Matthew's portrayal is one of my favourite parts of The Chosen. I am also autistic, and studying to be a minister, so I found him incredibly relatable (not to mention he's my namesake). I was initially very skeptical about this series when told how good it was, but the humanization of the biblical figures was and is one of the main reasons I love this show. Now, it's not a perfect portrayal of autism, he is played by a neurotypucal actor and it does lean into some stereotypes, but overall, I think it's positive, allows the autistic character actual agency and a character arc, and has allowed others like myself to see themselves in not only the biblical story, but in God's story that continues today, and that's the power of representation like this. It was something that came out of nowhere, and is one of the better depictions of autism in (semi)mainstream media. Thanks to anyone who read all the way through, and have a blessed day! ❤
Thank you for sharing your story. I find it amazing that Matthew is your namesake you, like The Chosen's Matthew are autistic. You are proof of God's incredible sense of humor. Good luck in your journey to becoming a minister. I know that God will empower your path and make you a blessing to many.
I was most recently diagnosed with Asperger's and being a Christian in communities with this is basically lonely. It's what makes me draw closer to Jesus but it's just so hard to find authentic community when you annoy everyone and have hard time understanding what people say
So since you are in the spectrum I bet you crave truth so I will open your eyes don't become part of man's religion Christianity was invented by the eastern roman emperor it is mans religion they also inserted pagan concepts into scripture like hades tarsus and hell hell was never in original scriptures get yourself a concordant literal bible it has original greek scripture Christianity teaches you Jesus's work is incomplete without your contributions but it is finished! Christianity rejects jesus because they believe they are their own saviors not jesus because they choose to believe they worship their works themselves and their self righteousness they will come before the lord and say lord I Prophesized in your name and did works in your name and he will say depart from me I never knew you so many will face the second death because of man's religion but after everyone will be reconciled to God at the end of the last age as in adam all die in christ Alllll are made alive jesus gave everyone salvation each in their own order hell is the devils greatest deception it forces people to believe such evil of God God made everyone who they are so why would he punish them for being who they are them being who they are is in fact God's will for he is sovereign and Guides every step we take you can't ever fail God he wrote your life before you were born so please do your historical research before joining mankind's religion and the modern day pharisees jesus was against man's religion Christianity isna mockery to christ but its by God's will some people fall into the trap so they will come to the knowledge of the truth one day and see God's true grace
Realistically Jesus would have delivered and set Matthew free if that was the case. But this is a false narrative. Matthew wasn’t on the “spectrum” and even if he was Jesus is the deliverer and healer
Dallas has a child on the spectrum, so he has personally witnessed how the church reacts to it. Sadly, neurotypical church members can “other” those on the spectrum, and even infantilise them. For many, an autistic person needs to be coddled and protected. They don’t seem to get that many on the spectrum are fully functional and hiding their condition in plain sight. It’s well past time for the church to welcome people not as projects but as equal that can contribute to the ministry.
As a grandmother of an autistic grandson I pick up on little things he would do with his hands and how he was moving his hands and head as well my grandson live with me ful time and I learn a t in ten years about autism an an glad that the chosen putt one of Jesus men was one an glad to see in this show Tank you for in doing so an as always GOD bless you all
I am neurodivergent in that I have ADHD and a bunch of “abnormal psychology” mental illnesses, and I feel so blessed to attend and serve in a church that has so many people who also have ADHD (and are open about it). A lot of these people in my church serve in it (either volunteers and staff), and ADHD is most definitely not demonised or ostracised, there. Nor is having mental illnesses or taking psychiatric medication. It’s so beautiful!
Matthew’s character portrayal moves me each episode. I’m autistic and it’s really helped me see myself with more compassion. He creates us each with gifts. Though it is definitely a cross, I have learned to love my difference. 😊 great job chosen team.
I personally feel having Matthew being on the spectrum is brilliant writing and planning. It has opened so many many doors for the story lines and will continue to do so until S7E8.
