has given us the Torah.
The Lord God will go before you.
Be strong and ofgood courage.
Fear not, nor be afraid, for the Lord thy God will go with you.
He will not fail you or forsake you.
Amen.
Now you're truly a man.
Shh-shh-shh-shh.
Jesus bar joseph, as a new adult member of our community,...
..you have exercised your right to read and comment upon the Scriptures.
That is your heritage. lt is the heritage of the children of lsrael,...
..but remember that God's word is spoken in times of light...
..and in times of darkness and persecution.
May you always read from the Law in a time of joy.
Amen.
May God protect you.
May God bring blessings on the boy.
The Romans are here.
The Romans?
Hey, hey! Brothers! Brothers!
Quiet!
Romans... The Roman soldiers are here.
The Romans!
Jewish bread. Better than nothing.
what's this?
Quartermaster. An army must eat, and it's a long way to jerusalem.
But Galilee isn't Roman territory.
Huh! The whole world is Roman territory.
Hey! Put your sword back. lgnore them.
we'll meet with plenty of those in jerusalem.
They're called Zealots.
They're mad religious fanatics.
You there.
Remember this.
The Roman army is not a pack of bandits.
And we'll deal with the likes of you in our own good time. Come!
May the curse of God fall upon these murderers!
How long must we wait, O Lord, for you to help us!
God has abandoned us.
How long!
How long, O Lord?
I grow old.
what of thy promise to the prophets, hm? where are they?
Speak tenderly to jerusalem,...
..and tell her that her time of bondage has ended,...
..that her penalty is paid.
Salvation is at hand,...
..to be shouted from the mountain tops.
Comfort ye...
Comfort... God, comfort. (coughs)
The teaching is clear.
Behold, l send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me.
A messenger... before me.
A messenger...
And the Lord will suddenly come to his temple,...
..and the messenger of the Covenant, behold, is here.
I am the Lord unchanging, says the Eternal!
And you too have not ceased to be sons of jacob!
From the days of your forefathers you have been wayward...
..and have not kept my Laws!
lf you will return to me, l will return to you, says the Lord!
Do not think you will be saved by your rituals, by going to the Temple!
lt is not sacrifices the Lord demands!
Bring no more vain offerings, saith the Lord.
I delight not in the blood of bullocks and of lambs!
The sacrifice God demands is a repentant heart!
what do we do then to be saved?
Change your hearts!
Take the right way!
The Lord says my ways are not your ways!
John, baptise me! l have sinned!
You are the prophet! Sent to us by God!
I baptise you with water,...
..that you may be purified and ready for the coming of the kingdom.
Open up your hearts to God.
Receive this cleansing life.
Save me, save me, john! l have sinned!
I am a sinner!
Let this water wash away your sins.
Stop! Stop! Stop the procession!
Message for the King!
Your Majesty, he's here.
The Baptist.
He's here!
well?
- well? well, what? - But...
well, er... leave him alone.
Oh, no.
On the march again! Continue!
Oh, what harm can he do?
He's been out there for years in the desert,...
..living on locusts and prayers.
He doesn't incite the people to rebellion.
He asks nothing for himself.
All he wants is to remain poor and naked.
He'd very much like everybody else to do the same!
Oh, now, when the wedding festivities are over, l'll have him preach at the palace.
You can hear him with your own ears.
He's a very remarkable man.
I am glad there is somebody remarkable in judaea.
Herod!
The tablets of the Law speak plainly!
You may marry the wife of your brother when your brother is dead,...
..but not while he lives!
This woman, Herodias, is the wife of your brother Philip!
And Philip lives - tetrarch in lturaea.
It is written: I have seen thine adulteries and thine abominations.
woe unto them!
wilt thou not be made clean?
Send back this woman to your brother.
Repent!
How can you allow this slander to continue?
No, no, no.
we decided to be clement on our wedding day.
I am not afraid of your power on earth, Herod Antipas!
lf I do not warn you, you will die in sin...
..and the Lord will ask me to account for your life!
