God’s Choice of the Few
The author starts by questioning why Jesus chose only 12 apostles to carry a message meant for the entire world, instead of a larger group like 12,000. He argues that this choice highlights a key principle of God’s work: He achieves great things not with a multitude, but with a committed few. This is supported by biblical examples like Moses defeating Egypt with only a staff, Gideon’s army of 300, and David’s defeat of Goliath. The author states that true impact comes from quality, not quantity. God seeks faithful, committed, and true disciples, not just a large number of followers.
The Extraordinary Impact of Ordinary Men
These 12 apostles were not extraordinary men; they were common, ordinary individuals—many of them fishermen. Despite the immense odds against them, they literally “turned the world upside down.” Their impact is seen in the global spread of Christianity, which is now the world’s largest religion. The author quotes historian J. M. Roberts, who attributes Western society’s organization, laws, economics, and culture to the work of these 12 men.
The passage emphasizes that the growth of the church was not due to the support of the Jewish nation or the Roman Empire, both of which tried to destroy it. Instead, it was the work of these “untaught and untrained” men, whose special quality was their unwavering commitment to Jesus. The author uses this to encourage readers, reminding them that God is still in the business of using ordinary people to do extraordinary things, provided they are committed to their calling.
Commitment in All Aspects of Life
The passage defines Christian commitment as having Jesus as the supreme priority in every facet of life. It must supersede all other relationships, even with family, to the point where it looks like “hate” in comparison. This level of dedication is necessary because the trials of following Christ can be demanding. A committed life means living for Christ and being fully available for His service. The author presents Thomas and Matthew as two heroes of commitment.
Thomas: A Hero of Commitment, Not a Doubter
The author challenges the popular image of Thomas as the “doubting Thomas,” arguing that this is a misunderstanding. He presents three points to show Thomas’s deep commitment.
- The Price He Paid: Thomas’s name, “Didymus,” means “twin,” yet his twin is not mentioned in the Bible. The author suggests that Thomas had to pay a high price by separating from his lifelong companion, his twin brother, to follow Christ. This separation was a difficult sacrifice that demonstrated a higher commitment than that of Peter and Andrew or James and John, who had their brothers with them.
- His Passionate Love for Christ: In John chapter 11, Jesus decides to return to Judea to raise Lazarus from the dead, a place where the Jewish leaders had just tried to stone Him. The other disciples were hesitant, fearing for their lives. In this tense moment, Thomas steps forward with a bold and courageous statement to his fellow disciples: “Let us also go that we may die with Him.”
- The Courage of a Pessimist: The author interprets Thomas’s statement as a sign of incredible courage. While an optimist has courage because they believe things will turn out well, a pessimist has courage despite believing the worst will happen. Thomas was convinced they would all die, yet he was grimly determined to follow Jesus anyway. His commitment was so complete that he would rather die with Jesus than live without Him. This moment of initiative and intense passion reveals a man who was entirely sold out to Christ.
Today, we will be looking at two more apostles from the second group: Thomas and Matthew. Their stories show that Jesus uses people who are fully committed to him, regardless of their personality flaws or sinful pasts.
Thomas: The Courageous, Loving Pessimist
When we think of Thomas, we often think of “doubting Thomas.” However, the text shows he was a deeply committed and loving disciple. His moniker as a doubter doesn’t make sense when we see his willingness to die with Jesus. In John 11, when Jesus decided to go to Judea even though the Jews there had tried to stone him, Thomas said to the other disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” This was not the statement of a doubter but of a man with profound love and courage, ready to face death with his Lord. He had a deep, personal affection for Jesus, one that he prioritized even over his own life or his twin brother.
In John 14, Thomas’s love is again on display. When Jesus tells the disciples he is going away, and they can’t follow him, Thomas’s heart is nearly broken. He says, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” This is not a question of doubt but an expression of his desire to be with Jesus. He couldn’t stand the thought of being separated from him. Jesus’s response, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life,” reassures Thomas that he will be taken care of and not left behind.
The famous “doubting” incident in John 20 must be viewed through this context of Thomas’s personality. After Jesus’s death, Thomas was completely shattered. His worst fears had come true: Jesus was dead, and he had been left behind. This deep love turned to immense sorrow and a sense of betrayal, causing him to withdraw from the other disciples. When they told him they had seen the resurrected Lord, he responded, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” . This was not a doubt in Jesus’s divinity, but rather the emotional outburst of a pessimistic man, overwhelmed by grief, who needed tangible proof.
Eight days later, Jesus appeared again when Thomas was present. Jesus addressed him directly, inviting him to touch his wounds. Thomas didn’t even need to touch him. Overcome with joy and belief, he gave one of the greatest confessions in the Bible: “My Lord and my God!” This statement affirms Jesus’s lordship and deity, a monumental declaration that disproves any lie about Jesus not being God.
Thomas’s life shows us that God uses tender-hearted, moody, and pessimistic people who are fully committed to him. He loved Jesus with such an intense and personal affection that he was willing to die for him and ultimately gave a testimony that has stood for centuries. Tradition holds that he took the Gospel to India, where he founded churches and was eventually martyred with a spear—a fitting end for a man who needed to touch the spear mark in his own Lord.
Matthew: The Humble Sinner
Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector, a “Mokhes,” who collected taxes on everything. Tax collectors were despised by the Jewish people. They were considered traitors who worked for the Roman government and were known for their dishonesty. As a result, they were outcasts from society and even forbidden from entering a synagogue.
In Matthew 9:9, Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax office and simply said, “Follow Me.” Matthew immediately left everything behind to follow him. This was a significant sacrifice because, unlike the fishermen who could return to their trade, Matthew would never be able to go back to his lucrative career. He willingly left a life of wealth and status for a life with Christ.
Matthew’s genuine humility is evident in how he writes about himself. When he lists the apostles in Matthew 10, he refers to himself as “Matthew the tax collector,” the only one who includes his former job title. He did this to show that Jesus can forgive the vilest sinners, using himself as a primary example. His heart was so overwhelmed by the grace and forgiveness he received that he became a silent man in the Gospels.
He never asks a question or makes a comment. This silence, after a life of being a loud and demanding tax collector, was born out of an overwhelming sense of his own sinfulness and unworthiness. He was stunned by God’s grace and felt humbled to the point of silence. This is a profound example of true repentance.
However, God used this silent man to write the first and longest Gospel in the New Testament. Matthew’s Gospel connects the Old and New Testaments and presents Jesus as the King of Kings. His life shows that God doesn’t use perfect people; he uses vile, wretched sinners who are willing to be forgiven and fully surrendered to him.
Thomas and Matthew show us that regardless of our weaknesses, whether we are pessimistic or have a sinful past, Christ can use our lives for his kingdom if we are fully committed to him.
Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore 