Today’s reading tells how Simon, Andrew, James, & John became apostles. Well…actually it tells the latter half of the story. What I’d like to do now is fill in the first part.
According to my fellow minister, Chris Buxton, becoming the disciple of a first-century rabbi was a bit like trying to get into college today. There were the “Ivy League” rabbis (that EVERYONE wanted to study under) as well as various other grades of rabbis. The young men of Judea would study hard in their synagogue schools and when they reached the appropriate age, head off to Jerusalem to “try out” for discipleship. As you might expect, the best and the brightest were picked up by the Ivy League, the next best went to the second tier, and so on. After all the rabbis filled their disciple rosters, the leftover applicants were essentially told:
Thank you very much for your interest in the position as my disciple. While your qualifications are very impressive, I simply don’t feel that you’re a good fit for my needs at this time. I’m sure that you have a very bright future in discipleship ahead of you. Best wishes in your search.
Sincerely,
The Rabbi You Always Wanted
Once he got this letter, the wannabe disciple had to face facts. He just wasn’t cut out for a life of following a great spiritual teacher. Consequently, he had no choice but to return home to take up any number of “lesser” occupations, like fishing, for example. Buxton’s suggestion was that Jesus’ apostles were basically the leftovers! They were the guys who couldn’t cut it for the other rabbis. They were the ones who got a polite “Thanks for applying” letter.
What does that mean for you and I? I suspect most of us have received been rejected at some time in our lives. How does that make a person feel? Disappointed? Angry? Depressed? Isn’t it good to know that, as Christians, we follow a Master Who never says: “Come back when you have more experience…It’s not you. It’s Me…You’re just not what I need right now.”
Regardless of what the world may think of us, you and I are not “leftovers”. We have been—each one of us—specifically crafted by God, called by Him, and chosen to fulfill His purposes in a unique way that no one else in all of history will ever be able to do. Let us leave the nets of our pain and our past behind. We have better things to do. Remember, for a follower of Christ, the best is always yet to come.
-- Justin
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