Jesus can use us too!

Matthew 10:1-7

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of sickness and disease. Here are the names of his twelve disciples: Simon (also called Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (Zebedee’s son), John (James’s brother), Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (Alphaeus’s son), Thaddaeus, Simon (a member of “The Zealots,” a subversive political party), Judas Iscariot (the one who betrayed him). Jesus sent them out with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Food for thought!

This passage is special because when we look at the kind of men Jesus chose and used in those days it gives us hope in these days. If Jesus can use men like these in the manner that he did, then surely he can use people like you and me in these days. With the Twelve, Jesus set a precedent, that we all have a place in his service.

There are two facts about these men which are bound to strike us at once.

(i) They were very ordinary men. They had no wealth; they had no academic background; they had no social position. They were chosen from the common people, men who did the ordinary things, men who had no special education, men who had no social advantages.

With these men, Jesus set a precedent, of looking, not so much for extraordinary people, as for ordinary people who can do ordinary things extraordinarily well. Jesus sees in everybody, not only what that man or woman is, but also what he can make him or her. Jesus chose these men, not only for what they were, but also for what they were capable of becoming under his influence and in his power. Yes, under Jesus you and I can become different and can make a difference in the world.

(ii) They were the most extraordinary mixture. There was, for instance, Matthew, the tax-gatherer. All men would regard Matthew as a traitor that had sold himself into the hands of his country's masters for gain, the very reverse of a patriot and a lover of his country. And with Matthew there was Simon the Cananaean. Luke (Lk.6:16) calls him Simon Zealote. Zealots were the opposite of Matthew; zealots were fanatic, comparable to today's suicide bombers. If Simon the Zealot had met Matthew the tax-gatherer anywhere else than in the company of Jesus, he would have thrown a bomb at him. Here is the tremendous truth that people who hate each other can learn to live in peace and love each other when they both love Jesus. Jesus not only brings us together, he also keeps us together.

The fact that Jesus was able to use these men with all their weaknesses and failures lets me know that he can use us too. These men lacked spiritual understanding. They lacked humility. They lacked faith. They lacked commitment. They lacked power. These men were always getting into trouble; missing the point or Christ’s teachings; they were always saying the wrong thing; walking away from their commitment to Jesus; among other failures and problems. Despite their weaknesses, the Lord used these men to turn the world upside down for His glory. If he can use them, surely he can use us too! That ought to give us hope today!