The Seventh Sunday of Easter – Sunday after the Ascension, 24 May 2009

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Acts 1:15-17, 21-26, I John 5:9-13, John 17:6-19
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, West Valley City, UT

I love the book of Acts. This wonderful second volume by St. Luke to his Gospel gives us so many hints, clues, and descriptions of life in the primitive church; the church as it was trying to figure out how to be church, a community of the faithful.

To understand just what this particular passage is about we need to go back a few pages, to the beginning of Acts of the Apostles. We have Luke’s account of the Ascension when a “cloud took [Jesus] away from their sight.” Then two men in white clothing, not unlike what happened at the tomb on Easter morning, say to them: “Men of Galilee! Why do you stand looking into heaven?” In other words, stop looking at the past, get on with your life and ministry now.

So they return to Jerusalem, to the upper room. It is not just the eleven apostles, it is a whole group of people. Luke writes, “…they continued in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” Another source even lists “children” in the grouping. This is the nucleus of what will be the Christian church and they are all gathered in prayer waiting what was promised them, the gift of the Holy Spirit. Missing from our reading today is Peter’s rather rambling account of what happened to Judas, his betrayal, treachery and death. It is because of Judas that another person must be named as one of the twelve.

The number twelve is very symbolic in scripture: twelve Tribes of Israel, twelve disciples/apostles. We even have it echoed in Peter speaking to 120 people. Twelve represents the completeness of Israel and for the early church, the “new Israel.” This represented the Israel that God would restore. As theologian Timothy Luke Johnson notes, “When others of the Twelve died, there would be no need to replace them. Why? Because once the Twelve had definitively been constituted at the heart of the people and the Spirit bestowed, the faithful Israel would have come into existence, and the promise of God would have reached fulfillment.” This is why Judas had to be replaced before Pentecost, because the integrity of the apostolic circle of Twelve symbolized the restoration of God’s people, (The Acts of the Apostles, Sacra Pagina).

So two men are chosen according to the criteria set by the eleven: they must have been with them from the baptism of John until the Ascension. This person must be part of the original group of disciples. Two men meet this rigid criteria, Joseph called Barsabbas, also known as Justus and Matthias. The eleven cast lots, and the lots fall to Matthias.

The circle of twelve is now complete to await the coming of the Holy Spirit next week at Pentecost, when everyone, men and women will receive the gifts of the Spirit to do the work of ministry in the world. The Israel of old will have been reconstituted into the new Israel of the church, the followers of Jesus.

So, what of these two men? We have a record of one Barsabbas who is sent with Paul and Barnabas to the church in Antioch. So if this is the same person, he continued in his ministry of evangelism and mission.

As for Matthias, the one chosen to replace Judas, we have no other word in Scripture. He is chosen and disappears from our canonical record. We do, however, have two traditions of him. In one he preaches in Judea and then moves to Ethiopia where he is martyred. In the other tradition he stays in Judea where he is stoned and then beheaded. We have scant legends of this man and no record of his continued ministry for Christ.

Nevertheless, I believe these men deserve our full and complete attention for in a real way they represents us. They are the faithful who are known maybe by name, yet remembered for ministry. For me they represent the bulk of Christian men and women: those faithful people, who do their ministry, serve others, serve the church, serve the world and move on in their life. They are not remembered with a plaque on a stained glass window or have the parish hall named after them. They are the ones, like you and I, who work for the Gospel of Christ in our generation, will maybe be remembered for a season and then not at all.

St. Matthias is for me the patron saint for you, faithful Christian men and women who do their ministry quietly, faithfully, lovingly with no thought of reward or honor. They do it for their love of God, love of Jesus and love of those whom they serve.

So, thank you…all of you…the St. Matthias of our day. Without you the church could not exist. So many would not be served and so many would never hear the good news of Jesus. Thank you on behalf of St. Matthias, the quiet one.