Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

When I think about the crowds of people that had swarmed to Jesus just in this passage, I think Jesus clearly could have had his pick of the litter.

Recently, the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, in response to tons of applications for positions at the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that he heads, gave these qualifications: a) top 1% in IQ, b) willing to work 80 hours a week, and c) willing to receive no pay. The implications are you need to be wise in the world’s eyes, independently wealthy, and a very hard worker. While I think this was a bit of hyperbole, it serves as a stark contrast to those that Jesus chose.

Jesus chose four fishermen (Peter, Andrew, James, and John), a tax collector (Matthew), a financial manager & thief (Judas), and a zealot (Simon) to name a few. And he chose for his executive council of three, all fishermen.

He wanted these men to preach and help do miracles and drive out demons. They had no real qualifications for this. So what does this mean for me?

Every time I feel inadequate to the task set before me, every time I feel ashamed of my past or my track-record, when I feel out-credentialed or out-performed, or when I just feel beaten up and bruised, I must remember … those are the characteristics of the disciples Jesus picked.

The zealot might have had an anger and judgement problem. The tax collector was skimming off the top most likely. The finance guy was stealing all through Jesus’ ministry. The fishermen were likely hot-tempted and used colorful language. They were not the most polished people Jesus could find. They were raw and real. They had rough edges.

Jesus chose them. And today he chooses you and me. What do I think of being a broken and weak vessel Jesus chose? It’s pretty amazing!

Lord, I don’t deserve your pick to be a part of your family. On the merits, I am terribly under-qualified. But you chose me anyway. And you will give me the power to be loving and gracious, bold and humble, patient and full of joy. You will infuse my heart with your goodness if I choose to surrender all to you! Thank you! I choose to trust you and advance to your call.