When Jesus began his ministry, he selected fishermen and a tax collector to assist, learn, and ultimately help build a church. You might think that he would have been motivated to select accomplished individuals of some stature in order to fulfill his mission as surely they would have helped spread the word far and wide much more effectively than… you know… common fishermen. He chose laborers, poor, hard working individuals who probably smelled of fish and whose fingernails were perpetually filled with grime and oil.

Why them?

Had it been me, I would have gone straight to the Roman senators, religious leaders, and military officers. Just imagine what could have been accomplished had Jesus persuaded them, dazzled them with miracles, and enlisted their support. Just imagine…

But he didn’t.

He chose common men with dirty fingernails. And a despised tax collector.

But why?

Who does Jesus call?

Who does he rely upon?

What does he value?