The Witness: On Not Being Chosen

On Not Being Chosen
By Karen A. Keely
Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Lectionary Reflections for the Seventh Sunday of Easter (B)

Readings for Easter 7B, May 28, 2006

Acts 1: 15-17, 21-26
Psalm 1
1 John 5:9-13
John 17:6-19

In today's reading from Acts, Matthias rather than Justus is chosen as an apostle of Jesus. And neither one is ever heard from again.

But let's back up. Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus of Nazareth had resulted in only eleven apostles left to serve the Lord, and Peter is convinced that another is necessary to continue Jesus' calling of the Twelve to serve as a symbol of the twelve tribes of Israel, signaling Jesus' mission of calling forth a reinvigorated and radically inclusive people of Israel. And indeed, the Twelve don't seem to do much more than serve as a symbol. There are others sent out, as these Twelve are, as apostles, and the Twelve are mentioned only once in the rest of Acts. They are not mentioned, for example, in Acts 15, when one might expect the Twelve to resurface as a governing council. But they're not a governing council, and so they don't appear much even in contexts approaching church governance. According to Peter's definition, the job calls for a man -- and the word does specifically mean "man," not "person" -- who has "accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us" (Acts 1: 21-22). These criteria exclude many of the male believers gathered as well as Jesus' mother Mary and the other women, who are in the upstairs room praying with what's left of the Twelve after Jesus' ascension, earlier in the first chapter of Acts.

The Twelve don't seem to do much more than serve as a symbol.

So the one hundred and twenty gathered "believers" (according to the NRSV -- the Greek says "sisters and brothers") choose two men who fit Peter's definition: "Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias" (1: 23). The community then prays together, asking God to show them which of these men is God's chosen to be the new apostle. Having prayed, they cast lots to find out God's answer (an old tradition of discernment, seen for example in Proverbs 16: 33). The answer is definitively Matthias, who becomes the Twelfth. Justus retains his former position among Jesus' followers.

Neither Matthias nor Justus is mentioned by name at any other point in the New Testament, but we can presume some of their later experiences.

Not chosen as one of the Twelve, not chosen as a deacon, what is the spiritual work of an ordinary believer such as Justus?

Later, in Acts 6, the Twelve -- including Matthias -- decide that they need to devote themselves more fully to prayer and to "serving the word" and thus choose additional disciples ("seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom") to "wait on tables" (that is, making sure that people were fed, the origin of our concept of deacons [Acts 6: 4]). We can assume from this description that Matthias thus occupies himself with prayer and serving the Lord's word, a worthy and Spirit-filled occupation.

Once again, Justus is not one of those chosen and thus presumably continues in his work as a believer, a disciple without a specific church office. And what is such a believer to do? Not chosen as one of the Twelve, not chosen as a deacon, what is the spiritual work of an ordinary believer such as Justus?

Matthias and Justus have different titles, but they participate in one mission: God's mission.

For answers we can turn to the texts that Justus would have known as scripture. This week's psalm, for example, recommends avoiding the counsel of the wicked and delighting in the law of the Lord; indeed, believers are to go so far as to "meditate on his law day and night" (Psalm 1: 2). And presumably Justus, having known Jesus from the beginning of his ministry, is one of those "constantly devoting themselves to prayer" with other believers, both men and women, in the upper room in Jerusalem after the ascension (Acts 1: 12).

So apparently a believer -- such as Justus -- who is neither one of the Twelve nor a deacon but simply an ordinary disciple should devote himself constantly to praying and to meditating on God's law. Meanwhile, one of the Twelve -- such Matthias -- should devote himself "to prayer and to serving the word" (Acts 6: 4).

We are sent because we are Christ's Body, and Christ was sent.

And what exactly is the difference? Matthias was chosen -- by casting lots and thus apparently by God's will -- to be one of the Twelve, while Justus remains a disciple who is not chosen for that role -- but the evidence of this week's scriptures is that they are given exactly the same work to do in the world. They have different titles, but they participate in one mission: God's mission.

Perhaps that shouldn't surprise us. After all, Jesus prays to God, "as you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18). We are sent because we are Christ's Body, and Christ was sent. That's something to remember when we encounter those who believe that God's work in the world is about labels to separate those who matter and those who don't, those whose ministry is needed and those whose gifts we can do without. Jesus' prayer in this Sunday's gospel, the psalmist's song of those who delight in God's word, and the example of the early church in Acts are there to reassure us that all of us -- regardless of our label or our profession -- are called to join in Christ's mission in the world. Hallelujah!

Karen A. Keely is an English professor currently working on a book of literary criticism and is a member of Memorial Episcopal church in Baltimore. She is called to be a layperson, and can be reached at karen@twodames.net.