The men that Jesus chose to be with Him were unlettered, uncultured, unknown; men of widely different interests fishermen, tax-gatherer, dangerous revolutionary . . . gradually their former loyalties and ambitions would die away before their common hope, and side by side they went forward bringing to men the good news of a Kingdom which would usher in blessings infinitely greater than could ever be achieved by the might of Rome, and would surpass in glory and extent the palmiest days of Israel’s history.
It is difficult to see how Jesus could have chosen from any other than the poor and insignificant class in Galilee. Those whom he called were representative of those to whom He had come. . . . It was the poor who heard Him gladly and followed Him where ever He went. It was altogether fitting that the Great Physician should choose as His students men who had recognized their need of Him, and had complete confidence in His healing touch—men who had in effect echoed the words of their spokesman, -Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord”.
They were simple truly, but it was the humble simplicity which is the beginning of true wisdom and Jesus rejoiced in them because they were able to receive the message of heaven which was hidden from the wise and prudent. . . . Their minds may have been uninformed in many things, but their hearts were warm and so their love deepened their knowledge, and wisdom grew apace.
There is great comfort for us in our contemplation of this choice that Jesus made. . . . The qualifications for discipleship remain even in this age of universal knowledge, and it is probably true that there has never been a time when concentrated learning for its own sake can do so much to impede the childlike faith and the receptive heart which is the threshold every disciple must cross. It is still the poor of this world, rich in faith, whom God has chosen to be the heirs of the Kingdom.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One