Our paragraph topic is: (The names of the Apostles).
St Matthew, in these verses, tells us who the twelves apostles were that followed Christ. In Chapter 4 he told us about the call of the first disciples. They were Simon and Andrew, who were brothers. Then he also called James and John, who were also brothers. Then there was the special mention in Chapter 9 when Matthew tells us how he was called by Christ. These are the five disciples that we already know about. But then there is Phillip and Bartholomew and Thomas. There is also another James, the son of Alpheus and also there is Thaddeus. Last is Simon the son of the Cananean and Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed him.
These were the candidates that Christ chose to lead and to train. They were the first to work directly with Jesus, to become the shepherds of the new church and the leaders of the flock. Christ called them the salt of the earth. They represented the base ingredient in his ministry. They were mostly fishermen. Simon, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen, common laborers. Matthew was a publican, a public servant of the government, a tax collector, a person that all the people hated because of his association with the corruption of the government.
We know that Judas betrayed Christ. But the others, Bartholomew, Philip, the other James, Thaddeus, and the other Simon we are not told about. Matthew does not provide any additional information about them. These were the men that Christ saw as being pillars of his church here on earth. He taught them. He trained them. He sent them out into the field to practise the principles that he had given them. He gave them power to demonstrate to the people the true message of the kingdom of heaven. They were his disciples. They were his apostles. They were his shepherds here on earth. And the harvest was great but the laborers were few.
Christ completed his mission of preaching and miracles. And the dark powers and principalities of this world destroyed him for what he was sent here to complete. They did not like his mission. They had to stop him. So they tortured him. They beat him. They abused him and they condemned him to death. He died a horrible death on the cross. He was crucified. And yet he was glorified by his father, God in heaven who raised him from the dead. Today he sits at the right hand of the Father, in the glory of the power that he had from the beginning of time.
The disciples watched as Christ was tortured, beaten, spat upon, and crucified. They were stricken. They were destroyed. They were fearful. They were like scattered sheep. But Christ returned. Christ arose from the dead. Christ appeared to them to show them the power of his father. Christ then commissioned them to take the message throughout the world. And he gave them eternal power to exercise here on earth. Their message is love. Their message is peace. Their message is faith, hope, and charity to all mankind. Can you follow in the footsteps of the disciples and carry the message of Christ today?? Pray that the Lord of the harvest sends forth laborers into the fields.
St Matthew, in these verses, tells us who the twelves apostles were that followed Christ. In Chapter 4 he told us about the call of the first disciples. They were Simon and Andrew, who were brothers. Then he also called James and John, who were also brothers. Then there was the special mention in Chapter 9 when Matthew tells us how he was called by Christ. These are the five disciples that we already know about. But then there is Phillip and Bartholomew and Thomas. There is also another James, the son of Alpheus and also there is Thaddeus. Last is Simon the son of the Cananean and Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed him.
These were the candidates that Christ chose to lead and to train. They were the first to work directly with Jesus, to become the shepherds of the new church and the leaders of the flock. Christ called them the salt of the earth. They represented the base ingredient in his ministry. They were mostly fishermen. Simon, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen, common laborers. Matthew was a publican, a public servant of the government, a tax collector, a person that all the people hated because of his association with the corruption of the government.
We know that Judas betrayed Christ. But the others, Bartholomew, Philip, the other James, Thaddeus, and the other Simon we are not told about. Matthew does not provide any additional information about them. These were the men that Christ saw as being pillars of his church here on earth. He taught them. He trained them. He sent them out into the field to practise the principles that he had given them. He gave them power to demonstrate to the people the true message of the kingdom of heaven. They were his disciples. They were his apostles. They were his shepherds here on earth. And the harvest was great but the laborers were few.
Christ completed his mission of preaching and miracles. And the dark powers and principalities of this world destroyed him for what he was sent here to complete. They did not like his mission. They had to stop him. So they tortured him. They beat him. They abused him and they condemned him to death. He died a horrible death on the cross. He was crucified. And yet he was glorified by his father, God in heaven who raised him from the dead. Today he sits at the right hand of the Father, in the glory of the power that he had from the beginning of time.
The disciples watched as Christ was tortured, beaten, spat upon, and crucified. They were stricken. They were destroyed. They were fearful. They were like scattered sheep. But Christ returned. Christ arose from the dead. Christ appeared to them to show them the power of his father. Christ then commissioned them to take the message throughout the world. And he gave them eternal power to exercise here on earth. Their message is love. Their message is peace. Their message is faith, hope, and charity to all mankind. Can you follow in the footsteps of the disciples and carry the message of Christ today?? Pray that the Lord of the harvest sends forth laborers into the fields.