Quickly! lnto the palace!
John! John!
- Repent! Repent! - The Lord blesses you!
For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Save us!
The time has come!
The great and terrible day of the Lord is at hand!
Repent...
..and change your lives.
Every valley shall be exalted,...
..every mountain and hill laid low.
The winding ways shall be straightened and the rough ways made smooth.
God led you back from Babylon to serve him, but you betrayed him.
Now you are warned. Flee! Flee!
Arrest the prophet. l demandthat you arrest him!
Demand?!
Demand?
That's a strong word, my heart.
You must remember.
John is right.
By the Laws of Moses,...
..we have sinned.
Come on. Come on.
we have sinned.
And we go on sinning,...
..and very pleasant it is too!
Even if l wanted to, l could do nothing about his reproaches...
..until he once more sets foot in Galilee.
And then,...
..my own, my heart, we'll throw him into prison!
Repent! Repent! Repent!
A little repenting won't do him any harm.
After all,...
..he preaches it.
You are born to a new life through your repentance...
..and the Lord pours his blessings on you.
The Lord rejoices in repentant hearts.
Go in peace.
He will forgive you, if you truly mean it in your heart.
Help me, O Lord.
Open up your heart. Be ready for the coming of the kingdom.
Let your heart now be cleansed.
Forgive me. l have sinned.
Help me to be strong.
Be strong.
lt is l who... who need baptism from you.
And yet you come to me.
Let it be so.
we must fulfil all righteousness.
Lord, Eternal Father,...
..I hear your voice.
This is my beloved son,...
..in whom l am well pleased.
You are born to a new life through your repentance...
..and the Lord pours his blessings on you.
The Lord rejoices in repentant hearts.
This water cleanses.
Andrew? Philip?
Behold...
..the Lamb of God,...
..who takes unto himself...
..the sins of the world.
It is him you must follow now. Not me.
He must increase,...
..as I must decrease.
what's happening?
They're the guards of King Herod, come to arrest the prophet!
Go!
Go on!
John, save yourself! Come with us, please!
Leave him! He's a prophet!
You cannot arrest him! He's a man sent by God!
My time is over.
- Quick! - what's going on? why are you running?
He's back. where's Mary? l must tell her.
Mary! Mary! Oh, hurry, hurry!
Mary! Mary!
Mary!
Mary, your son is back. He's at the synagogue.
He went straight to the synagogue. l saw him.
He's back! Oh!
And now our reading from the prophets.
The prophet lsaiah.
who is our reader?
- Ah, yes. - lt's my turn today, Rabbi.
The spirit of the Lord is upon me...
..because he hath anointed me to give good tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted,...
..to preach deliverance to the captives,...
..to give sight to the blind.
To set at liberty them that are bruised.
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Amen.
Today...
..in your hearing...
..the Scriptures...
..are fulfilled.
The Scriptures are fulfilled.
Did he say fulfilled?
But... how can he dare to say such a thing?
what do you mean?
The prophecy you have read can only be fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah.
- Yes! - By the coming of the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God comes not in a way foreseen by men.
Repent... and believe the good news.
The kingdom of heaven,...
..behold,...
..is suddenly upon you.
what?!
This man is mad.
Blasphemer!
Blessed is he who is not ashamed of me!
Take this man out!
Don't let him touch the Scriptures! Clear him out!
Today,...
..in our hearing,...
..the Scriptures... are fulfilled.
Go away! Go away! Never come back to Nazareth!
Don't let him go! Blasphemer!
Stone him! Put him to death!
- Stone him to death! - Blasphemer!
That's what he deserves!
The Law states clearly - stone him!
Don't let him go!
Master!
we were told to make ourselves known to you.
I am Andrew of Capernaum. A fisherman by trade.
But your follower now, if you'll take me.
This is Philip.
we were sent by john the Prophet. The Baptist.
He has just been imprisoned by King Herod Antipas.
Andrew.
Philip.
Come with me.
Come on!