I was initially upset about this decision because I thought that it deviated too much from what is written in the Bible. I have since realized that I love the decision. I feel that it makes total sense. I also love the way The Snipe Life explains why this creative choice makes sense. I love his arguments. I'll actually be a little disappointed if, upon getting to Heaven, I find out that the real Matthew wasn't actually autistic.
I have brain damage from being oxygen deprived the day I was born and while I can somewhat relate to some of the things with Mary Magdala and Nathaniel I relate to Matthew the most
Matthew is so beautifully complicated. I love that Dallas decided to explore this plausible direction. And Parras is the perfect choice for Matthew. He brings out so many parts of his character with subtle nuances. I say “bravo.”
Exactly. This is why I would like to see his back story. What was it like for him growing up in a Jewish home? Did he feel loved and accepted? Was it a rigid home? So much to unpack with his character.
I love how they have brought Matthews character out! After watching this I have an opened mind. This series is completely different than anything I’ve ever watched. I love it! Matthew is my favorite character ❤
When I was eight years old, I was diagnosed with Aspergers and didn’t find out until a couples years ago when I was 16. When I found out, I was actually relieved and it made a lot of sense considering certain characteristics traits that I have. I would say as someone on the spectrum, not everyone on the spectrum acts exactly the same, but do have similarities for sure. I appreciated this because even though it doesn’t apply to Scripture in the book of Matthew, it shows people that Jesus lives everyone, included people with any mental situation. ☺️
It was a relief when I figured it out in my 50s. Before then it was just "why does everyone thing I'm so weird?" Then someone suggested I might be AS, and I suddenly had a name for the burden that I lived with, I could understand the symptoms and could use the intellect that also came with it (the curse that comes with a blessing!) to teach myself ways to improve myself.
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the deliverer and healer. I pray any curses that were set upon you as a child be set free in the name of Jesus. That the spirit of Asperger’s be set free and released out in the name of Jesus. I to have been told I’m on the spectrum of being autistic but I rebuked that as I will not accept anything ungodly. Rejoice in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
I was diagnosed as an adult. I had and still have issues with it. I’m not social and usually ignored. I didn’t receive the diagnosis until I was in my 50’s. I get Matthew.
Being on the spectrum myself, I love how they have portrayed Matthew in that way. The actor, Paras Patel, does an absolutely brilliant job in portraying the mannerisms and awkwardness. As for the people that are offended that he would be cast as having a disability, they clearly know nothing of Asperger's Syndrome. It is in no way a disability, but rather it just described a way in which the brain can function in a certain atypical way. If anything, Asperger's is a super power. Once somebody with Asperger's grows out of adolescence and learns to operate in social environments, they are able to work past the negative aspects of it and allow the positive ones to shine. If being brilliant, objective, creative, logical and calculated in your ways is a disability, well, I don't even know.
Like most, Matthew is now one of my favorites (my youngest son is 20 and is non-verbal autistic at the moment.) What really stands out though is how he and all the disciples are portrayed as young twenty somethings. It brings a fresh outlook on what it would have meant to follow Jesus in one's youth and "grow up" with Jesus.
I believe and some historians believed that the disciples were definitely young when they met Jesus. They weren't middle aged mid 40s plus something nor old and gray, like most Jesus films and series portray , during that time. They were probably older when they were already preaching gospel on other places, years after Jesus's resurrection.
Historically, students of a rabbi were usually teenagers. We have to start with that assumption until the text tells us otherwise. The text tells us otherwise for Peter, and for maybe one other disciple: 1) Peter had a mother-in-law (healed in one of Jesus' miracles), so he was married - Jewish boys could marry at 18 at the time. Also, Jesus once got money from a fish's mouth to pay a religious tax for himself and Peter - not the other disciples. The Old Testament tells us men over 20 had to pay that text. 2) One of the disciples was called "James the elder". Some think this makes him old. But it probably only distinguishes him from the other disciple called James, making him the older of the two.
I really like that Matthew is different like this because I often wish for someone to relate to in that way. I am learning disabled and it's been really hard and lonely road no matter how many friends I have or how many people like me. It's hard for others to "get me" and I often find myself wondering why I couldn't just be normal and do the things a normal adult gets to do. I'm glad Matthew can repesent that for those of us who aren't "normal" or whatever you want to say.....
