The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3 Review: Physician, Heal Yourself
On The Chosen Season 3 Episode 3, “Physician, Heal Yourself,” Jesus returns to His hometown and raises quite the stir. The people He grew up around refuse to see Him for who He is.
As the episode begins, Jesus knocks on His mother’s door, coming home for one final time. She invites Him in, and they quickly fall into a discussion about how life is unfolding.
Their conversation is warm and insightful like any other mother and son’s verbal exchange. It is interesting to see Jesus in this light. Often when we think of Jesus, we only look to His spiritual side.
The writers do an excellent job emphasizing His human element.
Any one of us could have a similar conversation with one of our parents, especially when Mary asks which one of the apostles is His favorite. Of course, Jesus refuses to answer, but it still brings a smile to our faces.
While they talk, Mary and Jesus share a small meal before hitting the sack for the night. Around this small sequence of events, many inclusions continue to focus on who Jesus is as a person.
He deeply cares for His mother and earthly father. The burden they took on by raising Him does not go past Him unseen. Their continued sacrifice to bring the Son of God up properly must have cost them dearly, and Jesus feels that in His soul.
The next morning, Jesus and Mary join a gathering of people who are excited to see Him back in town. Even Rabbi Benjamin is happy to see Him.
Jesus plays games, chit-chats, and is of good cheer amongst many of His peers. Never once does He refuse to greet the people He knows that will later turn their backs on Him. This truly shows strong character.
Even when it comes to petty differences, it is often difficult to put our egos aside, but Jesus remains genuine.
It isn’t long before Jesus is invited to speak to the people later on that night. Not once will Jesus refuse to share the good news to those in need. He graciously accepts already knowing things will not end well.
Jesus: I am here for salvation.
The people practically cheer as Jesus is introduced to the crowd. His word has traveled the area, and everyone is excited to hear what He has to say. His speech begins with a passage from Isaiah, but the room tends to believe that Jesus cuts the story short.
When things don’t go as expected, tempers flare quickly. Confusion has destroyed more friendships than anyone cares to admit. A majority of the people demand clarification from Jesus.
Jesus gives them what they ask for by heavily implying that He is the messiah the scriptures are talking about. This causes the people to be taken aback.
How can this man they’ve known from childhood say such things?
The problem is we often refuse to see greatness when it appears directly in front of us. Miracles happen and we explain them away with science, people are healed and we assume it was a misdiagnosis, we get what we pray for and then call it a coincidence.
The crowd sees Jesus. They know He speaks the scripture truthfully. They know of the signs He has given them.
But still, they refuse to believe Him.
Only one man rises from the crowd to defend Jesus. Lazarus is a lifelong friend of Jesus, and he knows His heart. Lazarus does his best to defend his friend.
Jesus won’t have it. Even though He appreciates Lazarus’ words, Jesus refuses to stand down from what He said. There isn’t a time when Jesus won’t stand for the truth amid danger.
Tension and anxiety soar as people begin to yell for something to be done to Jesus. They say that the Law of Moses must be enacted upon Him. And that is when Jesus says, “I am the Law of Moses.”
In these people’s eyes, this is the same as admitting guilt in your court case. Immediately, Jesus is escorted from the building.
We can feel His mother’s heart breaking as they lock eyes seconds before He is dragged out the door. Although Jesus knows how everything will turn out, Mary is still in the dark. Imagine being a mother and watching your son be sentenced to death right before your eyes.
As they get Jesus a fair distance away from the crowd, Rabbi Benjamin asks a final time for Jesus to take back the words He has said. With authority, Jesus refuses.
Up to this moment, Jesus never physically refused them. Their violent hands are never slapped away, and their hateful words are never met with anger. He understands they intend to kill Him, but Jesus informs them that today is not that day.
His words are firm but never disrespectful. They simply do not understand.
Jesus calmly walks away from them, never turning back to where He came from. Sadly, this will be His last time in His hometown. No rejection hurts more than the rejection of your peers.
Overall, this episode is quite impactful. Any casual Bible reader knows that Jesus is not going to die within these 57 minutes, but that doesn’t stop the tension from making a place in our hearts for the time being.
The actors do a wonderful job of conveying Mary’s troubled heart and Jesus’ frustration. Even Rabbi Benjamin’s disgust seeps through the screen like something more tangible than an emotion.
It’s a bit depressing that The Chosen can’t hit these tremendous moments more often than it does. Knowing that the actors, writers, and producers are more than capable of creating something so fantastic is simply exasperating when they miss the mark more often than not.
What did you think of this episode of The Chosen? Could you have kept your cool in a similar situation as 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.