“Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.” (Matthew 10:2–4)
Looking over the list of Jesus’
disciples, I see interesting distinctions. Jesus had an inner circle
composed of Peter, James, and John. Peter was singled out as the
disciples’ primary spokesman in the early days of the church. There
were twelve, but only Peter, John, and Matthew became writers of
Scripture. After Acts 1:13, most of the twelve you never hear of
again, at least not in Scripture. At first glance, they seem to play
nothing more than bit parts.
After Acts 1:13, Andrew’s name
disappears from the text, yet he is the one God used to announce the
coming of Messiah to Peter (John 1:40). Philip the apostle likewise
disappears, whereas a different Philip, the deacon/evangelist,
appears sixteen times from Acts 6 on. Even though Matthew writes one
of the gospels, his name also disappears from the New Testament.
After Acts 1:13, Bartholomew, Thomas,
James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot vanish into history, known
only through tradition (and there our knowledge is not completely
reliable).
That same pattern continues today. God
promotes some of His servants to the role of well-known writers (for
instance, David Powlison, or R.C. Sproul). Others are famous
preachers (John MacArthur, John Piper). But most of God’s faithful
servants you’ve never heard of and never will this side of
eternity.
God has made ten-city servants and
five-city servants (Luke 19:11-19), five-talent servants and
two-talent servants (Matt 25:14-28). When Jesus prophesied of Peter’s
future martyrdom, and Peter asks about John’s future (John
21:18-23), Jesus response is basically, my plans for him are none
of your business—you be faithful to what I have called you to do.
Are you one whom Jesus has called to
labor in obscurity? Do you sometimes look around at the apparent
success of others and wonder why you don’t see the same
fruitfulness in your own work? Do you feel sometimes as if you don’t
receive recognition for your labors, while others around you are
recognized for theirs?
Five things to keep in mind: (1) the
same pattern of recognition/obscurity can be seen in Jesus’
hand-picked disciples—it’s not just you. (2) If you know Christ
you enjoy the same redemption as do your better-known brothers and
sisters in Christ. (3) Those better-known believers sometimes suffer
from things you might know nothing of—physical ailments, family
heartaches, loss, etc—and face pressures and difficulties you might
not experience. Celebrity has its own dangers you’ll not face. (4)
God has formed you for your unique ministry—it is your
faithfulness, not your “success” that He will reward. If you
labor in obscurity it is because God has given you that path out of
His love for you. God who sees in secret will one day reward you
openly (Matt 6:4). (5) Heed the counsel God gave to Baruch,
Jeremiah’s secretary: “‘But you, are you
seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I am
going to bring disaster on all flesh,’ declares the Lord,
‘but I will give your life to you as booty in all the places where
you may go.’ ”” (Jeremiah
45:5).
Keep at it, my brothers and sisters.
God sees your heart, and it is your heart He rewards (Matt 6:33).
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1
Corinthians 15:58)
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