The popular TV show, The Chosen, is like many other films and shows based (loosely) on scripture. Almost all of these visual depictions are made by religionists and not by believers. Yes despite these two glaring problems, many are taken in by the dramatic scenes and visual wonderlands set before them. Too often discernment is cast aside for emotion.
Almost always, these movies and shows play fast and loose with scripture. They pay little attention to the origin of the account (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John), the sequence and timing of the events, or to the exact people involved. They necessarily have to impose an interpretation (to one degree or another) on the texts used. This last would fine if they were upfront about it. But they just present their presentation as a factual and indisputable depiction.
The healing of the Gentile Centurion's servant is in Matthew 8. When the Lord sends out the twelve to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 4, Matthew 9) in Matthew Chapter 10, he forbids them from preaching it to Gentiles. In Matthew 15, he tells the Gentile (Canaanite) woman that he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He ignores her when she addresses him as "Son of David," a title she has no right use.And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 10:7)
-the gospel the 12 were sent to preach which was forbidden to be preached to Gentiles
Israelites are referred to as "children" (by the Lord), while Gentiles are referred to as "little dogs" (by the Lord) in comparison. The Gentile woman refers to Israel as "masters" over the Gentiles. It is only when she takes her place as a little dog, drops the reference to "Son of David," acknowledges her masters, that the Lord heals her daughter. The Lord never sees nor touches her daughter nor the Centurion's servant. He touches the Israelites he heals.
And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
-Matthew 15:21-28
- O Lord, Son of David... But He did not answer her a word.
- Lord, help me... And He answered...
- Yes, Lord... dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.
- He daughter was healed instantly
When the Lord announces he must go to Jerusalem and die in Matthew 16, his disciples refuse to believe it and try to keep him from going ("And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you"). So, obviously, the Gospel of the Kingdom announce by John the Baptist, then by the Lord in Matthew 4 and Matthew 9 had nothing to do with the Lord's death, burial, or resurrection. So, the gospel the 12 were sent to preach in Matthew 10 also had nothing to do with the Lord's death, burial, or resurrection. The King, the Son of David, had come to Israel.
Those basic lines of truth from the Lord's earthly ministry are all lost in these TV and movie depictions. They carelessly present events regardless of the message being spoken in scripture. The gospel we know and preach today supplants the Gospel of the Kingdom the Lord spoke to Israel alone in the flesh. They ignore the very teachings of the Lord. These muddled movies become a substitute for scripture for many.
I was a huge fan of Jesus of Nazareth, the 1977 miniseries. After I got saved, I saw it was going to be on TV the next Easter season. I was excited, until I watched it. I had seen it many times, but now I could see all the errors and the obvious interpretation inflicted on the texts. The brief section I saw of The Passion when it came to television was the same. Emotional? Yes. Based on a true story? Yes. But full of Catholic "visions" and mythology. Well, Mel Gibson told us it was based on the visions of a Catholic mystic. I believed him. Why did so few Evangelicals?
Jonathan Roumie (cast as the Lord in The Chosen) is suckering people in. He has used his platform to sell Catholicism. HUGE money is behind the Mary-worship app he pushes. Catholic magazines celebrate Evangelicals looking into Catholicism and lapsed Catholics going back to Rome.
I'm not telling anyone what to do, I'm just telling you what I know Roumie's goal is. Jim Caviezel (cast as the Lord in The Passion) and Mel Gibson's goal was to get people into the CC using their film. That's Roumie's and The Chosen's goal. And he'll use the emotion of the films to get believers off-guard. He'll mold the Biblical accounts to fit his theology. Very few will bother to put the healing of the Centurion's servant into its proper context in Matthew. It was near the start of the Lord's public ministry, while the Lord is still preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to Israel alone. Is that where The Chosen places it?
We know violence has been done to the biblical text and message. The gospel accounst are mixed up and wrongly divided (cp. 2 Tim 2:15). Roumie and the people behind the series have a Jesus that does not come from the inspired texts, but rather from religious tradition (just as the Jesus in the Jesus of Nazareth miniseries and The Passion film did).
If the argument is made that "God can use it," I would say that God is free to use anything He wants, but we are not free to do so. Certainly we are not free to add to, subtract from, or wrongly divide the Word of Truth.
