Matthew 10

The Twelve

“Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.” (vs. 2-4)

In this chapter Jesus calls, and names the twelve apostles, some of which we never hear their name mentioned again. I want to say though, that they were still an important part of the “Family” of God. There are many “background” people in the Bible, who, though their names are little known, had an important part in spreading the Gospel, and promoting the kingdom of God. Many seek the popularity of the ministry, but I admire those who stay in the background, and just kept on going for Jesus. Perhaps you are one of these. I think that, if it were possible, Jesus would have stayed in the background and worked to promote His Fathers kingdom. Of course, He was chosen to be in the forefront of the battle, in fact, He was the Champion of our faith. These “support people” as they are now often called, help to hold up the rest of us as we venture forth into the forefront of the battle, and as we receive all the glory for it, they just fade back into oblivion content with their part in the victory. Jesus sent them forth with certain commands, and all fell under the command of the Savior. There were no “big guys” or “little guys” in the eyes of our Lord, but “disciples” one and all.

Memorizing the names of the apostles is not very productive, but when we learn about the men behind the names, then we begin to learn character. These men were men of character. These were men who were zealous for the Lord, some to the point of death even. That zeal, though a part of their character, didn’t come quickly, but they walked with Jesus, and sat at His feet for over three years before they became dynamic for Jesus. Spending time with Jesus definitely pays off in great dividends of character. Whether a “background” person, or an “up front” man, we need to learn character, and hope to become dynamic Christians as these were. Even Judas, “who also betrayed Jesus” was a man of character, at least to some extent. He endured the persecutions that the others did, and lived out in the mountain, under the stars, as they did. He was keeper of the (money) bag, and therefore somewhat responsible until the last, but he made a bad decision which cost him his life, perhaps spiritually, as well as physically. One can have character, but still be deceived. Let’s strive for true character, and walk and talk with Jesus daily, but be on guard for the wiles of the adversary.