Matthew being autistic makes so much sense as explained in this video. It also allowed Matthew to stand out. He would have just faded into the background if he were neurotypical. His uniqueness makes him a memorable and relatable character.
I think Matthew appeals as well to people who are or have been bullied whether physically or verbally. Watching him deal with that and puzzle his way through it all inspires anyone who is in the same situation.
Our son was diagnosed with ASD this past year, and I myself have ADHD. Seeing Matthew in this show resonates with me so much. Seeing that God can literally use anyone, that we serve a purpose in the way He made us, it's overwhelming. I'm so thankful they did this.
I will say this if you need this movie to show you that God can literally use anyone then I feel sorrow for you. Because God did not or does not need Dallas Jenkins or anyone for that matter to show that He can use anyone . Read the Bible God has murderers, serial killers , every form of depravity in the Bible whether it's the writers or just the people in the stories either way The scriptures are very clear that God does use anyone and He didn't have to put a disciple in there with Autism to show us that. Come back to the True Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the deliverer and healer. I pray any curses that were set upon you and your child be set free in the name of Jesus. I pray That the spirit of ADHD be set free and released out in the name of Jesus. I to have been told I’m on the spectrum of being autistic but I rebuked that as I will not accept anything ungodly. Rejoice in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Also realistically Jesus would have delivered and set Matthew free if that was the case. But this is a false narrative. Matthew wasn’t on the “spectrum” and even if he was Jesus is the deliverer and healer. This is not from the gospel. It is purely put in the show just for todays world that we live in. But God has set as apart from the world. So I also pray the God gives you and your family discernment and may you seek the real Jesus of the gospel may He deliver you and your son in Jesus name. Amen. God bless you and your family.
Being on the spectrum and having ADHD are not ungodly. They are not curses on me or my son. We are exactly as God has created us to be and will use us to His glory exactly as we are in this way. @@soundmaster4320
My son is on the spectrum for autism and when I watched The Chosen and saw Matthew, instantly I picked up that he was on the spectrum. At least through the show. On a personal level I love the idea as well, it hits close to home for a lot of us, also my son who is 7 is interested by the show, and makes sure to tell me to let him know when I watch “The God movie” (The Chosen) so that he can watch too. Our salvation is important, and I’m excited about what the creators of The Chosen are doing. So thank you for highlighting how life is for some. And how Jesus loves us and redeems us regardless if we allow Him to.❤
Thank you for all of your thoughtful commentary on this subject, reaching to scripture, reaching to support the neurodiverse community, reaching to assist the audience of The Chosen. Rock on!
Thank u for letting us know, I think this makes the show more natural, it sure caused me to continue watching, not only was I curious about Matthew’s behavior, but realizing why it was done, causes me to never miss an episode. I love it.
I love Matthew's character, and the plausible way that he is portrayed. I don't think it's doing any harm. When I look at Matthew, I don't see a bad guy, but a sinner like all the other disciples. I think because people like him didn't fit in at that time (as they rarely do today). There was no place for him in Jewish culture...or so Matthew felt. Thus, he turned to where he felt accepted. We do this all the time. Many people choose careers or lifestyles that their parents, family or community do not agree with. Many are put out of the home because of it. Granted acts of ANY sin are just WRONG, for the individual doing it, it's sometimes from a place of fitting in or wanting to be accepted and not because they're just naturally bad. I also think Matthews character speaks to what the church lacks, and that's the opportunity for people to use their gifts and talents in church, without having to go to the secular world where they feel accepted. This is why I think Matthew's character is relateable and the most complex for discourse. 😁🤗
Brandon, this is the best review that I've seen you do and I've seen a lot of them. Very well-researched very well presented. Thank you and God bless you
Every apostle was in survival mode when Christ came into play. Even someone with autism can grasp that lifestyle. Its the bible picking all walks of life saying "this involves all who listen".
