Do you ever feel like you're too broken for Jesus to use?
After meeting Paras Patel (the actor who plays Matthew) at The Chosen season 4 premiere in LA, and then again during the premiere in Mumbai, I can say that we’ve become friends.
But to be honest, I am not sure Matthew from The Chosen, and I would have become friends if we had met in real life. He has some pretty unusual habits! Especially in Season 1, Matthew comes across as socially anxious, with nervous tics and a strong fear of germs. And then there is his profession. He made a career collecting taxes from his own people on behalf of an oppressive government (Matthew 9:9-13). Nice guy, huh?
But then again, when I look at myself, I may not be a Matthew, but I have done enough things in my own life for some people to say, “Friends with him? No, thanks.”
And yet, just like Matthew, I am redeemed. I have had my own quirks and my own broken ways, but Jesus loves me anyway. Theologian Tim Keller once said:
“God sees us as we are, loves us as we are, and accepts us as we are. But by His grace, He does not leave us as we are.”
And that is the story of Matthew… of me… and maybe of you, too.
Matthew grew from being an awkward traitor into a devoted follower of Jesus, with an analytical mind and a gift for words. Maybe you recognise something of yourself in him?
There is one simple way to find out how much you might have in common with Matthew from The Chosen: take our Character Quiz. In just six easy questions, you will discover which character from The Chosen you resemble most.
