Day 2

Readings and Thoughts for Monday, February 4, 2008

Acts 1:12-26 Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

The disciples, having seen Jesus raised up into heaven, return to Jerusalem as he has directed them to do. And who do we find in this group? It is not just the eleven remaining disciples, but also some women who had followed Jesus from the beginning. Mary, the mother of Jesus was there, as were his brothers. It is no accident that Luke includes these others in the gathering: their presence reminds us that the followers of Jesus form a motley, unexpected group and that women were prominent in the ministry of the Gospel from the very beginning of the church.

Peter is the first of the group to stand and speak, describing the betrayal of Judas. Luke then tells us his gruesome fate. Isn’t it interesting that Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, is telling the story of Judas, the betrayer? The church has not yet even begun, and already it has been broken by controversy from within. This reminds us that there never was any perfect Christian community, no perfect church. Whenever we are disappointed in our own church or in other Christians, it is good to remember this: the church is a body of broken people, redeemed and claimed by Christ. No one, and no church, is perfect or perfectly unified.

In Luke 22:28-30 Jesus promised the twelve: “I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Peter sees it as necessary for the eleven remaining apostles to choose a twelfth, one to replace Judas and make their number once again complete. The one chosen must be “an eye witness.” There is opportunity for people to make suggestions as to the replacement, but then they also put the matter before God through the casting of lots. Thus, the decision to appoint Matthias is both human and divine. Although we no longer cast lots for leadership, the church today continues to seek both human and divine input into choosing leaders for ministry.

In the choosing of Matthias, Luke has an opportunity to define for us exactly what he considers an “apostle.” For Luke, any followers of Jesus may be called a “disciple,” but the “apostles” are strictly those chosen for leadership (the twelve) who have been eyewitnesses from the time of Jesus’ baptism by John to the day of his ascension. Though Paul will refer to himself as “an apostle” in his letters, Luke would not consider him one because he did not accompany Jesus in his earthly ministry, but “only” encountered him after the ascension. Paul’s qualifications for ministry will be an issue at several points in his relationship to the twelve, as he describes in his letters and as we will see later in Acts.

What qualities do you look for in a political leader (say, a presidential candidate)? What qualities do you look for in a religious leader (say, a pastor)? What role does prayer play in your leadership decisions in the secular world (say, at work)?