Choosing the Disciples

Luke 6:12-19

12 Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Vs. 12 is important, Jesus prayed for a whole night before he chose the disciples. The selection of leaders is serious business. We are invited to be as committed to prayer as Jesus was when it comes to selecting church leaders.

The disciples were an unusual group to bring together. A few background stories will make that clear.

Simon (Peter) and Andrew were brothers and fishers on the Sea of Galilee. James and John, who had the nickname “Sons of Thunder” because of their quick tempers, were also fishers on the Sea of Galilee. These four had physically demanding jobs, working hard with their hands.

Philip, was a Jew like the other disciples, but he had a Greek name which likely means he knew and spoke Greek and was able to move relatively easily in non-Jewish culture. This would have made him suspect to those disciples who were less comfortable in Greek culture. Philip was a scholar, who worked by writing and teaching, in contrast to the others who worked with their hands.

Matthew (also called Levi) was a tax collector. That meant he was in league with the Roman army who occupied Israel. The taxes he collected went to pay for the Roman army who oppressed Israel, and if people were slow in paying their taxes the Roman soldiers would help tax collectors get the taxes by threat and use of force. On the other side was Simon the Zealot. The Zealots were the freedom fighters and their allies who believed that the only good Roman was a dead Roman. Matthew and Simon the Zealot were as far apart politically as one can imagine and they were both disciples.

Just as the disciples came from different political viewpoints and different economic and vocational backgrounds and were called together by Jesus to be his followers, so modern congregations are made up of people from different backgrounds and viewpoints who are called together by Jesus to be his followers.

PRAYER:

Lord God, your son Jesus chose people who were very different from one another to be his disciples. We thank you that you have called us into the church with people who are different than we are, who think and act differently. Teach us to be the church together. In Jesus’ name. Amen.