The Disciples. Wizened Old Men Or Young Whippersnappers?

Often when we think about Christ’s disciples we picture the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. All the disciples in that painting are older and bearded. However, there is a theory that many of the disciples where young men, maybe in their teens. In those days boys as young as 15 could study under a Rabbi. The only disciples that seem to be older were Peter, who had a mother-in-law, and Matthew who was a tax collector. In Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus sends Peter to catch a fish and in its mouth was enough money to pay the tax for Himself and Peter. Most hold that men had to pay the tax if they were over 20. This seems to imply that only Jesus and Peter where over 20, the rest of the disciples may have been younger.

If we readjust our perspective we come to see the followers of Jesus as a bunch of very young men. When Jesus sent out the disciples in Matthew 10 to heal and tell of the coming Kingdom, He was not sending out respectable old men, but humble students. Christ did not look for those who had a lot of education, he did not look for those with lots of experience. Jesus looked for those with a willingness to work and be teachable. These young men probably felt honored to be called by a Rabbi to be his students. These young men would go on to carry the Good News and help change the world forever.

Whenever you feel like you might not have enough knowledge or might not have enough experience remember the disciples. Jesus is not looking for those who seem wise and experienced. He is looking for those who desire to learn, desire to serve, desire to be students at His feet. Christ calls us to be His disciples, don’t worry about anything, drop your fishing net and follow.