- Tell me, when was john arrested? - As soon as he returned to Galilee.
He had to return. So many people were waiting for him...
There it is: the Sea of Galilee, and Capernaum, where l was born.
It's a town of fishermen, but it also has the greatest synagogue in lsrael.
You can stay at my brother's house.
He's a good man.
Simon Peter.
The Commandments God gave to Moses so long ago...
..must not remain dead stone for the reverence of unthinking minds.
Dead stone? The tablets of the Law? Dead stone?!
- what do you mean? - Stone is what the Law is written on.
But the Law itself is alive.
And living things are constantly changing.
- But our Law is eternal. - You cannot change the Law of Moses!
That's right, the Law is here.
A man is made of flesh and blood, and he changes.
Doesn't he remain the same man?
God wants to write the Law on your hearts.
Rabbi, you said you have come here to give us the good news.
Is this it? The good news?
That the Law is living like a man?
The good news l bring you is this:
Your captivity is over.
what does that mean, our captivity is over? what captivity?
Captivity in sin.
God fulfils the promise he made to our people lsrael...
..and reconciles himself to man.
God is coming to you.
To all of you.
Even the most wretched.
Do not shut the door in his face.
Aaargh...!
The devil's in him!
He's possessed by the devil!
Listen to me! Not to him!
Aaargh!
Hold him down! He's possessed!
Rabbi, the demon has tried to throw him into fire and into water to destroy him!
If you can do anything, have mercy!
Help my poor faith.
Hold him!
watch out!
Aaargh!
watch out!
Satan!
Aaargh!
Satan!
Leave... him!
The spirit has gone.
Father...
Oh, my son! My son!
Oh!
Praised be the Lord.
lt's all right! He's all right!
Yes, we're all fishermen in our family. Andrew here knows us well.
But l was sent off to learn.
All you were fit for, perhaps!
And what have you learnt?
Oh, that two and two make four, sometimes,...
..that most people seem to be here to be pushed about,...
..that getting on is a fine thing,...
..that birth is the beginning of death.
But there must be something more for man between birth and death.
Today, when l heard you preaching, l began to understand.
lt gave me hope.
Through your words, the old Scriptures seem to become alive.
That's what we want.
we want the Law to be alive,...
..written in our hearts, not carved in stone.
what is your name?
John. Son of Zebedee.
John.
Stay with us.
Back!
Keep back, you idiot!
- why don't you let us in! - There's my brother now. Simon Peter.
And there's my brother - james.
He's shouting again. Angry as usual.
If anyone's drunk, it's you, you sponge!
He doesn't mean it. He's a good man.
what's the matter? Poor catch?
Poor catch? Nothing!
The only things we catch these days are Roman taxes,...
..and while we're out sweating, working our hands raw on the nets,...
..the stinking tax gatherers take half and give it to the Romans!
Bloodsuckers!
Go, brother.
Go and tell that leech, that two-faced tax collector of ours, Matthew,...
..that if he wants more money out of me, to put some fish in the lake.
Simon, this is the man l told you about.
The man john spoke of. john the Baptist.
what? Another holy man?
Are you another of those that tell us to be patient,...
..and promise us better times will be ahead?
what about now?
what about our children? who will fill their bellies?
A lot of talk these days, while we all starve.
Find a holy man who can put an end to that, then maybe l'll listen.
Go out again.
- I shall come with you. - we've just pulled in!
Get the nets off the boat. Please, Simon, do as he says.
- why do you listen to these people? - He's different, Simon. Please!
Give me that!
Please!
what are you staring at?
Come.
You can preach to the fish.
- Cast off. we're going out again. - l knew he'd do it.
Come on, john.
He sends us out again, and we catch all these fish!
It's a miracle!
It's not a miracle. Only God can work miracles.
They speak these profanities. They believe him.
we must go and speak to him.
l've never seen anything like that.
My house will not hold any more people!
Please!
My father is ill! l want the Master to cure him!
Stop! That's enough!
Help me up! I can't get up! I want to see him!
