Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’” vss. 24-25
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Judas had been one of the disciples and later was commissioned by Jesus as one of the twelve apostles. During Jesus’ ministry these Twelve were sent to towns and villages as missionaries, bringing the good news in the same way as Jesus had been doing. Since the number twelve was significant for the Jews, when Judas betrayed Jesus and later died, the community of believers made it their first order of business to find a replacement. Two of their company met the requirements–they had been disciples from the beginning–but Peter wanted the Lord to make the choice. So they cast lots! There was no interview, no references were sought–essentially they flipped a coin, and Matthias got the Lord’s vote. At that point the ruling circle was again complete and the faith community could go on with its mission. Interestingly, Matthias is never again mentioned in the New Testament, though tradition indicates that he preached in Judea and was stoned to death by the Jews. Later on Paul taught that others too could be called as apostles and given special missionary responsibilities. In fact, any of us who feel a call to proclaim the good news of Christ to others can be thought of as an apostle–and we certainly need more than twelve.
Thought for the Day: What is my special call?
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