By Kayla DeKraker
In Season 3 of THE CHOSEN, a hard but powerful moment takes place: Jesus chooses not to heal one of His disciples who has a lifelong disability.
Jordan Walker Ross, actor who plays Little James, has a disability in real-life. Before filming the scene where his lack of healing is addressed, creator Dallas Jenkins spoke with people he knows who also have disabilities to make sure he “got it right.” One person was Nick Vujicic, who was born without limbs. Jenkins wanted to understand what it is like when God doesn’t heal you in this lifetime.
“I reached out to Nick because in Season 3 of THE CHOSEN. We have a scene with Little James, who’s a disciple in the show, who’s played by an actor who has a very noticeable disability,” Jenkins explained. “When we cast him in that role, I knew I’m going to have to address this at some point, the fact that Jesus has an apostle who has a clear disability, and unless God heals Jordan, the actor on the show, we’re going to have to address it.”
Rather than filming something he doesn’t know about personally, the director turned to his friends who face similar situations.
Related: Evangelist Nick Vujicic Explains How God Uses Our Stories to Share the Gospel
“Between Nick V and Joni Eareckson Tada, which is another friend of mine, who both have lifelong disabilities that God has not chosen to heal, but He has worked through their disability,” he said. And there are some people who, of course, believe, ‘Well, you just need to have more faith. God doesn’t want this for you. And if you had more faith, He would heal you.’ And I’m like, ‘You’ve clearly never met Nick V or any people who have more faith in their in their fingernail than you might have in your whole body, and God has chosen not to heal.’”
Jenkins added, “That was another touch point for us that was, in many ways, a defining moment for the show. That scene has impacted people all over the world and I think in a large part because of some of the things that I gleaned from Nick.”
In the viral clip from THE CHOSEN Season 3, Jonathan Roumie’s Jesus tells Little James why He won’t heal him.
“…but think of the story that you have, especially in this journey to come, if I don’t heal you: to know how to proclaim that you still praise God in spite of this,” Jesus says in the clip.
Ross has cerebral palsy and scoliosis in real life. He previously said of his character, “In Season 3, my character Little James has resentment and bitterness emerging. He asks, ‘Why me?’ or ‘Why not me?’ Little James has to come to the conclusion that he doesn’t need the healing, as he thinks he does.”
Just as Jesus told Little James that great purpose would come out of him not being healed, the same goes for Ross playing the role with a visible disability.
“I hope that Little James can use it to help others,” he said.
It’s a powerful reminder that God uses all things for His glory.
Read Next: ‘Privilege and an Honor’: CHOSEN Cast and Crew Talk Show’s Faith-Filled Message
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