There are too many already!
Keep back! Keep back!
Touch me, Master! Touch me!
I can see well from here.
Master!
lt was amazing. l've been fishing for four years and l've never seen a catch so big.
More.
So!
There were miracles, were there?
And a big catch, inspired by a prophet. what's his name? jesus? Get out.
He's staying with Simon Peter, the fisherman.
Oh, l know him, yes.
He owes me back taxes, doesn't he?
Move!
well, well, well.
well, if there's been a big catch, he can pay, can't he?
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.
A man finds it, and in his joy spends everything he has to buy that field.
lt's like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
He finds one pearl of great value, and sells everything to have that pearl.
You, you're all fishermen.
well, the kingdom of heaven is like a net, a great net thrown into the sea.
Suddenly it is filled.
lt's almost bursting.
You have to call to the other boats to come and help.
Everybody's working together, happy, excited.
lt's a time for joy.
For rejoicing in what God has freely given you.
The tax collector.
- Peter, your friend Matthew is here. - Get out! You're defiling this house!
Bloodsucking tax collector! No place for you here!
we don't want you.
Out of my house!
- You scum! Filth! - No, Simon, don't.
l will not have it defiled by you!
l hear you've had a big catch, Simon. we'll talk about it later, shall we?
But what about this friend of yours?
This new preacher or teacher or whatever he is.
Am l not allowed to speak with him?
Not... in my house.
You seem to be unwelcome here.
I don't know your name, but l know what you do.
Levi... or Matthew. l am known by both names.
And by others.
You and l must meet in a place where both of us are welcome.
Is your house far?
why do you ask?
l should like to have supper with you tonight.
You would enter the house of a sinner?
l would enter any house where l am welcome.
He doesn't seem to realise the scandal it would cause. Peter, you tell him.
l've told him.
Tell him again. They're all talking about it.
- Meaning some Pharisees, l suppose. - well, they know the Law.
Tax collectors cannot enter a synagogue. whoever associates with them is defiled.
According to the Pharisees.
- That's their argument. Peter, tell him. - l've told him!
what do you want from me?
l said Matthew's my bloodsucking enemy, l hate him,...
..but all jesus would say was: "why don't you join us as well?"
Andrew.
Andrew, l am not like you.
l am not a follower of priests and prophets.
l am a fisherman. l have my family to think of.
You followed the Baptist. Now follow this one.
- Peter! - just leave me alone!
why did you bring him here to me?
This is my life!
My nets...
My boats.
Go on!
Follow him!
But leave me!
Come on. You can't talk to him when he's like this.
Come on, Philip.
This is where l belong.
Master!
It's a scandal for you to eat with these people.
we've lived our lives honourably, made sacrifices.
They are thieves, whores, usurers.
Violent and godless people.
Now you eat with such people, who spend their lives in orgies and perversions.
I am not come to call the virtuous to repentance, but the sinners.
They might enter heaven before you.
Listen, Master, if you eat with these people, they will contaminate you.
The town will abandon you.
- James is right. - james,...
..the heart of the Law is mercy.
You can't go.
Come, my lovely.
He's here.
Quiet!
Peace be with you.
Thank you...
..for coming to my house.
Rabbi... you are welcome.
Seat for the rabbi!
- Move! - No, no, don't move. l'll sit there.
wine.
This is my brother james.
He's in the same business as l am.
I drink to you in the name of all here.
Rabbi, we want to hear your words.
Please, speak to us.
- Yes. - No, no, no. Let's eat first.
No! Let him decide.
Oh, let him speak!
No. No.
- I'd like to tell you a story. - Yes! Yes!
Sit down, sit down! Sh-sh!
Sit down, sit down.
A certain man had two sons,...
..and one day the younger of these sons said to his father:
"Give me my share of your estate now."
So his father divided his wealth between his two sons.
And a few days later this younger son set off for a distant land...
..and there he squandered all the money he had on riotous living.
Now, not long after this a great famine swept over the land...
