From human angle, not many of us will give an offer in our organisation to several of Jesus’ disciples. Who would like to employ someone who does not believe in the vision of the CEO? That’s who Thomas was; he doubted the Master several times. Who would like to employ self-seeking personalities? That describes the two sons of Zebedee and they made Jesus’ team. How about the cantankerous Peter? He not only made the list but was given the responsibility to lead the early revival in the Book of Acts of the Apostles.

Only God can pick wrecks like us and re-write the stories of our lives into something beautiful.

There is one more character, actually the main focus of this meditation, that would not have made it by human standards. That was Levi. His other name was Matthew, which means the “Gift of the Lord”. When Jesus met him, he was sitting at the custom’s desk as an official of Rome. He belonged to a group of people most hated – the tax collectors. They had no reputation among the people because of their extortionist tendencies. How did he wound up on the list of Jesus’ disciples? Jesus must have seen something in him that no one else saw. The gift of God was at a wrong place, doing the wrong job. Jesus provided a mid-course correction and etched his name in history. He went on to write the book of Matthew. Only God can pick wrecks like us and re-write the stories of our lives into something beautiful.