The Original Disciples Series

It was fisherman Andrew, caring for his nets when Jesus called him as a disciple (Luke 5:2). His brother Peter watched Jesus climb into his boat and preach with authority. He realized Jesus was not only a prophet but someone to whom he would later surrender his life. James and his brother, John, were mending nets with their father when Jesus called them. These four “sons of Zebedee” were not just fishermen, but as business owners, they hired other men to work for them.

Most likely Philip, James (the son of Alphaeus), and Judas (Thaddaeus) were tradesmen of some sort. Regardless of their lines of work, eleven of the disciples immediately left behind everything to follow Jesus. Judas Iscariot, chosen by Jesus as treasurer, appears to be the only disciple who struggled continually with greed and monetary temptations.

Not all the occupations of the disciples were viewed favorably. When Jesus first called Matthew, the disciple was sitting at the tax collector’s booth. Matthew belonged to the class of Jewish tax collectors (Mokhsa) who extorted money from travelers. Tax collectors were detested and often regarded as traitors to their own people. Their money was considered unclean, people taxed would avoid asking for change. A tax collector’s money could not be tithed to the temple. They were forbidden to testify in court. A good Jew would not even associate with the Mokhsa in private life.

Jesus upset the Pharisees when He enjoyed a meal at Matthew’s house (Matthew 9:10-13). The once prosperous Matthew, along with the other disciples, was told God would meet their needs, “Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.”

Jesus sent these ordinary men out, endowed with His own power and authority. As long as they relied on His strength, they were unstoppable. “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it” (Mark 16:20). In time the risen Christ would reveal much of Himself not to all of the Twelve, but to only seven of them.

While not strictly a profession, Simon the Canaanite earned the title of a zealot. His fierce loyalty to his faith and Israel was evident. Zealots were a religious sect and would attempt to arouse rebellion among the Jews. Like others, Simon stubbornly insisted that the Jews must rebel against the Roman invasion of Palestine. This invasion had destroyed the Jews’ hopes of restoring their own government once again. Zealots, like Simon, engaged in politics and anarchy hoping to instigate a revolution that would overthrow the Roman government. When Simon joined Jesus as a disciple, he remained zealous, but shifted to allegiance and loyalty to Jesus, rather than a political revolution.

The New Testament is the only authoritative source of the lives of the disciples. Throughout the Bible, there have been men, as well as women, whom God chose to work within His divine plans. Yet these disciples were specifically selected by Jesus to follow Him and continue to spread the Gospel and continue representing Jesus long after He ascended into Heaven. One can imagine the heavy responsibilities of carrying the Master’s Word to the masses. Their dedication and preaching of the Gospel would impact scores of Christians long after their deaths.