Word to the Wise
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - May 14 - St. Matthias, Apostle
[Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 and John 15:9-17]"You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place." Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles. [Acts]
Poor Matthias! Picked by throwing dice (or some such thing) and "counted with the Eleven Apostles," he promptly disappears from view, even if he may have been present where Luke (author of Acts) mentions the apostles acting on something. However, there are some important elements in this story!
Why was it important to "reconstitute" the "Twelve?" The best information I have says that this number is related to the Twelve tribes of Israel and Jesus' promise that the apostles would "judge" the twelve tribes of Israel in the coming kingdom [Luke 22:29]. This would take place in the Pentecost event which follows in the Acts of the Apostles. After this, the "Twelve" disappears as an important element since successors were being appointed and in our day there are well over 2,000 "successors of the apostles!"
There is also the issue of Judas. Luke shows that even a close follower of Jesus can fall away and betray the Lord. The name, "Judas," has become a terrible insult! Luke further shows that God will providentially take care of the church and provide a successor, even if it is done by dice and not, as we moderns love, by vote! [The imagination is tempted to envision a table in Rome with cardinals throwing dice over who gets recommended to be bishop!]
The Holy Spirit gets involved in so many ways in the subsequent history of Christianity! The Acts of the Apostles is our principal source of information about the earliest days. I recommend to the Beloved Congregation a complete reading of the book to see how God's providence, acting in the Holy Spirit, got things going. AMEN