When I was in elementary school, recess was the time for team activities. We played various games, including softball. There was a boy in my class that was a terrific hitter. When it was his turn to bat, we all moved out as far as possible. We knew he would hit it to the fence, and he always did.

I remember the choosing of teams. The boys were always the captains, and each team wanted the boys first. The girls were the last to be chosen. Times have changed, and girls sometimes get picked first. It is the best, the fastest, the most accurate, the one that stands out that gets the priority pick.

Have your ever thought about why Jesus chose the men He did as His disciples? We can suppose that He chose them because they stood out in some way, were humble men, were proficient in some way, or were preselected by God. Could it have been a matter of chance? I suppose, but I think there was a purpose in each selection. They were chosen to fit a role, a place in Jesus’ ministry.

Luke 5 tells about the selection of Simon, James, and John. Jesus selected Simon’s ship from which to teach the people on the shore. He selected both Simon’s ship and the ship belonging to the sons of Zebedee from which to miraculously catch a multitude of fish. From that ship, Jesus proclaimed, “Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (Luke 5:10 KJV).

 With this simple statement, Simon Peter, James, and John became disciples. Matthew 4 tells us that Peter’s brother, Andrew, was there too. Later, Jesus picked Matthew from the tax collector’s table in Capernaum. One by one He found men that would soon become His students, His preacher students. After three years of studying at the feet of Jesus, all would deny Him and scatter lest they be arrested and possibly killed with Him. One would actually be the deliverer of his mentor to the authorities.

What a wonderful chance these twelve men would have to hear sermons, see miracles, and travel from Galilee to Judea and back. They would stand in the presence of kings, meet the highest-ranking Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and elders.

Just how quickly were the disciples expected to grow in their spiritual lives? By chapter 8 of Matthew, the disciples had already heard Jesus preach the Sermon on the Mount, been taught to pray, told not to worry about food or clothing. They had watched the healing of a leper, the centurion’s servant, and even Peter’s mother-in-law. Jesus had admonished them about the cost involved in following Him. They had been saved from a storm on the Sea of Galilee and watched a man possessed with demons healed and the demons cast into pigs.

I think Jesus expected them to step up to the task of being His disciples sooner than they did. Remember what Jesus said to them after the stilling of the storm? “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26).

In chapter 14, after having seen all kinds of miracles, the disciples couldn’t figure out that Jesus could feed 5,000 men plus women and children. They didn’t have enough faith to step out of the boat and walk with Him on the water. Jesus rebuked Peter by saying, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” After three years with Jesus, they were still wondering about the kingdom.

How quickly were new Christians expected to grow in the first century church? They were converted on Pentecost, and the immediate result was this. “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:44-47).

 So, these new Christians were already studying, worshiping, sharing their possessions, making friends and converting others. They wasted no time in learning what God wanted them to do and putting it into practice.

The writer of Hebrews warned, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat” (Hebrews 5:11-13).

 How long have you been a Christian? Where are you in your spiritual maturity? How many of us are still expecting to be fed the milk of the Word when we should be teaching? Are you digging into the Word? Are you sharing the Gospel with others? Being faithful does not mean filling a pew on Sunday morning.

We were chosen for a purpose. It was not an accident that Jesus died for all mankind. We are not subject to chance, but we have been bought with the blood of Jesus.

Sandra Oliver