Gathering the Disciples

As we continue following Jesus’ footsteps, we next see Him gathering His disciples. According to Matthew 4:18-22 He first encounters two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew. Both are fishermen. At once, Jesus tells them to “follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” A little further on, He sees two other brothers, James and John, also fishermen, repairing nets with their father Zebedee. And after He calls them to come, they immediately leave their boat and do so. John 1:43-49 tells us the next disciples who joined themselves to Jesus were Philip and Nathanael. John doesn’t say much about them in these passages. We only learn that “Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city as Andrew and Peter.” And Nathanael?  He was hardly a stellar candidate, for when Philip tells him he has discovered the Messiah, the One Moses and the Prophets wrote about, Nathanael responds with, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Not a very promising beginning to the greatest ministry the world has ever seen—four fishermen and two others the Bible tells us little about except that one of them has great doubts whether the Messiah or any relevant person could ever come from Nazareth. But it highlights the obvious. Jesus didn’t search among the educated, the rulers, the religious elite of His day for His disciples. No. These six were men of little distinction. Six more would join the ranks down the road, but it was with these six Jesus began His ministry.

When we consider who the scriptures have already told us Jesus is—the Son of God, a King, the Savior, the living Word, the Lamb of God, God Himself, the Creator of everything, the light of men—the choice of these six defies logic. Where were the CEOs? The dignitaries? The chief priests? Where were the “movers and shakers” to jump start Jesus’ ministry or help organize a massive PR campaign getting out the word that a mighty ministry of deliverance, healing and salvation was about to unfold? Yet . . . if we remember how Scripture reveals Jesus’ humility and meekness, His willingness to lay aside the majesty, the glory, the honor due Him, choosing these six makes perfect sense.

And it says something else, too. While Jesus is still looking for disciples today, He isn’t just looking for them among the exceptional or the great of this world. Oh, He wants them too. But He’s looking for the ordinary, the simple to follow Him and to be used by Him to further the Kingdom. 1 Corinthians 1:27 tells us “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” That means I qualify. And that means you do, too.

Until next time,

Sylvia