I'm on the spectrum, and God used the Chosen to show me I was valued in his eyes. I'm not the only one who struggles with understanding the Bible. It's a struggle to connect with people my age at my church(I'm 20-^-). Seeing a possibility of one of Jesus' followers being Autistic was amazing....it shows how he sees us for us- and nothing less than that.
I love this, as someone on the spectrum I battle with what the world expects of me vs what my skills and natural abilities are, we all have unique ways to shine
I think it is awesome to see that even back in those times people had mental issues. And that God uses who ever he chooses as a leader, or a follower. Good input my man.
I havent been around much lately but just binged some of the videos I missed. One of the reasons I haven't been around is that all things are going full steam ahead with my adoption. I am adopting a little boy with an autism diagnosis, I am also neurodivergent (ADHD, Dyslexic) so as you can imagine I love Matthew representing our community. You mention Peter as being a bit bi-polar, I see him as ADHD and possibly Dyslexic (He always used a scribe when he wrote!) The poor impulse control followed by deep remorse is evident in many of the stories about him, I identify with him a lot (I would likely have jumped out of the boat and then regretted it too lol, not through faith but impulsivity🤣
As a pastor and grandmother with a grandson with autism, Thank you!! From the start, I have encouraged my son and daughter-in-law to never limit him and allow others to determine how far he can go. Now at eight, he is a sweet and loving child with endless possibilities because he is a child of God's. Can not wait to see what plans our Father in heaven has for him. Matthew has been a real hit with the members of my church as well, we have been watching Chosen as a Sunday School, and though our church is very tiny they all would agree Matthew is their favorite.
im going to be honest for a couple years now i have known myself to not really be very religious but ever since i started going to this catholic school we have been watching this show and as someone with autism seeing Matthew was really relatable for me. im still a little doubtful about god but i truly do want to learn and the chosen has given me a chance to do so
Well done and it makes a lot of sense . Not quite rainman but Matthew’s attention to detail in both scripture and his portrayal in the series make it all very plausible.
I'm not autistic but I love Matthew, he is my favorite character in this show. I know the Bible doesn't show his characteristics, but Dallas and his team are doing a great job!
I think it's a neat choice and the actor certainly does a fantastic job portraying it. Whether it's true or not, I'm sure the actual Matthew doesn't mind.
Mathew is an amazing character. ..of the 4 gospels it is my favorite... brilliant charactor.... The actor the plays Jesus makes me 😢... so like the Jesus I have always believed in...
I always thought that Matthew seemed different when I was reading his gospel, the details he mentioned and the way he wrote made me think of somebody with a different way of thinking and I somehow connected with him even though as far as I know I'm not on the Spectrum I do think differently than most people I know.
My son has autism but he is very empathetic, when he is made aware of things. It really makes history immersive to add these details or at least extrapolate plausible facts.
I think it's fine if Mattew is on the spectrum. I just accept it. Paras does an incredible job and it's a beautiful way that we can all experience how Jesus would embrace each of us in our weakness.
Whether Matthew really was on the spectrum or not, this has been the best portrayal of being on the spectrum. I never see anyone hold their arms up to their chest all the time and that was something I always did and still do when I get too comfortable around people. I’ve conditioned myself to not do it as often as I noticed how I was the only who did that. It made me self conscious. I still close my hands the way he does for comfort but I’m always aware of how my arms are placed.
I think he is the most dynamic character who must have so much courage and surrender given the context of being on the spectrum. I am so glad Dallas chose this.
I think Matthew's character works well with being on the spectrum. As an aunt of 3 nephews and 1 grandson on the autism spectrum, I find it highly inclusive in a very compatible way.😊
The Matthew as characterised in the series ''The Chosen'' is neither historically correct, nor a fair representation of autism. If anything, The Chosen's Matthew is a person with Aspergers Syndrome. Very different.
As someone with ADHD-C and OCD, I couldn't be more grateful for Matthew's portrayal! Alongside Simon Peter (which - and I don't mean just in the show, but in the Bible - has SO MANY ADHD-like kind of behaviors, I just love the man 😂❤️), Nathaniel and Mary Magdalene, he's the one I relate to most, and seeing another neurodivergent (-s?) being so loved and cherished and wanted by our God - it just beings a new level of warmth to my heart and it means the world to people like us. We love our Lord with all our hearts, souls and mights too. We want to serve Him too. Our differences can be seen as gifts and blessings too. We belong just as much as the neurotypical folks do.
