Team – Matthew 10:1-4

Amy Poehler was asked to speak at the 2011 Harvard graduation ceremony. She said, “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” Jesus found a group of people but it was he who inspired them. Nevertheless, it was important to him to have a team, to train his successors and multiply his ministry. Who did he select?

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: 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 tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Matthew 10:1-4 ESV)

In answer to the need for more workers in the harvest, Jesus appoints 12 of his disciples to be apostles.  The change in terminology seems to reflect that these have been full time followers of Jesus (part time followers are also called disciples) who have been in the process of apprenticeship and are now being invested with authority like Jesus’ authority to be his official representatives. 

The apostles will be responsible to faithfully uphold the traditions of Jesus and be the touchstones of his ministry and teaching for others to learn from and mimic.  That there are 12 chosen shows Jesus sees a connection between them and the tribes of Israel.  These are the new sons of Jacob, the genesis of a new Israel birthed by the Messiah.

And oh what a motley crew they are.  Fishermen, tax-collectors, zealots, people who would never have been chosen by the leading rabbis of the day to be their disciples.  But Jesus didn’t come to call the righteous or heal those who weren’t sick.  His disciples, now made apostles, show the power of God’s grace to redeem. 

When Moses was preaching the law to Israel before they entered and conquered Canaan, he told them that Yahweh did not choose Israel for great qualities as a nation (Deuteronomy 7).  He made her into a great nation.  It is the same with us.  Not many wise or noble have been called (1 Corinthians 1) but we are to show the world that God is pursuing all His creatures to redeem them.