Jonathan Roumie, best known for playing “Jesus Christ” in the hit series “The Chosen”, delivered a speech at Catholic University of America’s commencement ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. According to The Christian Post, Roumie’s remarks include a reflection on his career and “three simple lessons I’ve learned playing Jesus.
“You don’t need to play Jesus for the world in order to be Jesus to the world,” he told graduates. “I’ve realized that just because I play Jesus on a TV show doesn’t mean I can or I should stop being Christ to everyone I know when the cameras turn off, and neither should you.”
“Just because you’re not an actor playing Jesus or you’re not a priest or a nun doesn’t mean you’re not meant to represent Him at all times wherever you go,” Roumie continued. The actor also encouraged graduates and their loved ones to “pray for vocations,” with the caution that “the Church would cease to exist on Earth, especially sacramentally, if vocations are not prayed for and answered by God and the Holy Spirit.”
“Being Jesus to the world doesn’t mean God is expecting perfection from you. We all know that was accomplished by only one person on Earth and His mother,” he said. “You must endeavor to preach the Gospel by the life you live, by your actions and the choices you make, by the political positions you take, and advocacy for the causes you champion.”
Later in his speech, Roumie reflected on his role of playing Jesus in “The Chosen”, sharing how often he asks, “Why would God give this to me?”
“God will use anyone and any means necessary to call us to Himself, to serve and emulate Him. And in my case, quite literally,” the actor said in response to his own question.
“When you commit to serving God first and not yourselves first, but God first, that’s when your true success will begin.”
In conclusion, Roumie encouraged graduates to “surrender.”
“You’re not in charge. God is. I cannot underscore this enough,” he said.
“I’ve found that surrender leads to salvation in every way possible. Your self-reliance won’t cure you; your willpower won’t save you. Your independence will not deliver you from that which seeks to destroy your faith in God, erode your hope in Christ or corrode your love for the Holy Spirit and humanity itself,” Roumie contended. “These are all lies from the enemy. The more you commit, the deeper He takes you. The more you love Him, the higher you’ll go. The more you seek Him, the wilder your journey gets.”
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.