Matthew is who kept me engaged. I have no experience with religion and this show opened a door to something I needed. If it wasn’t for how Matthew was portrayed, I’d have likely found it boring and moved on to something else,
I remember when I saw the first episode and was intrigued by Matthew and figured he probably had aspergers. Even my grandma found him interesting, amusing, and kinda adorable.
I like that Matthew is portrayed as on the Autism Spectrum. I am a special education teacher so it makes perfect sense that someone with social/emotional differences could choose to be a tax collector. I know from working with my students that people on the Spectrum tend to be concrete in their thinking. Therefore an ancient Hebrew on the Spectrum would be very detailed in many things, but not completely understand the social consequences of his choice to be a tax collector until after the fact. Dallas says in his videos all the time that the Chosen is not scripture. I see nothing wrong with making inferences based on the context of the time and place when these people lived. I also agree that this is good for people on the Spectrum to see themselves represented.
What i find interesting is that, oftentimes those on the spectrum are either highly efficient in math, or struggle with it immensely, so portraying Matthew as on the spectrum is very true to the disorder itself for his profession
Is this post about God working in mysterious ways sarcasm? Because there is absolutely no correlation between his name sounding like math and him being good at math. Matthew is the English translation from Greek and Hebrew, not the original...
I love the fact that they made Matthew Autistic, I’m autistic so I find myself relating to him allot, it makes the experience so much more better and understanding when I watch it. Now I read my Bible and know that Matthew probably isn’t autistic, but it’s not a big deal to make him one for the show, because back then no one knew if it existed or if they had it. So it’s great to put in it the show, it adds allot of realism. Because maybe someone in the Bible was autistic. We will never know. I love the portrayal of autism in the show, because it’s very authentic and accurate, except for the math and numbers stuff, not every autistic person is good with numbers, I know I’m not.
We love this aspect of Matthews character. It humanizes the disciples of Jesus in ways we had not imagined before. We are after all one great blended family of many types & talents. Autistic people further enhance what we know as the beautiful Body of Christ !
My name is Matthew -- Howard Matthew. As the visionaries in Medjugorie explain people are like the person in the Bible they are named after. I applaud The Chosen in explaining Matthew as on the spectrum. I am too. I may not be as good looking as Mr. Patel (ha), but l am so like the character he portrays.
I'm wary of imposing a modern-day construct like "autism" onto someone from an ancient society. That said, I appreciate the depth and singularity that Paras Patel brings to his portrayal of Matthew.
Definitely a GREAT choice to portray Matthew as on the spectrum. It brought many more people into the series and gave his character so much more depth. At the end of the day, this is a TV series and it needs to be interesting and engaging to draw people in so that they choose to follow up and read the Bible and/or just desire to know more about Jesus' story.
I think this is a good thing. I think it will draw in an entire demographic that might not otherwise watch. If they hear about it and watch....well then that is in line with the entire COME AND SEE purpose to reach ALL of God's children.
I love Matthew, he is so endearing. The other Apostles could have learned some lessons as a result of being around Matthew: to learn to respect others who are different, and to learn to trust Jesus more. In this case, that Jesus had reasons for choosing each Apostle.
I immediately thought Matthew was probably both very gifted and autistic. His mathematical abilities were off the charts, along with his inability to relate to others, have eye contact and comprehend social situations. This actor is phenomenal! Jesus chose, and chooses ALL who will follow him regardless. None of us are worthy or perfect yet in Christ Jesus, we are saved, forgiven, and made whole.
