Why did Jesus select twelve men as His inner circle of disciples?
Many today would suggest it’s because the Bible is antiquated, outdated, and full of sexism and anti-female rhetoric.
The correct answer is that Jesus, Creator, and Sustainer of all (Heb 1:3), knew full well that men have the greatest impact-potential on families. Where men go, families, communities, and nations soon follow.
Because of Adam’s apathy and failure in Eden, sin entered the world (Rom 5:12). Therefore God promised Eve (mother of the living), that her desire would be for her husband (Gen 3:16). This isn’t a sexual thing, it’s a power/control thing that often surfaces out of simple necessity.
In the vacuum of strong, courageous, bold, confident, passionate, godly men obedient and abandon unto Yahweh... God foretold that women would be the leaders of their families as men constantly strive, struggle, worry and are utterly consumed with insecurities about ever being good enough, man-enough.
In the book of Judges God raised up Deborah. Why? Men were busy measuring their manhood with their accumulation of toys, by the length of their beards, the number of trophies mounted on the walls, and their sexual conquests. Impressive to other little boys? Yes. Impressive to God? Not in the least.
That’s why God told Adam the gardens men would build apart from God would only ever “produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat... by the sweat of your brow.” The sweat of Adam's brow wasn't from gardening or physical exertion, but the sweat of worry, anxiety, competition, unrest, and inner turmoil. God was graciously telling Adam, telling all men, that pursuing anything other than God would be a self-defeating and self-destructive endeavor with tragicly fatal consequences.
The remedy?
Men, like Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Paul, men after God’s own heart! Men abandon unto Christ come what may! “Your will be done!”
Revelation 21:8 tells us we can be courageous unto everlasting life or cowards unto eternal torment. “But cowards... their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Casting Crowns' song, COURAGEOUS nails it:
We were warriors on the front lines standing unafraid.
But now we're watchers on the sidelines while our families slip away.
Where are you, men of courage? You were made for so much more
Let the pounding of our hearts cry:
WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!
We were made to be courageous!*
Will you be a truly courageous man after God's own heart? A man of simple, literal, immediate, and complete obedience to the Word of God? Will you be a man who walks by faith - not by sight? Will you be a man who takes his God-ordained place as the leader of his family or defer? A frontline servant in the local church or defer? Will you be a courageous man or someone who blames the government, the politicians, pastors, and the church? Blaming everyone else while standing on the sidelines?
Blessings!
Kevin M. Kelley
Pastor, PBC
*lyrics from Casting Crowns' song, Courageous
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