TEXT: Matthew 10:1-14 – And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. ² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Today we’re continuing our series in Matthew and Jesus is apparently giving instructions to three kinds of Disciples – each living at a different time period. Instructions to:

• ·      To former disciples living in the time He was with them
• ·      To future disciples living during the time of the Great Tribulation
• ·      To faithful disciples living throughout church history.

We will continue to look at the first group today. This first group is who we tend to call the Apostles (verse 2). So, you ask, “What is an Apostle?” The Greek word used here –  Apostolos – means a messenger, one sent forth with orders.  We already viewed Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, and Bartholomew. So let us muse over the next three – Thomas, Matthew, and James the Less.

I love to ponder on this Apostle (we share the same name, and sometimes the same propensities) Thomas. He has been nicknamed “Doubting Thomas." Thomas was also called Didymus, meaning The Twin.  He was an outspoken skeptic to the point of being known as a pessimist. No details are given about Thomas in the first three Gospels other than the mention of his name. John’s first mention of Thomas is in John 11:16. Lazarus had died and the disciples feared for the life of Jesus and themselves if they were to go back to Bethany. Thomas speaks up. “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (John 11:16) Here we see the character quality of courage and loyalty to Christ, a quality not often attributed to Thomas. His devotion to Christ is further displayed when Jesus told the disciples that He was going to go away and prepare a place for them in John 14. Thomas didn’t want to be left behind. And then Thomas’ love for Jesus and his desire to see and touch before he believed and then his declaration, “My Lord and My God!” (John 20:28) Tradition strongly suggests that Thomas started the Christian church in India. Some suggest his being run through by a spear that killed him, ironically, similar to Jesus being pierced by a spear.

Matthew – also called Levi, the Son of Alphaeus, was a tax collector--the most despised people in all of Israel. They were known for taking extra money from the people of Israel to pay off the Romans and to pad their own pockets. Matthew brought the gospel to Ethiopia and Egypt. Hyrcanus the king had him killed with a spear.

We will finish today with James the Less. He is the son of Alphaeus.. His mother’s name is Mary (Mark 15:40) and he has a brother named Joseph (Matthew 27:56).  Except for a few details about his family, there is nothing more mentioned about him in Scripture. Maybe this is why he is referred to as James the Less. What is important to remember is although James was somewhat in the background, he was chosen by Jesus to be one of the twelve disciples. He was trained and used by Christ in a powerful way to further The Kingdom of God. He was a valuable team member. Tradition says he was crucified in Sinai or possibly stoned to death in Jerusalem.

So, once again, let me challenge you to upon these three hand-picked Apostles, and consider what we can learn from them to apply to our lives.