On choosing, being chosen

"The important thing is not whether you believe in Santa Claus, but whether Santa Claus believes in you."

that's a bad joke i like to tell at Christmas time (obviously), but there's a ring of truth to it. and we'll get to that. but first, a history lesson:

First century jews went to school to learn the Torah. they had it memorized by the age of 10. after that, most went and learned their father's trade. but the apt pupils, the exceptional ones, went on and learned the rest of the Old Testament, Jewish Books of Law, up to Malachi, memorizing that by the age of 15. after that, most went and learned their father's trade. but the exceptional students, the ones who showed great aptitude for the Law, they left everything and sought a Rabbi, a great teacher, who they would follow, and learn from, and essentially, try to become.
when a young man found a rabbi, he'd ask the Rabbi to accept him as a disciple. the Rabbi would then grill (i meant GRILL) the young man on the books of the Law, and interpretations of those Laws, and so on and so forth. pretty grueling questioning, really. and only if this young student passed the Rabbi's exam with flying colours would that Rabbi accept the boy as a disciple. if not, the boy was told to resume plying his father's trade.
Rabbi's DID NOT ask to be followed. they never sought out a child, the child ALWAYS sought them.
Rabbi's were the most respected, most revered, most honoured men in town. you listened when a Rabbi spoke. always.

so when Jesus came over the hill and saw Peter and Andrew fishing, and called them, it was outrageous.
they threw down their nets and followed.
they were just asked by a Rabbi to follow. how fortunate they were, how honoured, how flattered, how flabbergasted.
then Jesus called James and John to follow Him. scandalous! 
they jumped out of the boat, leaving their father and the hired hands, and followed Him.
then Jesus called Levi, a tax collecter. crazy.

i'll stop there.
first off.... did you catch the Santa Claus reference?
Jesus believed in those men, that's why He called them.
crazy.
and He believes in you. 
but more on that later.
secondly, He called men of differing wealth.
look at Peter and Andrew. standing on the banks, casting a net into the water. they didn't have much money. they were doing everything by hand, the hardest way it could be done. ouch.
then, James and John. they had hired hands, and their father in the boat.
since their father was with them, they must have been young. 15, 20, maybe.
and hired hands? how good was their business that they could afford servants, employees? pretty good.
and Levi (also known as Matthew). a tax collector. and tax collectors were known for being rather well off. in fact, Matthew was a tax collector on the beach. which meant in a town who's main export was fish, and most everything was sent to them by water, whichever tax collector was on the beach, would be rather well off. that'd be Matt.
and that's only 5 disciples. crazy.
now on calling... or being chosen, rather...
a young man was once questioning a great Rabbi named Zusya on who was the greatest of the Biblical heroes, which one to model one's life after.
Zusya replied: "In the coming world they will not ask me: 'Why were you not Moses?' They will ask me: "Why were you not Zusya?'"
or to put differently, why spend time trying to be someone we're not, when who we are is so much greater. or great in a different way, i should say.
to speak lightly, our names will one day be in the same book as those of Moses and Paul and John.
what an honour. i cannot fathom it.
conversely, the names of Moses and Paul and John will one day be in the same book as ours.
what an honour for them.
we're all destined for great things, but all different things. 
it does us no good to yearn for someone else's destiny, and thus deny our own.
things to do, lives to save, greatness to attain to.
all because Someone Up There believes in you.
crazy.