HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100RecommendedThis episode
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it through
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100RecommendedThis episode
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it through
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
Worldview score
What the story celebrates or condemns.
Why +2 for this episode
The episode centres on Jesus as healer and teacher, on listening to God, and on reconciliation across ethnic divides, all presented as true and good.
- +2Affirms faithThis episodePresents faith in God positively and as true
- +1Positive valuesHonesty, sacrifice and family win out
- 0Mixed or neutralNo clear stance
- −1AmbivalentShows sin without judging it either way
- −2Glamorises sinMakes sin look attractive and rewarding
Age guide
How suitable this episode is for each age group.
Why 8+ for this episode
There is no swearing, sexual content or graphic violence, but the episode has tense confrontations between hostile groups, a gravely ill servant and a couple's grief after a loss.
- Under 8With a parent
- Ages 8–12Yes
- Ages 13–15Yes
- Ages 16–17Yes
- AdultsYes
A gentle, reverent episode about hearing God amid hostility and grief. Expect tense confrontations and some grief.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageNo swearing
There is no profanity. Some characters trade sharp insults, but none of them are crude.
BlasphemyNone
God is spoken of in prayer, teaching and sincere conversation only.
Sex and nudityNone
There is no sexual content in this episode.
RelationshipsStrained marriage
Simon is struggling in his marriage to Eden after a painful loss, and he confides in John. It is handled with restraint.
ViolenceHostile crowds
Jesus and the disciples face hostile groups in the Decapolis. There is tension and the threat of conflict, with little or nothing graphic.
Frightening scenesTense moments
There are some tense confrontations and a centurion's servant who is seriously ill. None of it is frightening for most children.
Drugs and alcoholFestival setting
The episode opens during the Purim festival, where some celebratory drinking may appear in the background.
AttitudesAnger, prejudice
Simon is angry, wanders off on his own and trespasses into the Roman quarter. Ethnic groups trade hostility. The story treats both as things that need healing.
OccultNone
There is no witchcraft, magic, fortune-telling or other occult content. The healing of a deaf man is a miracle of Jesus, and the prayer tassels are part of Jewish devotion, so neither counts as occult.
- To knowContent to know about
- DiscussWorth discussing
- Early
Anger and grief
During the Purim festivities in Capernaum, Simon wanders alone, troubled, and crosses into the Roman Quarter where he does not belong.
- Early
Illness and distress
Gaius welcomes Simon into his house, where he shows him a servant who is gravely sick and whom he cares for like his own child.
- Mid
Faith and tradition
Matthew recalls a shepherd who gave him prayer tassels as a gift, and explains to Mary Magdalene what they mean.
- Mid
Healing miracle
In Abila, Jesus heals a deaf man who cannot speak and asks the family to tell no one.
- Late
Hostile crowds
Jesus and the disciples meet hostile groups, with sharp words and the threat of conflict between peoples.
- Late
Marriage and grief
Simon confides in John about the strain in his marriage to Eden after their loss.
How to play
- 1. Draw a cardOne person reads the question out loud.
- 2. Everyone answersThere are no wrong answers. Listen before you reply.
- 3. Pass it onThe next person draws, until the deck is done.
Faith & story
What does it say?
What's it about?The plot, without the ending
During Purim, Simon is restless and angry, while Jesus prepares to lead his followers into the Decapolis. There, old ethnic hostilities and fierce opposition meet them. Along the way Matthew reflects on a treasured gift, and the disciples discover that listening is harder than it sounds.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
This episode is about hearing, and the difficulty of it. Jesus tells a parable about a banquet whose invited guests make excuses, and the disciples struggle to take in what they are shown. Jesus often ended his teaching by calling on those with ears to hear. In Abila he heals a man who cannot hear or speak, a picture of what he does for hearts that are closed. Simon's anger and grief echo Peter's impulsiveness, and Gaius's care for his sick servant recalls the centurion who came to Jesus on behalf of a servant he valued. The groups in the Decapolis are divided by ethnic hostility, yet Jesus moves among them without partiality. The prayer tassels Matthew receives point to remembering God's commands. The episode suggests that hearing God is a gift, and that it is bound up with humility and healing rather than with cleverness or status.
Fruit of the SpiritWhich fruit does it show?
6 out of 9 fruits ripe in this episode
Ripe grapes are shown in the episode, buds are missing
- Joy
- Peace
Jesus shows kindness and gentleness in healing Argo, and patience in leading disciples who are slow to understand. Gaius shows love and goodness in caring for his sick servant, who is also his son. Matthew shows faithfulness in treasuring the prayer tassels and passing on their meaning. Simon is given to fits of anger, and the ethnic groups of the Decapolis show strife and divisions in their hostility toward one another and toward Jesus. Simon's lack of self-control in his anger is a meaningful contrast to the calm of Jesus.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Jonathan Roumie as Jesus of NazarethJonathan RoumieTeaches and heals with patience, and leads the group into hostile territory.
Shahar Isaac as Simon PeterShahar IsaacAngry and hurting, he struggles to hear what Jesus asks of him.
Paras Patel as MatthewParas PatelExplains the meaning of the prayer tassels to Mary Magdalene, recalling how he came to own them.
Kirk B.R. Woller as GaiusKirk B.R. WollerA Roman officer who opens his home to Simon and reveals his own private worry.
Elizabeth Tabish as Mary MagdaleneElizabeth TabishAsks Matthew about the hidden tassels and is curious about their meaning.
How Christians are portrayed
Faith is portrayed warmly and reverently, with Jesus as a compassionate healer and teacher. The disciples are shown honestly as people who are flawed, slow to understand and sometimes angry, but sincere. Opposition comes from the crowds' prejudice rather than from any mockery of belief.
Community
What other Christians think
What did you notice?
Strong language (the f-word or similar)?
Is this appropriate for Christians to watch?
Thinking of children? Add the youngest age you'd show it to.
Review
Helpful reviewer
The star beside a name
Given to members whose reviews 25 or more people have marked Helpful.
It rewards reviews that help other families decide, not how many someone writes. It's a sign others have found their reviews thoughtful, not a verdict on anyone's faith.
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Details
Episode details
- Cast
- Erick Avari, Jonathan Roumie, Shahar Isaac, Elizabeth Tabish
- First aired
- Feb 5, 2023
- Created by
- Dallas Jenkins
- Networks
- Prime Video, VidAngel, Angel
- Genre
- Action & Adventure, Family, Drama
- Episode length
- 1h 4m
- Age rating
- US TV-PG · UK 12
How we analysed this
We gathered the episode's summary, its reception and facts about the series that independent sources agree on, then rated each content area against our rubric and worldview scale, using AI models calibrated on reference titles. Not yet reviewed by our team. Confidence: medium.
Score = 100 − 16 × content concern (1.22) + 8 × worldview (+2) = 96
This is a guide to help families choose with wisdom, not a verdict on anyone's conscience ().
Updated 2026-10-14