“They Killed Him” is the name of a song by Bob Dylan. “The only Son of God Almighty. The holy one called Jesus Christ. He healed the lame and fed the hungry. And for his love they took his life away. On the road to glory where the story never ends. Just the holy Son of Man we’ll never understand. My God, they killed him.”

It was this song that once again got us into a wild discussion at the weekly get-together at Jerusalem’s outdoor market. The chosen pay a price, and often it is death. Being a chosen one is usually considered a privilege, but in truth it is not an easy situation. Chosen ones typically walk a path of suffering.

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he came up out of the water, and, behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And behold, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is my dear Son, in whom I am well pleased!’”

God chose His beloved Son, Jesus, to be the Redeemer of mankind. The chosen one who not only spoke and preached about love, but lived love and sacrificed his life with love. “Jesus was a role model in Jewish society,” acknowledged Yossi, who is an avowed atheist, but fully respects Jesus.

In addition to Jesus Christ, the song also mentions Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. “Gandi…would not bow down he would not fight… Martin Luther King…made the bells of freedom ring today with a dream of beauty that they could not burn away… My God, they killed him.” Whether these others were chosen by God or by society, we disagreed on at the table. Neither Gandhi or King can be compared to the biblical Messiah, and yet the biblical pattern is reflected.

Then Yossi guessed the first chosen one in the Bible. The first person in the Bible to pay the price with death as God’s chosen one was Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve. God chose Abel’s sacrifice and not the sacrifice of his older brother, Cain. Then Cain became very angry and bowed his head. God asked Cain why he was angry. Finally Cain spoke to his brother Abel. In the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Jealousy made Cain angry, and as a result the chosen one was killed. God’s choice to accept only Abel’s sacrifice cost Abel his death.

After Abel, it was Joseph who was chosen by his father Jacob and nearly paid the price with his life.

“But Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he had gotten him in his old age, and he made him a long, brightly colored coat. When his brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than all his brothers, they hated him and refused to greet him.”

But Joseph had a dream and announced it to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more. Eventually Joseph ended up in the hole and was ultimately sold to the Egyptians. Their intention was to kill their brother just because of their father’s decision. Jealousy had broken out again because of the chosen one, and this again had consequences.

Joseph’s story is a messianic reflection of Jesus in the New Testament. Both are chosen of the father and both are so-called redeemer figures. Joseph redeemed his entire family during the famine in the land, and Jesus is the redeemer of mankind. In both cases, the Gentiles were saved first. Joseph saved the Egyptians first, and Jesus saved the Gentiles (Christians) first. Just as Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and sisters, so will Jesus one day do the same. But in both cases anger and jealousy erupted within the family because the fathers, Jacob and God, favored someone more, loved him more, and therefore chose him.

And the people of Israel have been in this situation since they were chosen by God. The Almighty chose the tiny people of Israel to show His power and glory among the nations. While privilege is nice, suffering throughout history is less so. That is why the Jewish people are persecuted again and again and walk a path of suffering. “And this will probably also be the end of Israel,” interjected Ela. “The nations will never stop hating us. Even if we think we are loved by the international community, the nations will always find a new reason to hate us.”

Being a chosen people comes with a price, as with Abel, Joseph, Jesus, and other people throughout history. It is part of the gift and service of God, even though we may find it difficult to understand. Abel was, so to speak, a prototype for those who sometimes have to pay with their lives in service to God’s will.