I See What You Did There

I am among the reluctant fans of The Chosen. I must confess that when it first came out, I refused to watch it. I usually find myself disappointed even in regular film when I’ve “read the book first.” So often, the characters, the depth of meaning, even the plot, are so much less than what I hold in my imagination. The inadequacies of religious dramas are even more off-putting—so often cringe-worthy, kitschy, or even heretical.

After many urgings I finally decided to give The Chosen a try—a year after the first episodes aired. I was surprised—pleasantly. I like Jonathan Roumie as Jesus for many reasons, but when he stands on the shoreline laughing as the first apostles haul in the miraculous catch of fish, I exhaled in relief: This is the Jesus I know.

But what won my heart was what I had first most feared: the apostles were nothing like I imagined them in my mind. They were so much less—not nearly as strong, or as saintly; they are at times awkward or annoying or even unlikable. They are shown not as superheroes but as sinners. They squabble, boast, misunderstand. The creative backstories “humanize” them—not only in the good sense, by endearing us to them, but also in a more negative sense—we see men who are human and thus flawed, sinful, and truly in need of a Savior.

Having our image of the apostles offended is actually a gift. Because this was the experience of those who lived in New Testament times—those who witnessed Jesus, and those who witnessed the post-resurrection apostles and the early church. They were offended to see the works of God performed by human flesh. They were scandalized by the working of the divine through the human. Jesus and The Chosen challenge us: Get Used to Different!

But I wonder if we allow ourselves to realize just how really different Jesus made things. Because what is even more amazing, astonishing, is that this chosen group would not only witness miracles of the God-Made-Man, but also work them. They don’t just get to hang out with Jesus, they are commissioned to “Do the works I do, and greater still!” (John 14:12)

The Chosen is set to continue for seven seasons, but I really want to see a Season Eight. I want to see “The Chosen: Pentecost edition—Get Comfortable with Crazy!” Because these misfits become miracle workers. These hotheads who haggle over which of them is the greatest—will head up the church. Peter, who is portrayed as almost a delinquent, will be the first pope. Matthew, who is cast with OCD and germaphobia, will die a messy martyr’s death in Egypt.

I want to see that Peter as his very shadow heals the sick, to see the surrounding shock as that Peter raises Tabitha from the dead. I want to see that John and Peter when they pause by the crippled man—who then goes walking and leaping into the temple ahead of them. I want to see that Thomas no longer over-thinking but going off to India, proclaiming the Gospel and being martyred for it.    I want to see these men who were shown as suspicious and wary of anyone trying to enter to the group, welcoming Paul who persecuted and murdered Christians—even inviting him into their Council in Jerusalem. We don’t know all the details of what each of the apostles did post-Pentecost, but we do know that the proclamation of the Gospel was boldly proclaimed “with signs and wonders.”

We need to re-experience not only the shock of Jesus doing the works of God, but the shock of humans doing the works of Jesus.

Jesus first miracle was to turn water into wine. His last, before dying, was to turn wine into His Blood. But I would argue His greatest is to turn the apostles, and you and me, into Himself. Lord I believe, help my unbelief.