The Chosen Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Indescribable Passion

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

As Jesus continues to perform miracles, the cast of The Chosen becomes bloated, leaving little room for character development.

The Chosen Season 1 Episode 6, “Indescribable Passion,” focuses on several different miracles Jesus performs throughout the Bible. We get to see the healing of leprosy and crippled feet. Both are miraculous in their own right, giving the audience more of what they wanted to see than what we received in The Wedding Gift.

As the episode begins, Jesus and his apostles enter a town where they meet a woman picking fruit. She is from Egypt, just like Jesus. This is a natural way for the writers to add some backstory to the Jesus character, making Him more relatable and giving Him an earthly home and roots.

Allowing him to speak the same language as her gives the woman comfort, and the audience as well. Finally, we are allowed to see a more human aspect of the character.

Quoting scripture and healing people are fantastic in their own way, but having someone to talk to on your own terms is something completely different.  

Before their conversation is finished, a man with leprosy approaches Jesus. He somehow knows that Jesus can heal him. Whether it is blind faith or rumors is never explained, but this man is convinced that Jesus is his only hope.

Of course, the apostles react in fear. This man is diseased, he is likely to spread death to all of them if not quarantined. One of them even draws a sword to scare the man off. 

Who can blame him? Back in those days, they had far fewer pharmaceuticals than we do now. Even a drug like aspirin had to be a rarity. 

Jesus slowly approaches the man. He sees the man’s faith and heals him. Open sores and scars fade before all the onlooker’s eyes. Everyone, including the apostles, is confused.

Turning water into wine is very cool but not exactly life-changing. This man’s life was completely over, shunned by the community, and left for dead. His healing gives him back everything he lost and then some.

Jesus’ compassion for this man He doesn’t know speaks volumes, but even more can be said when He refuses acknowledgment for the miracle. Who knows what could have happened if Jesus allowed the man to tell the priests what He had done.

Jesus: I am willing, be cleansed.

By refusing the acknowledgment, Jesus allows His ministry to follow the same pace as it began, slow and steady because that is how faith is built. The roots grow deep over time, and without the proper amount of gestation, faith remains weak.

This miracle leads to yet another one further along in the episode when the witnesses take what they’ve seen and decipher it in their hearts. If Jesus can heal a man from leprosy, maybe He can heal their crippled friend too. 

But first, Jesus and His apostles travel further into town where they are warmly welcomed. People come far and wide to see Jesus after hearing parables and rumors about His mighty power and strength. 

Quickly a crowd amasses, blocking roads and shutting down businesses for the day. When a long-awaited hope arrives, everyone wants a piece of it. Even Nicodemus joins the curious eyes hoping to gain a glimpse of this common man with profound knowledge.

Along with Matthew, these two are the most confused. They have no idea what to make of Jesus. Is He a Man of God or a heretic? 

Although they both fight to get to the front, neither succeeds, but that doesn’t make them failures. What they learn about Jesus along the way teaches them more than a simple handshake or a heartfelt shalom. 

This is proof that what we want and what we need can be two different things. Oftentimes we are not prepared for one thing, so we first must go through something else. 

As a group of people begins to lower their friend through the roof of where Jesus is, they implore Him to heal their friend. 

With so many people surrounding Jesus, it is clearly seen that He is afraid. How will these people act to these miraculous signs? Will they celebrate or curse Him? 

Moving forward in fear, Jesus forgives the man of his sins. He acknowledges that this is a strange choice of words. After all, who can forgive sins but God alone?

This is an excellent source of foreshadowing. At least onscreen, Jesus hasn’t claimed any kinship to God. The people aren’t quite ready for that truth. 

This gives the crowd much food for thought. What is Jesus trying to say? Is He speaking any words against the Torah, or is He supporting it?

Jonathan Roumie’s acting finally shines through at this moment. The conviction in his voice strikes at the heart of the matter. One can tell that these are words he has been waiting to say, and the delivery is spot on.

I doubted the casting of this man before, but it seems I may have judged too harshly. 

While this episode is overall more enjoyable than the last several, it seems as though it is missing a plot. Jesus comes to town, performs some miracles, and hides away. It works fine but also feels like a filler episode. 

Already established storylines aren’t advanced much, and the inclusion of so many characters makes major players feel like sidenotes. Continuing a focus on Simon and Andrew’s narrative of the events could have worked so much better. 

With all that said, it seems like The Chosen is finding its footing, striking a line between soap opera and historical drama — creating something oddly fascinating in its own right. 

We are learning about Jesus and the apostles while skipping the Sunday School lessons. It’s hard to say whether that is a good thing or not.

What did you think of this episode of The Chosen? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Chosen airs Sunday at 8/7c on The CW.

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