What did the twelve disciples who Jesus called have in common? Mostly they had faith in common. There were two sets of brothers – Peter and Andrew then James and John. That could not have been easy. How do you get along with your siblings? Did they look alike and sound alike? Did they argue? We know Peter was a bossy and passionate loud mouth who spoke before he thought. Were James and John momma’s boys? We know that Mom was present on one occasion to meddle. Matthew wrote a great and detailed account of his time with Jesus but was a turncoat tax collector. Good at accounting, only Matthew records the details of The Sermon on the Mount. Bartholomew, sometimes called Nathanael, is more mysterious. Thomas liked to see proof and we all know the outcome of Judas Iscariot. Judas or Thaddaeus is quoted at the last supper. What I had not considered until today as I read a devotional, called Our Daily Bread, is that Matthew, the tax collector, and Simon the Zealot were polar opposites. One had been a crook and the other hated crooks. Just how did Jesus put this power team together? Everything was created through Jesus. He is still over time. He knew these men before they were born and knew Judas Iscariot would betray him. There is something in this gathering of twelve that took three years of living together to congeal. Jesus was plotting to take over the world and took planning very seriously. Anything so important takes the formation of trust. Take your time today. Be like Jesus and see the strength in others and what they are capable of.