Last year, many of us were happily surprised by The Chosen, a TV series about the life of Jesus and his disciples. The show does an excellent job of showing us the humanity of each disciple and drawing us into their lives. One particular disciple I enjoy watching is Matthew.
They wrote him as someone on the autism spectrum. So, he struggles to relate to people socially. He’s also a mathematical genius who uses this gift in tax collecting. Unfortunately for him, this career only further alienates him beyond his social limitations.
His family rejects him and the Jewish community loathe him. So, he’s a loner without any friends.
The show depicts his isolation well:
- Matthew hires a cart driver to take him from his home to the tax collector’s booth. He hides underneath a blanket so he won’t get seen.
- When people do see him, they spit and rail at him.
- He’s not invited to his family gatherings since his family doesn’t communicate with him.
- His only companion is a stray dog that befriends him.
We follow Matthew on his lonely journey working at the tax collector’s booth, making enemies just doing his job (including Andrew and his brother Simon Peter because the brothers owe substantial back taxes. The interest itself exceeds their income). His only ally is Gaius, a Roman centurion assigned to Matthew.
Quintus, a Roman magistrate orders Matthew to shadow and report Simon Peter’s activities. So, when Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John and their father Zebedee are fishing all night and don’t catch a single fish, Matthew watches all night from the shore.
Then God’s grace and timing. That morning when the fishermen give up for the day, Jesus comes to the shore and preaches to his followers. Eventually, Jesus asks the Simon Peter and Andrew if he can borrow their boat to preach to the followers. Reluctantly Peter agrees (Andrew is aware Jesus is the Messiah). After Jesus finishes preaching, he tells Peter to let down the nets on the other side. Tired and dejected, Peter hesitantly obeys. Of course, they miraculously haul the largest catch ever in their careers, and Matthew, having witnessed them coming empty all night, stands up in shock. It’s almost as if he can’t believe what he’s seeing.
Jesus’s first hook into Matthew, right?
This sets the scene, when later, while Matthew’s working in the tax collector’s booth, Jesus stops and stares at him. Then calls Matthew to “follow me.”
This moment is so touching. (I’ve rewatched many times.) Here’s Jesus, surrounded by his followers including Simon Peter, stops and notices Matthew. Then calls him by name and invites him to be a disciple. I liken this scene to, the most popular athlete at school calling you, the most awkward and marginalized kid, to sit at the lunch table and be his buddy.
In that moment, Matthew is transformed. He’s no longer unwanted but seen. His life of social isolation is over once he accepts his purpose as a follower. (Such a powerful scene if you haven’t seen it – Season 1, Episode 7.)
In season 2, we witness Matthew’s dynamic with the disciples especially Simon Peter who admits he can’t forgive Matthew. Matthew’s pain is visual on his face as the scars of feeling misunderstood and hated rolls over him again.
Fortunately, Philip joins the disciples. He’s discerning and notices how some of the men ostracize Matthew. Through Philip, we get more backstory on Matthew and insight on how Matthew sees himself in community. Matthew knows he’s on the outside of society and doesn’t conform to social norms. But Philip accepts him as he is and serves as a mentor. Touching to watch Matthew appreciate that someone wants to know him.
Then there’s Mary Magdalene. He’s attracted to her especially since she’s kind and accepting of him. She looks to him to help learn Hebrew laws and traditions. Their interaction is another layer of watching Matthew transform as he experiences a deep interest in a woman who accepts him as he is.
I love his character arc of finding acceptance and identity. As writers, our characters are seeking to be known, but don’t always discover their true identity (until the end). But watching (or for us writing) them find other characters who want to know them is part of their journey of transformation and discovery.
It’s really our story of humanity. Don’t we all seek those who want to understand and see us? Bring us into their community and love us completely- faults, shortcomings, and uniqueness?
And why readers enjoy our stories. They need to find characters that resonate their journey of acceptance and identity. And why we are able to reach beyond the pages and capture their hearts, just like The Chosen did with me.
Featured Image by Tim Marshall on Unsplash.