..and the boy began to starve.
He persuaded a farmer to hire him to feed his pigs,...
..but he was so hungry, even the husks he fed the swine began to look good to him.
And still nobody gave him anything.
Finally, the boy came to his senses.
At home...
..even my father's servants have enough food, and to spare.
And here l am starving to death.
I will go home...
..and ask my father to hire me as one of his servants.
And so... he set off.
Now he was still some distance from his home...
..when his father saw him coming,...
..and he was so filled with compassion...
..that he ran towards his son...
..and embraced him and kissed him.
The boy said "Father, l have sinned against heaven and you."
"I am not worthy to be called your son."
But his father called for the servants...
..and said "Bring me the finest robe in the house and put it on him."
"Put rings on his hands and shoes on his feet."
"Kill the fatted calf. we must celebrate with a feast."
My son was dead...
..and is alive again.
Now,...
..the older brother at this time was working in the fields,...
..and as he came back to the house...
..he heard the noise of music and dancing.
He called for one of the servants and asked what was happening.
And he was told.
At this, the older brother became very angry...
..and he refused to go into the house.
The father came out and tried to plead with him, but he wouldn't listen.
"I have worked for you all this time, all these years,...
..and never once have l disobeyed you."
"In all that time you've never even given me a goat...
..so that l can have a feast with my friends."
"My younger brother comes back, having spent all your money on harlots,...
..and for him you kill the fatted calf."
"Please," said the father,...
.."please,...
..try to understand."
"You are always with me."
"Everything l have is yours,...
..but it is right to celebrate."
"Your brother was dead,...
..and is alive again."
"He was lost,...
..and is found."
Forgive me, Master.
I am...
I am just a stupid man.
welcome to the man from Nazareth! welcome to our shores!
Bring blessings with you!
Come save us!
- He's coming! - He's here!
Help me, l am ill!
welcome to our land!
Bless me, Master! Bless me!
Take her away.
Back to Capernaum.
Do not think l have come to bring peace on earth.
I have come not to bring peace...
..but a sword.
l have come to sow discord between a man and his father,...
..between a daughter and her mother.
A man's enemies...
..will be members of his own family.
You may say we have left our belongings to become your followers.
I tell you this:
Anyone who has left home,...
..or father, mother,...
..wife, children, land,...
..for the kingdom of God...
..shall be rewarded a hundred times over...
..on earth,...
..and inherit the kingdom of God.
whoever wants to save his life will lose it,...
..but if a man will lose his life for my sake and for the gospel l bring you,...
..he will save it.
For many that are first will be last.
And the last first.
So do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth,...
..where it grows rusty and moth-eaten and thieves break in to steal it.
Store up treasure in heaven,...
..for where your treasure is there will your heart be also.
My name is jairus. l am one of the elders of the synagogue here.
My little daughter is dying.
I beg you.
Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be cured and live.
Take me to her.
He's arriving.
He's coming. He's bringing the man from Nazareth.
Master,...
..your daughter is dead.
Poor child!
Do not weep!
The child is not dead.
Only sleeping.
who are you to come here with your jokes?
we've seen she's dead. You haven't.
Peace, Thomas. Peace.
Talitha kumi.
Rise, little girl.
Give her something to eat.
Oh!
She's alive! She's alive!
women!
Huh!
I ask you!
why won't they listen?
I told my wife I won't be away for long.
In any case, the fishing's hopeless. why not go away?
I told her. l said...
.."l'll come back in the spring."
Don't lie to her...
..and to yourself.
Lie?
Yes.
You know very well. You'll never go back.
I will.
No, you won't.
Never.
You'll never fish again,...
..you'll never get drunk again,...
..and you'll never live in Capernaum again.
None of us will.
we'll never be the same.
And neither will the lives of everyone in the whole world.
we know why, Simon.
we're the first...
..to know.
You stupid idiots! Go on, go away!
And mind your mothers' business, you crazy...! And your sisters'!
You want to burn down my house to burn me alive?!
Get out!
