"Sustenance" is the eighth episode of season 3 of The Chosen.
Thousands arrive to first argue with, then listen to Jesus as he preaches. Shmuel and Atticus hear what's happening and journey towards the Decapolis to catch Jesus in the act of a possible revolt. Meanwhile, as the preaching extends to the next day, the disciples realize they have a significant problem: the thousands are hungry, and there's no food.
This episode provides examples of:
- Adaptation Amalgamation: Jesus walking on water and Jesus calming the storm were two different events in the Bible. This episode combines them as one event.
- Aesop Amnesia: In universe: as Jesus is standing among the waves, he rebukes the disciples for forgetting what they learned earlier that day during the feeding of the 5000.
- All-Loving Hero: Before preaching to the crowd, Jesus treats all the warring factions in the Decapolis with respect. After preaching to the crowd, he knows they are hungry and miraculously feeds them. After feeding the crowd, Jesus meets Rabbi Shmuel, who is there to investigate him for false prophecy and blasphemy, and invites him to join him as he goes up a nearby hill to pray.
- Ask a Stupid Question...: Judas is very impressed that Jesus knew that the people were starving (probably thinking it was his divine powers) but Jesus points out it was blatantly obvious.Judas: You knew they were hungry?Jesus: Yes Judas. I can see them while I'm talking.
- Baddie Flattery: The way Atticus endears himself to Nashón, complimenting his fine horse, and suggesting that Nashón himself must be very important if he had business with Rabbi Shmuel.
- The Big Guy: Invoked in-universe by Simon, who gets Big James and Zee to guard Jesus while he preaches to the crowd.
- Broken Masquerade: A variant. At the end of the previous episode, Jesus charged the deaf man he healed not to tell anyone how he had been healed, because it was not yet time for that to be known. Near the beginning of this episode, just a short time later, he heals the man with the broken and infected leg in front of the leaders of the three warring factions in the Decapolis.Jesus: Under normal circumstances, I would strictly charge you to tell no one. In some regions, and with some people, it's just not my time to be revealed and to escalate tension too soon. But it looks like we're past that.
- Call-Back: As Rabbi Yussif tries to comfort Eden, he reads Psalm 77 to her, the same psalm that was performed for King David in the opening and closing flashbacks.
- The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes: Much of Simon and Eden's struggles comes from seeing Jesus heal others, while allowing Eden to miscarry. Towards the end of the episode, before Simon steps out of the boat, he calls out Jesus for this.Simon: Why are you chasing after Gentiles when your own people have problems right here? [pointing at himself] When your own person has problems?
- Collective Groan: Jesus inspires one from the leaders of the warring factions when Leander asks him a question and he responds, "Let me tell you a story."
- Didn't See That Coming: After the disciples break the barley bread and fish into small pieces and divide the pieces among their baskets, Andrew is ready to return an empty basket to Telemachus (the boy who gave them the five loaves and two fish). Surprised by the basket's weight, Andrew lifts the lid to see the basket completely full of bread and fish. The others lift the various covers from their baskets and see them completely full as well.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: In universe: Jesus telling his disciples to gather 12 baskets for the bread and fish reminds Thomas of the way Jesus prepared to turn water to wine at the wedding in Cana.
- The Fettered: Rabbi Shmuel has a couple examples:
- He won't listen to Nashón's report about Jesus and his disciples in the Decapolis until he addresses the ways Nashón's clothing doesn't meet the requirements of the law.
- Later, he and his companions are more concerned that Jesus ate with Gentiles than with the miraculous production of the food.Man: I tell them God performed a miracle and they say, "But he ate with the wrong people!"
- Flashback: The episode begins and ends with flashbacks to 990 BC, during the reign of King David.
- Ghastly Ghost: The disciples see an indistinct figure walking towards them on the water, think it is a ghost, and are terrified. Subverted, as it's actually Jesus coming their way.
- Jews Love to Argue: Jesus describes his teaching style this way.Jesus: I'm a rabbi, and as these Jewish brothers will tell you, we like to teach by asking questions, and we all like to solve problems by talking. If it begins with a disagreement, even better.
- Meaningful Echo: After Jesus pulls Simon out of the water, Simon clings to him, crying and repeating, "Please don't let me go," over and over. Cut to the mikveh, where Eden prays, "Please don't let him go."
- Miracle Food: Jesus feeding 5000 men (plus women and children) with 5 loaves and 2 fish is a Trope Codifier. Once the baskets are miraculously filled, they remain full as Jesus and his disciples distribute food to the crowd, and are still full after everyone has eaten their fill.
- The Movie: The last two episodes of season 3 ("Ears to Hear" and "Sustenance") were originally shown in theaters as a "theatrical event".
- Moving Beyond Bereavement: Mary Magdalene and Salome encourage Eden to grieve her miscarried baby.
- Orange/Blue Contrast: At the end of the episode, we alternate between orange-toned scenes with Eden in the candlelit mikveh and blue-toned scenes with Jesus and his disciples on the moonlit sea.
- Scam Religion: The Jews in the Decapolis accuse the Greeks of having a sham religion because the Auger's apprentice secretly removes their offerings at night, under the cover of darkness, when the stench has become unbearable.
- Silence of Sadness: Eden hardly says a word while visiting Rabbi Yussif with her mother.
- Spiteful Spit: Rabbi Ozem spits at Leander after hearing what he says about Jesus and his preaching.
- Spoken Word in Music: Psalm 77 is performed for King David as spoken word with an a capella accompaniment.Jeduthun: Instead of singing and using instruments, the text will be spoken, accompanied by a low hum from the choir.
- Staging an Intervention: Zebedee, Salome, and Mary Magdalene sit down with Eden to discuss their recent observations about Simon and Eden.
- Throwing Off the Disability: Jesus heals the man with the broken and infected leg.
- Two Lines, No Waiting:
- On the second day that Jesus is preaching in the Decapolis, we get a minor example where the focus shifts back and forth between Jesus preaching to the crowd, and his disciples trying to find food for the crowd. Finally, Little James speaks to Jesus, who excuses himself from the crowd to meet privately with his disciples.
- At the end of the episode, scenes of Simon stepping out of the boat to walk on water alternate with scenes of Eden stepping into the newly repaired mikveh.
- Unspoken Plan Guarantee: In the previous episode, Jesus told John that Simon was essential to the success of their trip to the Decapolis. Once there, John tells the other disciples what Jesus said, which just fuels Simon's frustration and anger. What none of them realize is that Simon's key contribution is not going to be while Jesus is preaching and feeding the crowd, but on the trip back to Capernaum. Simon obtains the boat, and when the disciples encounter Jesus walking on the water, Simon is the one disciple who joins him.
- Vomit Discretion Shot: Some of the disciples lean over the edge of the boat, seasick from the rough waves.
- Walk on Water: Jesus walking on water to meet the disciples' boat is the Trope Codifier.
