What were the ages of Jesus’ disciples when they were chosen? Why didn’t Jesus choose any woman disciples?

Jesus’ twelve Apostles were all different ages when they were chosen, and we don’t really know the age of any of them. We can infer from some of the times of their deaths that none of them could have been too much older than middle-aged. Most of the disciples worked a trade (fishing, tax collecting) before they met Jesus. Not to mention that following Jesus during his earthly ministry was a pretty intense lifestyle: tons of walking, long days of preaching and ministering, and so on. Some Apostles were even married (such as St. Peter). However, some of them may have been younger men too. St. John was most likely a teenager, perhaps the youngest of all of them–he lived for a very long time after the Ascension, dying close to the year 100 AD! For the most part, though, they were probably young to middle-aged men.

Now let’s look at the second question. Some people may interpret Jesus’ decision to not choose any women among the twelve Apostles as a statement against women–but this is not the case at all. Jesus did not choose any women to be among the twelve Apostles, but he did call both men and women to follow him. The Gospels also mention that women accompanied Jesus and the Apostles on their journeys:

“Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources” (Luke 8:1-3).

Luke’s Gospel pays special attention to the important role of women in salvation history and in the Christian community. His Gospel is where our stories of Mary (the Mother of God), Elizabeth, and his visit to Martha and Mary come from. In general, Luke’s Gospel pays more attention to people who were ignored or seen as the “outcasts” of society in his time, especially Gentiles, women, and the poor.

From this example, we can see that early Christianity was in something of a crossroads between the ways of the world and the ways of God. Jesus treated men and women with equal dignity, and glorified women in unique ways. He could have come into the world any way he wanted, but he chose to be born of a woman–specifically, a virgin. Jesus visited the homes of women and wanted them to sit as his feet and learn from him (something nearly unheard of in his day). Mary Magdalene was the disciple who saw the Risen Christ and told the Apostles; for this reason, she is given the special honor of being called the Apostola Apostolorum, the “Apostle to the Apostles,” and her feast day is now classified as a feast of an apostle (a rare honor only shared by a few others outside of the twelve Apostles, like Paul and Barnabas). In the early Church, women were leaders in certain Christian communities (though not as ordained ministers), like Priscilla together with her husband Aquila in the Acts of the Apostles, or the “chosen Lady” to whom the Second Letter of John is addressed. And over the centuries, Jesus has shown a special spiritual intimacy with virgins and consecrated women, whom he loves dearly.

It is hopefully clear from these examples that Jesus rejoiced in the beauty of womanhood and glorified it in unique ways. These ways were not always understood or accepted by the people of his time, but over the centuries society has gradually come to understand what Jesus always knew and intended: the co-equal and unique dignity of man and woman.

Jesus also showed the dignity of men in unique ways. One of these ways was by bestowing the priesthood. Jesus’ priesthood is tied to his identity as a man: it is a spiritual fatherhood, and thus deeply united to his masculinity. The Church is called the Bride of Christ, and Jesus is the Bridegroom; those who are ordained through Holy Orders are entering into this identity of Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church. Jesus chose the twelve Apostles to be his first priests (specifically, his first bishops, who are the high priests). This is not because of any lesser dignity or worthiness of women, nor is it because women are incapable (if anyone was worthy of such an honor, it was definitely the Virgin Mary!). However, Jesus wanted to express his priesthood in a particular way for the Church, and this required something unique to masculinity. It is true that the priesthood is a position of authority, but that authority is meant to be given in service to the Bride, not wielded like a weapon or exploited for power over others.

Society has made life hard for women in many ways over the course of history. Men have historically held positions of power and that power has been abused countless times over women. As a man, I know I still have much to learn about seeing things from the perspective of women. Jesus’ example gives me encouragement, though. He raised men and women alike to a supernatural dignity and glorified both sexes in unique ways. Jesus glorified the role of spiritual fatherhood through the priesthood; perhaps we can reflect more on the ways he has glorified the role of spiritual motherhood in different ways. Jesus desires us to learn from each other and help each other, not lord over others or break them down.