Five More Times “The Chosen” Made Me Cry – Season Three
If you have been reading this site for any time at all, you know we’ve been through this thing a few times at this point. So, I won’t bore you with an extended preamble. I love The Chosen – the multi-season television show that follows the life and ministry of Jesus and His closest followers. It’s well-constructed and beautifully told. And it hits viewers right in the “feels” more than any other show I have ever seen.
As I said, I’ve covered this topic a few times for Rambling Ever On, which you can read here and here. Based on the response to my previous heart-felt confessions, it’s clear that I am not alone in how often I cry watching The Chosen. And that’s okay. Come along with me and let’s cry a little more reminiscing about these emotionally poignant and affecting moments from Season Three.
Mother Mary and Jesus
This is a quiet moment but one that speaks volumes. A simple meal between mother and Son. Jesus asks for the box. Mary’s face says it all. She knows what it means, which tells us they’ve had conversations about this before. She knows. We know. Both actors play the scene with delicate vulnerability. There’s no flash, no showiness. All the feelings are expressed in their eyes. My first time watching this scene, it moved me. Every time I’ve watched it since, I have been a mess.
Zebedee with James and John
I’m not sure if this scene would show up on a lot of other people’s lists of this sort, but as a father, this one just speaks to me. My job is not my identity. Like Zebedee, I work to make ends meet. I want my legacy to be similar to Zeb’s. His legacy was waiting for the Messiah until Jesus appeared. Mine is following the Messiah. Zebedee’s entire focus changes when the Messiah arrives. Jesus radically transformed the lives of his sons and his life as well. This scene is beautiful and real, and it speaks to my parental heart every time I see it.
Andrew and Mary
The combo we didn’t know we needed! Late in Episode One of Season Three, Andrew goes to Mary’s house to apologize. In Season Two, Andrew had gotten very angry with Mary when he thought her disappearance had put Jesus in danger. He said some hurtful things at that time. The Sermon on the Mount included some pointed commands that spoke directly to Andrew and his circumstances.
The beauty of this scene is that it shows, in such a natural way, the disciples acting on what they are learning from Jesus. The words of Jesus are not just niceties, meant to make us feel better. His words are meant to change the very fabric of our lives. Andrew learns that in this episode, and he acts on this new wisdom. Mary’s reaction, saying she thinks this is the first time anyone has every apologized to her, is absolutely perfect. Liz Tabish has a way of communicating incredible emotional depth and vulnerability with just her eyes and she does it here expertly.
Clean, Part 2
I’m going to cheat a little here. There are three moments in this episode, all packed together in a fairly short span of time, that bring on the waterworks for me. First, the most obvious two. Veronica’s healing and the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter. One of the main reasons The Chosen works so well is because it nails the big moments. And there are plenty of big moments to choose from in the Gospels. After a season of Jesus remaining mostly out of the spotlight, He finally ventures back into the public’s eye, with powerful and redemptive results. His interactions with the crowd, with Veronica, with Jairus and his family are each unique and intensely personal.
The third moment from this sequence of events that makes me cry is the final scene as Jesus and His disciples ritually bathe in the water. They make it more of a joyful time of play and fun. If there are tears here, they are happy ones. But the episode ends on a shot of Eden, watching from the shore, completely isolated from everyone else. It’s heartbreaking to see her feeling so alone and forgotten.
My guess is, we have all felt that way before, even towards Jesus. Yet we know He sees her. He is with her even if she does not feel it at the moment. After an episode of highs, The Chosen opted to end it on a more complicated and downbeat note. That juxtaposition makes it land even harder.
Shula and Barnaby healing
The big moments typically get the most attention but it’s the smaller moments that hit me the hardest. Shula and Barnaby are secondary characters at best. They pop up every now and then, always wringing the most out of any scene or line they are given. The show works so well because they capture these “less important” scenes and characters with the same skill and attention as the “more important” stuff.
What’s not to love here? Barnaby bringing a reluctant Shula to Jesus so He can heal her blindness. Barnaby expecting nothing from Jesus – he’s just happy to help his friend. It’s selfless and beautiful and I’m tearing up thinking about it. Jesus sneaks in a stealth healing for Barnaby and the response we get is worth everything. Be honest, you want to run up and hug Jesus like that, don’t you? I do.
Final Thoughts on Season Three of The Chosen
I am confident that when people read this article, they are going to be stunned at the moments I left out. The miscarriage. The beautiful moment between Matthew and Mary. The epic finale on the boat in the storm. Little James and Jesus. Simon and Eden. Those are all great moments that brought tears to my eyes but I feel they have been discussed by many others so I decided to focus on some moments that might have been overlooked.
Of course, I still included a couple of the more talked about moments, how could I leave them out? Let me know what other moments made you cry in Season Three of The Chosen. Post it in the comments section below or on our social media accounts. Thanks so much for reading!
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As usual, well-written and penetrating, both in helping the reader (and viewer) see and better understand what we might have missed.
I cry often over even little things. When Jesus was so tired from healing so many people and then his mother washed his feet..
The scenes in episode 1 and 2 with Matthew and his family touched me. Your article is very good and I agree with your moments, but I was surprised you left Matthew out.
Barnaby/Shula healings make me ball more than any other scene. Barnaby’s transformation from season 1’s Shabbat (insulting Nazareth, etc) to the selfless friend is beautiful.
I’m at a loss for words. I love how you express The Chosen for people to understand it better.
Very well written. I love all those moments! Plus….When Matthew reconciles with his parents, when he puts the cloth down on the table to hug his mom….love it!
When Jesus and Nicodemus are on the rooftop….such phenomenal acting! I laugh and cry during this scene.
The scene with Nicodemus at the well, choosing his life rather than following Jesus. You can FEEL his pain in that moment! It wrecks me every time!
There are SO many more! The Chosen absolutely hits the big stuff….but, as you said, the smaller things are just as impactful!