Can l come in for a minute?
Can l come in for a minute, too?
Mm. Come.
Come. we'll talk about it, hm?
You pigs! Don't you come near me any more!
l'll kill you!
what is it? what's going on?
Ask those pigs over there. Those big brave sons of yours.
In, boy.
There's no peace in this neighbourhood since you came here. Noise and filth...
The curse of God is on you.
Don't worry, Mary. They are only boys' games.
Ah! Boys, they would only burn my house down.
The fathers...
They're all against me.
Not all, Mary.
There's a friend of yours in town today.
- I have no friends. - Oh, yes, you have.
jesus the Prophet.
Friend of outcasts, forgiver of sins. Hm?
Hey, according to him,...
..the sins of the flesh are nothing compared to the sins of the soul.
Hey!
A man will always forgive a man, but a woman's sin...
That's another story.
For most people, but not for him. l've never seen anybody like him.
Have you seen him often?
If you go round on business like me, you can't help seeing him.
Turn a corner, cross a square, go into a camp, there he is.
Come on.
It's been like that for about a year.
- You sure you haven't come across him? - l sleep in the day, don't l?!
Sorry, I forgot.
well, there are big crowds following him everywhere,...
..sometimes so big he has to sleep in a field.
He thinks nothing of eating and drinking with thieves and whores.
Any scum of the earth is good enough for him.
One of his disciples, as they call themselves, was a tax collector,...
..the thieving swine.
But this jesus...
well, he says it's not the righteous that need him, it's the sinners.
So you see? You have got a friend.
- How about next week? - Go.
Make way! Let us through!
Over there!
I can see him!
I can see!
I can see! I can see!
- what happened? - Jesus of Nazareth cured a blind man!
- who? - Jesus of Nazareth!
Ezra! Ezra!
Master?
we should send these people away.
we've got nothing to give them to eat.
They should go to the villages where they can find food.
There's no need to send them away.
You give them something to eat.
How? There are thousands of them.
we cannot feed them.
Is there any food left?
This is all we have. Five barley loaves and two fish.
Put the loaves and the fish in the baskets...
..and give them to the people.
well, go on!
why are you waiting? Do as he says.
l'm sorry, there's only one. That's all we have.
- But we're starving! - Only one? There's plenty!
we've really got some food! How wonderful!
A miracle! A miracle!
Jesus of Nazareth has performed a miracle!
Master... may l speak with you?
what is your name, my son?
My name is judas lscariot.
Call me a scholar the state finds useful. l read and write Hebrew, Greek, Latin.
I... I translate documents.
This has become a country of many tongues.
Now I have never beaten copper,...
..nor carved wood, nor...
..caught fish as your men have, but...
..I know your men.
My father is a prosperous builder.
He said my son must never have calluses on his hands, nor brick dust in his hair.
My money must make my son into a scholar.
Behold a scholar,...
..who wishes to serve you.
But do you need... a man like me?
The tree is known by its fruit.
Come.
Stay with us.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,...
..for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,...
..for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,...
..for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right,...
..for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,...
..for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,...
..for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,...
..for they shall be called Sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right,...
..for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you...
..when people abuse you and persecute you...
..and speak all kinds of calumny against you for my sake.
Rejoice!
And be glad!
For your reward will be great in heaven,...
..as it was for the prophets persecuted before you.
In your prayers,...
..remember your Father knows what your needs are before you ask him.
This is how you should pray.
Our Father,...
..who art in heaven,...
..hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,...
..as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,...
..but deliver us...
..from evil.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils.
Take nothing with you except a staff. No pack, no food, no money.
whenever you come to a town or village, find who is worthy in it and stay with him.
And if at any place they will not receive you or listen to you,...
..shake the dust off your feet as you leave.
Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of judgment will fare better than that place.
I am sending you out as sheep amongst wolves.
Be as wise as serpents.
And as harmless as doves.
Don't be anxious about what you are to say,...
..how you are to speak.
It is not you who speak,...
