Have you ever stopped to marvel at the type of people that Jesus loves?  I’m always encouraged by looking at the disciples, the twelve men chosen by Jesus that traveled with Him throughout His ministry?

In Jewish culture during the time, many boys would begin their life with the hope of becoming a great Rabbi.  Many boys would have memorized the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) by the time they were twelve.  If they showed great promise, they might be allowed to study under a Rabbi.  If not, then they would continue on with another profession.  Such was the case with each of the twelve disciples, yet Jesus, goes out, and calls each one to himself.  To understand Jewish culture here, it would be someone who always desired to play baseball, but didn’t get chosen to play for a college team.  Then, the manager of the yankees (insert your baseball team of choice) asking you to play on their team.  Jesus came, to give these men a new identity; undeserved, their identity had to be given to them.

These were not the intellectual elite of their day.  These were not theologians, debating intracacies of theology and the law amongst each other in the temple.  These were simple men.  In the case of Matthew, the tax collector, his profession was literally the most despised position among the jews.  Given the jews were under roman rule, a jew that would become a tax collector, taking money from his own people to give to Rome, was considered a traitor.  These were the men chosen by Jesus.

Let’s look at how Jesus approached another man, the chief tax collector of Jericho:

Luke 19:1-10 – “He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. ⁴So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

My friends, we are all chief tax collectors, but the Son of Man has come for each of us.  He is salvation.  He is a son of Abraham, not merely physically, but a son of Abraham as Isaac was (Rom 9), meaning he is a son of the promise of God.  Be encouraged, as you walk with God as a Christian, that Jesus did not call you because of your ability, but because you were lost.  He loves you not as a good person caring about another, but as a father to his child, willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING for their good, even His own life.

I honestly believe there is something sacred about the Gospels, even within the Bible.  To see the person of God in Jesus Christ, is an encouragement to me like no other.  This is why I try to read some from the gospels every day.  My encouragement is for you to take some time today to look at the men Jesus loved.  Look in the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, at how He responds to those who come to Him in weakness.  Draw strength from knowing that as a believer, that same Jesus you see in the gospels, dwells in you, loves you, and waits for you.

Grace and Peace,
Adam