"How Did I Do?" Jonathan Roumie Interview

"How did I do?" Jonathan Roumie Interview

"Therefore, we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." - 2 Corinthians 5:9

For me, a simple YouTube interview question became a window into the soul of discipleship.

Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus in "The Chosen," was asked during an interview: "If you could sit down and have coffee with Jesus, what question would you ask Him?" Without missing a beat, without rehearsal or hesitation, Roumie responded: "How did I do? Did I get it close?"

The spontaneity of his answer was breathtaking. It wasn't scripted or calculated—it flowed like water from a spring, revealing what plays continuously in his mind. Here was someone so immersed in portraying Christ that his deepest question had become an unconscious heartbeat: Am I reflecting You well?

The interviewer seemed caught off guard. So were the rest of us watching. In that moment, something transcended the interview itself. This wasn't an actor discussing his craft—this was an authentic encounter where Jesus Himself seemed to provide the answer through Roumie's lips.

Sacred Persistence

For weeks now, that moment has been haunting me—not in a ghostly way, but in a super-spiritual way. The question won't let go because it shouldn't. It's the question that every believer, from pure Christian mystic to pure Christian evangelist, should be asking themselves.

Jesus is our exemplar, our gold standard. We can never get it perfect, but we can ask Him: How did I do today? This week? This month? Did I get it close?

Brother Lawrence understood this heart posture. In his humble kitchen at the monastery, he practiced the presence of God through the most ordinary tasks. Washing dishes, peeling potatoes, scrubbing floors—each moment became an opportunity to check in with Jesus: "How am I doing right now, Lord? Am I reflecting Your heart in this simple work?" For Lawrence, every menial task was a chance to ask, "Did I get it close?"

The Circle at The Bridge

Recently, I found myself imagining sitting across from Jesus on a bench near The Bridge. The question finally formed in my mind. I asked: "How have I done as one of Your ambassadors since I became a believer?"

Instead of answering with words, Jesus bent down and began drawing in the dirt. My mind raced to the Pharisees accusing the woman caught in adultery. Was I about to be condemned, or was I the one ready to cast stones?

Jesus said nothing, but my focus was riveted to His message in the dirt. What started as a straight line became a slight curve, then an arc, then a semicircle. As I watched, the gestalt formed in my mind—He was drawing a complete circle.

I thought I understood. He was showing me visually how close I'd come to reflecting Him perfectly. I wanted to cry out, "No! You should have stopped before You even drew the line!" But Jesus completed the perfect circle.

I dropped to my knees in humble submission to His mercy. Then Jesus offered His hand, and I rose to sit beside Him again.

Before I could voice my confusion, He said: "The circle is Me, with you established within it. Your doing is less important than the heart you give while doing it."

My heart warmed like the coffee cup in my hands. My mind cleared like that perfectly formed circle in the dirt. My spirit came alive, free of questions and guilt.

The Evangelist's Heart Check

D.L. Moody, that bold Q4 evangelist, carried this same heart throughout his ministry. After every sermon, every street corner encounter, every moment of witness, Moody's heart was asking Jesus: "Did my boldness carry Your love? When I proclaimed Your gospel, did they see You or just hear me?" Even in his most confident evangelistic moments, Moody understood that the question wasn't about his performance—it was about whether Christ's heart came through his human vessel.

The Love Conversation

Here's what I've learned: "How did I do?" isn't a performance review graded on a curve. It's a loving conversation that includes two or three or more people, where Jesus is present. It's not about gestalt completion or measuring up to an impossible standard. It's about pure love that encircles every believer who dares to ask the question with a genuine heart.

Whether you're playing Jesus in "The Chosen" or in a small-town Easter play, whether you're offering water to a stranger or forgiving a neighbor who wears different political colors, the role itself matters less than the heart behind it. Jesus sees that heart because you are forever established within His circle.

"How Did I Do?"

The question that penetrated Jonathan Roumie's heart—and now penetrates my heart—isn't about getting the question right, it's about getting it pure. It's about allowing Jesus to love through us so purely that His presence becomes our unconscious heartbeat. If His pure love becomes our unconscious heartbeat, we'll never get a question wrong again. We will always answer perfectly, just as Jonathan Roumie did in this interview.

So I ask you, fellow pilgrim: What if you sat down for coffee with Jesus today? What if you looked into His eyes and asked with genuine vulnerability: "How did I do? Did I get it close?"

Watch and listen carefully. You might see him drawing a circle around you.

"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:6

About the Author

Trace Pirtle is a Christ-centered writer and a fellow pilgrim on the narrow path. He encourages believers to move beyond religious routine into a deeper, daily walk with Jesus.