..but the spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Freely you have received.
Now freely give.
Go.
God be with you, Simon Peter.
John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,...
..and you said he was possessed by devils.
Here l am, drinking and eating freely with you.
No doubt you'll say l am a glutton and a drinker.
Friend of tax collectors and sinners.
Oh, Rabbi,...
..you do us an injustice.
we respect your achievements, and we understand their importance.
But to what extent are you prepared to accept our Laws?
we hear that you heal the sick on the Sabbath.
Do you want our people not to rest on the Sabbath?
If your sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath day,...
..wouldn't you get it out? God made the Sabbath for man, not man for the Sabbath.
we understand that! we understand what you're trying to say!
But is it not confusing to other people?
we live by the Law.
If we accept the Law to be ruled by exceptions,...
..then we are lost.
Today, if it hadn't been for the severity that we learned from Moses,...
..we would not have our Laws.
we would not even be a people any longer.
But it is the... the excessive tolerance, the lack of rigidity in your teaching,...
..that has made us feel that this is a real danger.
The Law gives me security.
It's a guide to my whole way of life.
A measure for judging this man is right, this man is wrong.
You should not judge.
But you, as a son of lsrael,...
..know that we were chosen by God from all mankind...
..to be the Holy Nation.
And, for this, he gave us our Law, the Torah,...
..which is the Law of life.
And we have to separate ourselves from the sinners and be pure and just.
But who is just in the eyes of the Lord?
what is the heart of the Law?
Hear, O lsrael, thou shalt love the Lord thy God...
..with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength.
This is the greatest commandment.
You said well.
You are not far from the kingdom of God, joseph of Arimathea.
But there is another commandment no less great.
You must love your neighbour as yourself.
- But who is my neighbour? - (screaming)
No! Stop her! You can't come in!
This is no place for the likes of you!
what's the matter?
Isn't she that woman? That whore?
Yes, it's her.
She's defiling him.
This is no place for you, woman. Come. Leave quickly.
Simon, sit down.
But, Rabbi, you know what kind of a woman this is.
Simon, please.
Simon.
when l came into your house, you didn't pour water over my feet,...
..or kiss me in greeting, or anoint my head with oil.
She has washed my feet with her tears.
And dried them with her hair.
And anointed them.
Daughter,...
..your sins,...
..and l know they are many,...
..are forgiven you because of the greatness of your love.
Only God can forgive sins - no man.
Your faith has saved you.
Go...
..and sin no more.
Daughter.
Take this ointment.
And keep it for my burial.
Go in peace.
..begged me to touch him and he could walk!
A leper said my shadow had crossed her and she was cured!
They called out to me, "Rabbi! Rabbi!"
I didn't know how to preach, either, then suddenly l found myself speaking.
The same power Peter was given.
Master, there is great excitement everywhere about you.
who do the people in Galilee say that l am?
Some say john the Baptist. They will not believe he is dead.
They know he is dead, many indeed,...
..but they say you're john the Baptist alive again.
And who do you say that l am?
I say you are...
..the Messiah.
The Son... of the living God.
ln saying that, Simon bar Jonah,...
..you show yourself to be blessed among men.
Flesh and blood have not revealed this truth to you.
It has come from my Father in heaven.
So now l will call you Peter,...
..the rock.
And upon this rock l will build what l must call my church.
The gates of hell will not prevail against it.
To you l give the keys...
..of the kingdom of heaven.
And to you all l say this.
Peter has spoken the truth.
And now you know it.
But you must not reveal it to any man.
The time has not yet come.
But another time is coming.
The time for me to go to jerusalem.
Oh, yes, Master.
You must go to jerusalem. The whole city awaits you.
The elders of lsrael must know and recognise you.
No, judas. ln jerusalem the Son of Man will be rejected by the elders...
..and the chief priests of the Temple.
He will be condemned.
He will be handed over to the unbelievers,...
..who will scourge him,...
..mock him,...
..put him to death.
Then,...
..after three days,...
..he will rise again.