Did "The Chosen" get St. Matthew Right? Scripture Scholar Dr. John Bergsma Responds

[@supritiphani1282]

Well said . They are doing a great job

[@mazikode]

Thank you Dr Bergsma..I am so happy to hear your thoughts. Funny enough I have often wondered what you thought about some of the characters because i listen to Letters from home when you explain the gospels. It's really nice to hear your feedback. God bless you and the St Paul centre.

[@maureenskoczen5065]

Thank you for your reflection on Matthew. I didn't care for the way they depicted him and also Mary. I enjoy the show and I tried to be open-minded about their portrayals. But it's nice to know from someone who knows the Bible as well as you do they're staying true to the message that God really wants us to get from watching the Chosen.

[@paulwartt4942]

I love the chosen. I like the way the portray what might have happened in between what we know in the bible.

[@TeresaAvila1]

I like Matthew. He's interesting. This is a show, entertainment. Wonderful I'd say...

[@NUKE.2024]

Good point about, "Artistic Licensing" - even if St Matthew has a personality 'dysfunction'.

[@Ezekiel336-16]

I would be interested in getting your perspective on the way the exchange between Jesus and His mother was changed/depicted at the Wedding of Cana, and also on the "brainstorming (my word)" that was depicted between Jesus and Matthew in the last scene of the last episode of the 2nd Season (e.g. that Jesus seemed unsure about what to say in His upcoming sermon and was working with Matthew for help). In Christ, Andrew

[@44seewjay]

the brainstorming was for Matthew's benefit. I didn't see that as Jesus needing help, per se.

[@Davidjune1970]

I think the show did a lot to show it was Mary’s intercession that resulted in the wine making. So it was good to see them expand on this. As for Matthew “helping” with sermon on the mount … things are not what they appear. Jesus is schooling Matthew in a subtle way by allowing him to be part of a process. It’s not that Jesus needed help … he needed to introduce the ideas to Matthew to change his heart. You have to remember Matthew was used to a material life style and this sermon was opposite to everything he had lived for years. He needed Matthew to not only understand but to surrender himself wholeheartedly as he is an important element of Jesus’ mission. And what better way to make a heart surrender than to make it think it was part of the building of the sermon. At least that is my take on the artistic license at play here.

[@istotatora84]

People in finance are.

[@JohnR.T.B.]

I would imagine Matthew as a shrewd and cunning person, talking dishonestly and all of the sort to take advantage of others, before his conversion.

[@tafazzi-on-discord]

I think the opposite. Jews hated tax collectors, if he was good with and wanted to be with people he would not have chosen that job.

[@JohnR.T.B.]

@@tafazzi-on-discord "And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" (Luke 5: 29-30) He was a friend of sinners, and Matthew appears to be the party guy.

[@deaconbilcarter5210]

I really struggled with watching "The Chosen", and I quit after several episodes. I was entirely fine with the artistic license (like Jesus leaving toys for children), necessary to make a story flow in a way that is conducive to television, but I thought too much was introduced that made substantive changes to the Scriptural story. Making Peter out to be a degenerate gambler who struggles with his wife about this vice was just a bridge too far for me. Scripture makes no mention of any particular vice that Peter suffered, nor does it mention him having a wife, only a mother-in-law, which is in no way indicative of a living wife, and indeed suggestive that his wife was already dead, since Peter takes care of her mother. I stopped watching long before the Blessed Mother was depicted in a scandalous way, so I don't think I'll be going back. Finally, it is almost certainly a fabrication that Matthew walked around taking notes, presumably for the Gospel he would eventually write roughly 40 years later. That was just a silly thing to add.

[@mazikode]

All of your points are true and good Deacon. Thank you.

[@MrDuckyDutch]

I think i've forgotten or not noticed it but what do you mean by our Blessed Mother being depicted in a scandalous way?

[@rooforlife]

I did watch the first 2 Seasons when I had seen recommendations to watch the series around the time when Season 2 started coming out I wasn't for it I mostly watched to see what some of the problems were. I read some critical articles about the series some of the stuff in the articles I agree with some not. What “The Chosen” Gets Wrong About Cana- Part I AND part II By Anonymous on catholic stand website, Review: The Chosen (Season 1) by Catherine Hawthorn Fr Nix wrote the article Blasphemy Against Mother Mary in “The Chosen”. Have seen a lot more priests have nice things to say about the Chosen series more than critics of the series I pray that some clergy comes out on youtube to go thru the Chosen series talking about what's not right in the episodes. Just came across a video by 5-Minute Catholic Apologetics & Living Why NO Catholic Should Watch “The Chosen.” I haven't watched it yet. . "The Chosen" series reminds me of the video Church Militant did about the movie "Son of God" that it was all about feelings getting you to feel emotions but feelings dont save>> "It Ain't About Feelings" It Ain't About Feelings Emotions do not save -- in fact, often times they deceive

[@laydownlays]

I always think of Matthew more as a tax collector for the mafia, except, of course, we wouldn't call them "tax collectors" lol

[@jordand5732]

Seems like the same thing really.

[@petricor978]

Jesús jamás dijo que Él era la ley de Moisés (the chosen, 3ª temporada). Me parece un "añadido" injustificado e inadmisible.

[@tsr3779]

I would be more worried about how the Blessed Mother is deplicted. It is awful…

[@mazikode]

I agree they fell very short on our Blessed Mother. Very sad. That's the downer for me.

[@monicag.k.tambajong]

@@mazikode Would you mind elaborating in what way they fell very short? I agree that they could have portrayed her as a more introverted type, but other than that I don't see anything wrong with the portrayal.

[@barbaralynch5139]

I don't expect non-Catholics to get Mary right. However, we are seeing her more then just in Christmas scenes, as most non-Catholic films, plays, etc. only mention Mary at Christmas time.

[@BronxCat]

They portrayed Mary horribly

[@arosete3512]

In what way? Curious.

[@44seewjay]

and which Mary?

[@barbaralynch5139]

I don't expect non-Catholics to portray Mary correctly. Most non-Catholic productions only show Mary at Christmas-time, so it's nice to see more of her presence in The Chosen. Also the scene where Mother Mary takes Mary Magdalene for forgiveness when she has her relapse is as Catholic as one can get! (to Jesus through Mary)

[@mazikode]

@@arosete3512 when Mary was asked what she remembered about when Jesus was a baby and all she could say is how he cried and was so helpless. The Christmas episode was really bad, Mary with Labour pains... I know this is all because protestants pay no reverence to Mary so they just don't understand who she is.

[@DonnaLynnH]

Some Catholics were major actors in this Protestant movie and it’s a put off to me. But I’m looking at the small spectrum of things