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“Who is blind as the one rewarded, or blind as the servant of Jehovah?”

– Isaiah 42:19 –

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Just imagine the wonderful privilege that the apostles had of personally associating with Jesus on a daily basis; traveling with him; being with him on social occasions and listening to him masterfully silence the Pharisees and other critics. What an honor to be able to ask Jesus any question that they might have on their mind and he would answer! 

When Jesus gave the most inspiring sermon ever given—the Sermon on the Mount—they were there.

They were on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus roused himself from sleep in the storm-tossed little fishing boat, and when he, with a mere word, instantly calmed the tempestuous wind and waves! .

When Jesus’ very word would make the demons shiver in fright; open the ears of the deaf; give sight to the blind, and even wake the dead from their slumber, the apostles were at his side. They were eyewitnesses to so many amazing things that Christ said and did that John was later moved to write that he supposed that all the books in the world could not contain the detailed account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ! 

However, in spite of having Jesus as their personal tutor, the modern reader of the gospel accounts cannot help but be struck by how unenlightened the apostles seemed to be at times. While they had the privilege of speaking directly with Jesus, he also frequently rebuked them. Take, for example, the fact that Jesus plainly spoke to the apostles on numerous occasions about his impending death and resurrection, yet for some reason they simply could not grasp what he was telling them. 

In the 16th chapte