Sustenance

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> Sustenance
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> ### Season
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> 3
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> ### Episode
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> 8
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> ### Air date
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> February 7. 2023
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> ### Writer
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> Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson, Tyler Thompson
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> ### Director
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> Dallas Jenkins
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> *"It would appear that trouble has found us."*
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> -Jesus, to Philip.
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> "Sustenance is the eighth episode of the third season of The Chosen
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## Synposis

Thousands gather to hear Jesus, leaving the disciples wondering how to feed everyone, and Eden seeks spiritual counsel for her grief.

## Plot

### "I Cry Aloud to God..."

In 990 B.C., Psalmist Asaph has an audience with King David and Queen Bathsheba to demonstrate his latest hymn, which will eventually be known as Psalm 77, in which the narrator cries out to God during a time of suffering.

### Faith as Small as a Mustard Seed

In the present, John and Simon catch up with the others as the displaced groups from Abila start bickering with the apostles and each other. Jesus has His disciples all sit and begins discussing one of His lessons, to demonstrate a better way to handle the mess. He brings up the healing of Veronica by her faith, stating that even a little faith can move mountains as long as it’s in the Father.

Overhearing this, a man with an infected leg injury approaches, wanting Jesus to Prove His words. Jesus heals him, and the shocked crowds all finally sit and prepare to listen. Simon watches all this with growing frustration.

### No Healing or Joy

Back in Capernaum, Eden comes home to see Zebedee, Salome, and Mary Magdalene all waiting to speak with her. They express concern over how distracted and upset Simon was earlier that day, and suspect it may have to do with their marriage, offering support.

Eden finally tells the two women everything that’s happened, and that Simon doesn’t know how to help her through it. She also can’t understand why Jesus hasn’t brought her joy again. Mary and Salome say she needs time to grieve, and suggest she seek a rabbi from synagogue to provide counsel and read her God’s word for guidance.

### 5,000, and Counting

The groups from Abila complain to Jesus about the disastrous ripple effect caused when Philip and Andrew’s preaching reached the city. Leander asks Jesus why He inspires hope in some, and fear in others. He begins to tell the Parable of the Sower, but the growing crowds are unable to hear Him from the outskirts. He then has the apostles spread out and repeat His words so everyone can listen. John stays with Simon, who remains in stony silence.

Jesus ends up preaching well into the night, finally pausing so everyone can get sleep. Matthew, Judas, and Thomas have estimated the crowd numbers in the thousands, and the apostles start to worry about provisions, since there is no food to be found. An embittered Simon states that Jesus will solve the problem if He wants to, leaving everyone but John puzzled and dismayed at his attitude.

### The Informer

The Jewish healer Nashon travels all the way to Jerusalem and reports Jesus to Shmuel, who quickly summons Yanni and one of Rabbi Shammai’s representatives. On leaving, Nashon’s horse is returned to him by Atticus, who asks why he left such a fine specimen with expensive equipment untethered and unattended, getting the healer to tell him where Jesus currently is.

### Fish and Loaves

When Jesus resumes preaching the following day, the disciples alert Him to the lack of provisions, as nobody had brought food nor are they able to buy any. When He asks if there is anything they can give Him to work with, Andrew brings Telemachus, who’s offered his lunch of two fish and five barley loaves. Saying it is enough, Jesus blesses the food and tells the apostles to put it into twelve baskets.

After cutting and dividing the meager fare, Andrew tries to return Telemachus’ basket to him, but is startled to find it heavy. All the baskets prove to be filed to the brim with pieces of bread and fish, which Jesus then has them distribute. While the others are overjoyed, Simon is angered at this further proof their Rabbi could’ve helped Eden.

### In My Time of Trouble

In Capernaum’s synagogue, Eden and Dasha ask for Yussif, knowing him to be an ally of Jesus. On hearing Eden’s story, he shows great sympathy, understanding how hard it must be with her husband gone so often, but reminding them that Simon’s in the middle of the world changing. When Dasha suggests he read Eden something uplifting from Torah, he instead chooses Psalm 77, reminding them that sorrows can bring one closest to God.

While the psalm describes weariness and pain, it then goes on with the narrator choosing to trust in God’s heart even when His hand is unseen or not felt, remembering His faithfulness in the past. Yussif then suggests Eden meditate and undergo an immersion in the mikveh, which is now cleaned and operational thanks to Simon and Gaius’s work on the cistern.