I personally think they did an amazing Job on the series The Chosen and agree what is said in this video ! We didn’t know waht they were like back then and it dose humanize them and as he said as a n example like Matthew in the show back then nobody knew the difference between certain illnesses as we do now and to me personally it has no effect on what i feel about Scripture and or salvation i just tgis they made the show great in detail as to how the characters lives may have been like in other words a great story but as for the teachings of what the lord did and what we need to learn i think they did amazing and great work and again i personally luv this series ❤ I hope more seasons come soon and quickly I am fascinated with this series! Its made me smile sad cry and happy seeing what Jesus was doing and how he helped ppl back then wit there illnesses and saving their souls and teaching them Heavenly Fathers gospel And i also luv Matthews character in the show how he went from doing wrong and changing his life to follow Jesus Christ and do what is right and making his parents proud of him for giving up the life style he had and the way he gave up all his stuff his wealth to live more modest and follow Jesus and do whats right ! ❤
No se si sera coincidencia,pero un poco despues de saber que tenia autismo debido a medicos que me lo dijieron descubri esta serie y un poco despues supe que habian hecho a Matheo autista y eso me a ayudado a no sentirme sola.
Please don’t refer to autism/ADHD as mental health issues. They are different neurotypes. There is nothing wrong with us. We are simply different from the norm.
The way I see it "normal" is bad terminology. Instead of "normal" we should replace it with "average." Having autism, ADHD, depression, and other things means you are not average.
I very nearly got committed for being on the spectrum. (twice in my life) On one test I got 2 out of 180. The Johari Window = 0. Numerous shrinks. Got an Industrial Engineering degree from Purdue; an EIT and PE license. A masters in atmospheric science, and an MBA. Recently, a two year degree in CIS (computer information science). But few friends. I can see where Matt might not be popular with the local people. The Gospel by Matthew gets heavily into eschatology.... a lot of math & logic.
I really appreciate the writers deciding to portray Matthew as autistic. It is another small yet significant detail that shows Jesus’ disciples were people of all kinds-including people who were not “neurotypical.” I personally believe that it was plausible for Matthew to have autism due to, how you said, certain things are detailed in his book, like the genealogy. As a Christian who has ADHD and an anxiety disorder, I am grateful that they made this decision for the show. It shows me, and I am sure many other viewers in similar situations, that our Lord wants us how we are, no matter our mental or physical circumstances.
Please bare with me... The Book of Matthew says his name was Matthew, but the Book of Luke says his name was Levi. I believe the later, i believe his name was Levi. So the question is...why? Levi was a common name for a descendant of Levi, son of Jacob. The descendants of Levi, were called Levites. The higher ranking Levites were Cohanim (sons of Aaron). Remember, Aaron and his sister Miraim were Levites, as was their younger brother, Moses. Yet, Aaron was the eldest son and received the birthright. When Cohanim and the other Levites were not in-Temple, doing their scheduled service (called a "Course"), they did other occupations. Cohanim and the other Levites are of the priestly class and were well educated. When Cohanim and the other Levites were not busy in their scheduled Temple service (which it was not a regular occurance for most), they held other responsible stations as befits someone of the priestly class---such as: physician, judge, sheriff, and, um, [coughes] tax collector (says quietly so it's hard for others to hear). Anywhere the Romans conquered, the priestly class of those conquered were honoured (a necessity in-order to govern conquered people-- and conquering and humbling their priestly class was a must, so the Romans could control everyone else). Part of honouring the priestly class meant the Romans offered positions of trust in the empire to those of the priestly class (again, for command and control purposes). It would have been a great honour for a Cohan or other Levite to be invited to become a tax collector, and, after all, nothing feels better to a Jew than to be ordered to volunteer to perform a hated role in Jewish society (please note my sarcasm)! 😉 Only a member of the priestly class would have been "asked" to be a tax collector in a conquered society which posseses a priestly class. Levi (aka.."Matthew" as per Gentile tradition) was either one of the Cohanim or other Levite. I hope what I wrote above helps folks to understand the mind and heart of Jews (and their relationship with Rome). Autographed, your servant, ~ Sebastian (a son of Aaron)
Of course we can never really know if Matthew was on the Spectrum or not. In the grand scheme of things it does not matter. However, that he is portrayed this way is a nice way of being inclusive. Like Peter and Eve, Matthew is portrayed as a human being . . . Warts and all!
