seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Mark 3:13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Well, boys and girls.... here's the complete list of the twelve disciples. Now I got a little confused about John. I couldn't recognize him in the crowd. What I mean is, I always thought there had to be two disciples named John. I never got it that John, the best friend of Jesus, was one of the Zebedee boys. No wonder their mom talked about them sitting at His right hand. Her boys, along with Peter, had been with Him the longest.
James son of Alphaeus was called James the lesser. We learned that just a few days ago. The reason? Well because James the son of Zebedee was there first. James son of Alphaeus came later so he was known as the "lesser". I guess in these days he would have been James Jr.
The one who has always intrigued me is Simon the Zealot. Zealots were a political group. These were Jewish men who really resented the Roman occupation. The Zealots tried to run Rome out of Jerusalem back in 66AD. They failed then, but in 70AD they tried again, and they were successful. Simon was one of the Zealots, who cherished the Jewish traditions, and yet he became a disciple of Jesus the Messiah who just ignored the "Sabbath" traditions when humans need a hand.
While I was looking up the "sons of thunder" I saw a remark I want to share. "Jesus never did anything without reason." Why did Jesus choose a Roman Tax Man and a Jewish Zealot in the same small group? Why didn't the Sunday School books just drift over these men? We all know the wife of Zebedee campaigned for her boys, and we were taught not to beg to be big shots. Why weren't we taught the Roman Tax Collector and the Jewish Zealot were also part of the twelve?
Why not teach the political representation? Jesus was very, very angry when He found out that Herod beheaded John the Baptist. Why don't they teach this in Sunday School? Is that how Jesus happened to choose the Zealot and the tax collector to join Him?
Non-political Jewish Zealots and Roman Tax Collectors?