### Faith without Trust

With the 5,000 fed, the apostles return with all their baskets still full, but when John reminds them that Simon had faith in Jesus handling the problem, Simon angrily drops his basket to the ground and storms off while Jesus sadly watches.

### Eating with Gentiles

Shmuel, Yanni, and another Pharisee named Ozem travel by wagon all the way from Jerusalem, and they see the crowds dispersing. When asking what happened, Ozem is appalled to learn Jesus ate with gentiles, and is teaching that they will also come to God. Despite the thousands of people around them, Shmuel still has trouble finding two male Jews to act as legal witnesses, this plus Ozem’s bigotry and Yanni’s clear political ambition disheartens him.

### A Storm is Coming

While the rest of the group dreads walking all the way around the Sea of Galilee to get home, Simon rents a boat to sail them across. He then tells John he will leave the ministry when they get home, believing Jesus made a mistake in calling him. While the apostles all board, Jesus remains behind to pray, saying He will join them later. The Twelve hurry, seeing a storm approaching.

Shmuel finally runs into Jesus, but is now unsure how to react. Jesus remarks that he is troubled because he is losing something. Likewise, Jesus is losing time. He offers to walk with Shmuel and pray with him, to which the other man hesitantly accepts.

### A Ghost?

In their boat, the Twelve get caught in the storm and remain in the same spot for many hours, despite the best efforts of Simon, Andrew, and the Sons of Thunder at the oars. They panic when the lightning reveals a shadowy figure walking across the water, most of them believing it’s a ghost, but then it greets them and proves to be Jesus walking atop the water’s surface, leaving them amazed yet again.

### Weary and Heavy-Laden

Simon, however, reaches the end of his rope, and demands that Jesus bid him to step out of the boat if He is truly Who He says. Jesus grants this, telling him to keep his eyes on Him, and Simon successfully stands on the water. He then confronts Jesus on helping gentiles while those who’ve been faithfully at His side are suffering. Jesus assures Simon that He allows trials to strengthen people and prove the genuineness of their faith, promising that this pain is strengthening both Simon and Eden.

Simon finally lets fear start to overwhelm him, looking out at the waves, and he sinks below the surface. Jesus pulls him out, tenderly asking Simon why he doubted as He brings him back into the boat. Jesus then calms the storm, continuing to hold a weeping Simon who begs forgiveness.

### Healed, Reconciled

While this is happening, Atticus has been watching, and Eden performs the mikveh ceremony and begins to feel peace, begging God to not let Simon go. When Simon comes home, the two rush to embrace each other.

### Through the Waters

Back in the past, Asaph finishes the psalm that ends with the verses… *“Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.”*

David and Bathsheba tell Asaph that the Psalm is complete.

## Cast and Characters

### Main

* Jonathan Roumie as Jesus
* Shahar Isaac as Simon
* Lara Silva as Eden
* George H. Xanthis as John
* Abe Martell as Big James
* Paras Patel as Matthew
* Jordan Walker Ross as Little James
* Noah James as Andrew
* Joey Vahedi as Thomas
* Yoshi Barrigas as Philip
* Austin Alleman as Nathanael
* Giavani Cairo as Thaddeus
* Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene
* Luke Dimyan as Judas Iscariot
* Alaa Safi as Simon Z.
* Yasmine Al-Bustami as Ramah

### Recurring

* Ivan Jasso as Yussif
* Nina Leon as Salome
* Nick Shakour as Zebedee
* Elijah Alexander as Atticus
* Letitia Magana as Dasha
* Kirk B. R. Woller as Gaius
* Shaan Sharma as Shmuel
* Jorge Franco as King David

### New

* Moriah Smallbone as Bathsheba
* Moud Sabra as Jeduthun
* Pezh Maan as Asaph

## Themes

This Episode is based on Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 8:1-9, Luke 8:22-25, and John 6: 16-21

### Events

* Jesus feeds the 5,000, walks on water, and calms the storm
* Simon finally confronts Jesus about the miscarriage
* Eden starts telling others about her and Simon's problems
* Shmuel starts to waver in his antagonism towards Jesus
* Yussif counsels Eden on her grief
* Eden and Simon begin recovering their marriage