The Chosen Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Invitations
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, The Chosen being covered here wouldn’t exist.
As Jesus’ ministry continues, Nicodemus and Matthew ponder who this man can be. An invitation to join the ministry offers them a new life but will also cost them everything.
The Chosen Season 1 Episode 7, “Invitations,” begins with Jesus having a discussion with His followers. Simon is worried about their safety after Jesus’ words during the healing of the paralyzed man. Since only God can forgive sins, with whose authority was Jesus speaking?
While this is an important question for the cast of characters, it is even more predominant for the viewers. This show is presented to the world as a retelling of God’s word. If a majority of the scenes are cut directly from The Bible, what are we led to believe through this narrative?
While I won’t dive into personal theology here, I will say that it is good to have questions. Questions lead to understanding and faith.
Later on in the episode, this is exactly what Jesus tells Nicodemus, but there is more to discuss before we get there.
As Jesus comforts His disciples, Mary apologizes for her involvement in His last miracle. She feels she turned it into a spectacle.
When things go differently than we envisioned, we often feel a sense of guilt. We run the scenario through our heads repeatedly — convincing ourselves that things would be dissimilar if handled in another way.
Just like Jesus tells her, that isn’t necessarily the truth.
Things happen the way they do for a reason. Events unfold naturally whether we are involved or not. Our actions simply speed up or slow down the process.
As Mary continues to talk to Jesus, she mentions running into Nicodemus again. She is worried about this man but also sees the hunger for knowledge in his eyes. She knows his intentions are pure.
Hearing about this man, Jesus decides it is time to meet him in person. He trusts Mary’s judgment of character.
Nicodemus: What have you come here to show us?
The meeting comes together quickly without a mention of the details, which seems a bit off for the time frame. While it isn’t a major issue, it hurts the credibility to a degree. Minor details matter at moments like this.
Nicodemus presents Jesus with many questions. Why is He here? What does He want to save them from?
These are natural questions for someone who has performed miracles. If someone has the power of a god, they need to explain how they received that power.
Jesus speaks to him in parables and scripture pointing him in the right direction but never telling him exactly what to believe. Nicodemus ends up more confused than ever.
Jesus breaks it down to faith. Faith isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about believing without the answers.
We take aspirin when we get a headache. We aren’t sure how the medicine works, but we trust what the bottle says. That is faith.
Jesus ultimately offers Nicodemus an invitation to follow Him. Accepting this invitation would mean leaving his current life behind, forgoing his ministry, and picking up a new purpose.
This is a major decision for Nicodemus to make. He is living a fairly comfortable lifestyle and is a trusted advisor among his people. Giving this up means never returning to those comforts.
Elsewhere in the episode, Matthew goes through a similar situation. He has seen the acts and miracles of Jesus, there is no way for him to deny them. His confusion leads him to his parents’ house.
While he isn’t comfortable around his disapproving mother, she is the only one who can help him.
Much like Nicodemus’ conversation with Jesus, Matthew is left with more questions than answers. His heart is left in turmoil when he goes back to his position as a tax collector.
But this is when Jesus meets him where he is at. Jesus offers Matthew the chance to follow Him as well.
Simon isn’t approving of this offer. In his eyes, tax collectors are irredeemable, but in Jesus’ eyes, no one is past saving.
Without miracles or action scenes, this episode could have proven to be boring. Somehow, it is far from tedious. The conversations prove to be meaningful hitting the viewer in the heart and mind.
Jesus’ words come alive, stirring the viewer from the inside. Although the fourth wall is never broken, one feels as though Jesus is talking to them personally.
Finally, 7 episodes in, I’m starting to see what others have bragged about. The poignance and longing for answers mirror our own — showing us a need that we never even knew we had.
In our currently lost world, the answers make all the difference. We follow our eyes instead of our hearts and sadly leave faith at the door.
The truth is we don’t need to understand every aspect of something. We need to know what we can and accept what we can’t — faith will provide the rest.
What did you think of this episode of The Chosen? Will Nicodemus choose to follow Jesus? 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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Charles E Henning
Charles E. Henning lives in a quaint town of Illinois with his ever-loving wife since 1998. He is new to writing reviews, but has over thirty years of fictitious writing for his own personal fulfillment. His interests range from science fiction to character-based dramas, but he is a sucker for anyone in a cape.