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Matthew 10 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Jesus’ selections were complete. Among his disciples were some strange picks by human standards. Among those chosen were a tax collector, several fishermen, and a religious zealot who opposed Rome. Many were unschooled men.
You might wonder what made these men decide so quickly to just “follow” Jesus. Why would James and John (sons of Zebedee) abandon the family business for Jesus? Why would Peter and Andrew just walk out on their fishing jobs?
The first thing we must realize is that Jesus was considered to be a highly educated elite-level Rabbi. He is addressed as a Rabbi, (or Teacher) by the Pharisees, the poor, his disciples, and many other different types of people during His ministry. He was also a prominent figure in Galilee, which housed the most religious Jews in the world during Jesus’ time. The greatest honor was to follow a Rabbi as an apprentice which was known as a Talmidim. It was customary for the Talmidim (student) to ask the Rabbi (teacher) if he could follow him. This basically just meant that the student would come under the authority and teaching of the Rabbi to learn the religious law, the Scriptures, etc.
This is not what happened though. Jesus went to his students and hand-picked them by asking them to follow Him! A modern-day equivalent to this would be a highly-successful wall-street broker going into a high school cafeteria and asking a high school student to follow him. Of course they would drop out of high school to pursue a career with such a well-established businessman!
In the Jewish world, it was even more significant, because men like Peter, Andrew and others who had settled into their blue-collar environment would never have had the opportunity to become educated or receive such a highly-regarded social/religious position. If Jesus wanted them, it meant that He saw something in them that was different from anyone else. Deep down, He saw the potential that would enable these men to do exactly what He called them to do – follow Him.
Jesus is still in the business of making disciples. If you are a believer, you have professed to follow Christ, and in many ways, He has chosen you! He sees potential and commitment in your character that, through the Holy Spirit, has the capability to echo into eternity. How seriously do you take your calling? How seriously do you follow Him? Are you willing (if necessary) to step away from everything about your old life in order to pursue a life with Jesus? Are you following Him today?