These men came from different walks of life, bore strikingly different personalities, and, in some cases, had reputations that would have made them unlikely candidates for leadership in any other context. Yet, Jesus chose them. And through these seemingly unremarkable men, He built His Church, one that would stand against the gates of hell itself (Matthew 16:18).
Why would our Lord bring together such a motley crew to be His apostles?
The answer lies in His divine wisdom—God delights in using the weak, the flawed, and the unexpected to accomplish His purposes.
In examining some of these men, we see the richness of God's plan and how He transforms human weakness into divine strength.
Simon the Zealot – The Revolutionary
Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15) belonged to a radical political movement that sought to overthrow Roman rule by force. Zealots were known for their fervent nationalism, their disdain for any compromise with the Roman occupiers, and their willingness to resort to violence if necessary. For someone like Simon, the idea of working alongside a tax collector like Matthew—who collaborated with Rome—would have been utterly unthinkable.
Yet, Jesus called Simon not to a mission of earthly revolution, but to a kingdom that was not of this world. Through Christ, Simon’s zeal was redirected from political rebellion to a far greater cause: the spread of the Gospel. His passion, once aimed at tearing down oppressors, was transformed into a driving force for building the Church.
Matthew the Tax Collector – The Outcast
If Simon represented Jewish resistance against Rome, Matthew (Levi) was its opposite. As a tax collector (Matthew 9:9), he worked for the Roman authorities, collecting revenue from his own people. Tax collectors were notorious for their corruption, often extorting more than what was required and lining their own pockets with the excess. They were despised as traitors and sinners, excluded from religious life.
Yet, Jesus saw something in Matthew that others did not. He called him, not with condemnation, but with love: "Follow me." And Matthew left everything behind—his lucrative career, his wealth, and his status—to follow Christ. His Gospel, the first in the New Testament, would later proclaim the very mercy he had received from Jesus. In Matthew, we see that no sinner is beyond redemption, and that God can take even the most despised and use them for His glory.
Thomas the Doubter – The Skeptic
Thomas is most famous for his moment of doubt following the resurrection. When the other disciples told him they had seen the risen Lord, he refused to believe:
"Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." (John 20:25)
Yet, when Jesus appeared to him, inviting him to touch His wounds, Thomas immediately exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). His doubt had turned into one of the clearest confessions of Christ’s divinity in all of Scripture.
Thomas represents all those who struggle with faith, who wrestle with questions and uncertainties. Yet, Jesus did not reject him for his doubts; rather, He met Thomas where he was and led him to faith. This same Thomas would later travel as far as India to proclaim the Gospel, showing that God can turn even the most hesitant believers into fearless witnesses.
Peter the Temperamental Hothead – The Impulsive Leader
No apostle is as vividly portrayed in the Gospels as Peter. He was passionate and bold but also impulsive and prone to failure. One moment he was walking on water towards Jesus (Matthew 14:29), the next he was sinking in fear. He was the first to confess Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 16:16), yet shortly after, he tried to rebuke Jesus and was told, "Get behind me, Satan!" (Matthew 16:23). And of course, on the night of Jesus' arrest, Peter—who had sworn he would never forsake Christ—denied Him three times (Luke 22:61).
Yet, despite his many failings, Peter was chosen to be the leader of the apostles. Jesus saw in him not just his weakness but his potential. After the resurrection, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to redeem himself, asking him three times, "Do you love me?" (John 21:15-17) before commissioning him to feed His sheep. Peter would go on to become the first pope, the rock upon which Christ built His Church, proving that God’s grace can transform even the most flawed individuals into mighty instruments for His kingdom.
James and John – The Sons of Thunder
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, earned the nickname "Boanerges," meaning "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17). They were ambitious and fiery, once asking Jesus for the places of honour in His kingdom (Mark 10:35-37). On another occasion, they wanted to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village that refused to welcome Jesus (Luke 9:54).
Yet, Jesus patiently worked with them, refining their zeal into something greater. John, in particular, became known as the "apostle of love," writing extensively about love in his Gospel and letters. His transformation from a fiery young man to a gentle, loving shepherd of souls shows how God shapes and moulds those He calls.
Judas Iscariot – The Betrayer
Even Judas Iscariot had a role in Jesus’ ministry, though he ultimately chose the path of betrayal. His presence among the Twelve reminds us of the reality of free will—God calls us, but we must respond. Judas’ tragic fall is a cautionary tale, showing that proximity to Christ is not enough; we must truly surrender to Him.
Why This Motley Crew?
The diversity among the apostles is striking. Jesus did not choose scholars, priests, or rulers. He chose fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, and ordinary men with a variety of temperaments. Why?
To Show the Power of Grace – God delights in using the weak to confound the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). These men were flawed, yet through Christ, they were transformed.
To Represent the Whole of Humanity – The apostles came from different backgrounds, just as the Church would later embrace people from every nation.
To Teach Us That Every Calling is Unique – Some apostles led the Church, some wrote Scripture, some travelled far to spread the Gospel. Each had a unique role, just as we do in God’s plan.
To Reveal Christ’s Patience and Love – Jesus did not discard His apostles when they failed. He corrected, forgave, and empowered them, showing us that His mercy is greater than our failings.
Jesus did not gather a polished, perfect group of men; He gathered the broken, the impulsive, the doubtful, and the despised - and He changed the world through them.
Their lives remind us that God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called.
Just as He chose them, He chooses us, in all our weakness, to be His witnesses today.
The question is: will we answer His call?
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, we come before thee with grateful and wondering hearts as we reflect upon the choice thy Son made in calling His Apostles. He did not choose the powerful, the perfect, or the most polished of men, but rather those who were ordinary, often weak, and at times confused, yet willing to follow Him.
Mary, thou who knewest better than any other the humility of God made man, help us to understand that His ways are not our ways. Teach us to see that He delights in calling the simple, forming the imperfect, and transforming the willing into instruments of His grace.
Our Lady of Lourdes, intercede for us in our daily lives. When we feel unworthy of God’s call, remind us that He calls not the qualified, but qualifies those He calls. When we become discouraged by our weaknesses, strengthen us with the knowledge that thy Son worked through fragile vessels to reveal His power. When we compare ourselves to others, help us to rest in the unique path God has chosen for each of us.
Mother of Lourdes, teach us to see ourselves and others with mercy. Just as Jesus formed His Apostles patiently, correcting them, guiding them, and loving them through their failures, help us to trust in His patient work within our own souls. May we never despise our weaknesses, but instead bring them before Him so that He may transform them by His grace.
Pray for us when we doubt our place in God’s plan. Pray for us when we feel too ordinary to serve Him. Pray for us when we struggle to believe that He can use even our brokenness for good. Obtain for us the grace to follow Him faithfully, even when we do not fully understand the path ahead.
Help us to remember that the Apostles themselves grew slowly in faith, often misunderstanding, often falling, yet ultimately being transformed by love and the Holy Spirit. May we, too, allow ourselves to be formed by Christ rather than discouraged by our imperfections.
We entrust to thy maternal care all who read this blog post, all who feel unworthy of God’s call, and all who struggle to believe that they have a place in His Church. Through thy loving intercession, may we find courage to say “yes” to Christ each day, trusting that He can do great things through even the smallest offering of our lives.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Seat of Wisdom, Comforter of the Afflicted, Refuge of Sinners, and Mother of Divine Grace, accompany us throughout our daily lives and lead us ever closer to thy Son.
May we never forget that it is not perfection that Christ seeks, but willing hearts open to His transforming love.
Amen.
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