Acts 1: 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus. … 21 Therefore it is necessary to select one of the men who have accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, from John’s baptism until the day Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
23 So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen 25 to assume this ministry and apostleship, which Judas abandoned to go to his rightful place.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Poor Peter! Nearly 2000 years later and people are still taking pot shots at him! Why did Peter approve of casting lots? Wasn’t he advocating gambling? Why did Peter decide that now was the time to replace Judas? Was Peter wrong and was Paul the one who should have replaced Judas? The arguments go on and on.
First, let’s look at the matter of casting lots. In that day and age, casting lots was an approved method of arriving at a decision, with the stated implication that God was the one who was in control and that God could give a perfect answer. At no time were the disciples less than reverent about this procedure; on the other hand, this is also the last mention of casting lots as a means of arriving at a decision among the disciples. Shortly after this, the Holy Spirit descended, and there was no more need for casting lots.
Now, what about Matthias? For information, let’s check the Encyclopedia Britannica, which states: “Jesus’ choice of 12 Apostles points to a consciousness of a symbolic mission—originally there were 12 tribes of Israel—that the community maintained after the Crucifixion. Acts reveals that Matthias accompanied Jesus and the Apostles from the time of the Lord’s Baptism to his Ascension and that, when it became time to replace Judas, the Apostles cast lots between Matthias and another candidate, St. Joseph Barsabbas. St. Jerome and the early Christian writers Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea attest that Matthias was among the 72 disciples paired off and dispatched by Jesus. Soon after his election, Matthias received the Holy Spirit with the other Apostles (Acts 2:1–4). He is not mentioned again in the New Testament.
It is generally believed that Matthias ministered in Judaea and then carried out missions to foreign places. Greek tradition states that he Christianized Cappadocia, a mountainous district now in central Turkey, later journeying to the region about the Caspian Sea, where he was martyred by crucifixion and, according to other legends, chopped apart. His symbol, related to his alleged martyrdom, is either a cross or a halberd. St. Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, reputedly transported Matthias’ relics from Jerusalem to Rome.”
There is nothing to indicate that Peter made a mistake; in fact, if there were 120 disciples in that upper room, this means that 119 other godly men agreed with Peter. And by all accounts, Matthias had a very honorable career. Most of the other disciples were not mentioned in the Bible again either.
Why is the story of Matthias important? Most of us are like Matthias; we live lives of obscurity. Few people may ever hear about us, but that does not mean that God has not called us with a holy calling, nor does it mean that God is not at work in our lives. If God had not wanted Matthias to replace Judas, He could have moved in the hearts of the other disciples to disagree with Peter. No, Peter was carrying out God’s will. And what must it have meant for Matthias to be chosen to replace Judas? Perhaps Matthias had been searching for a sign of God’s favor and calling and now this was God’s way of answering Matthias’ prayers. We won’t know until we reach heaven. But we do know that God has a special calling for each one of us, even in the middle of a pandemic. Today, find somewhere to be quiet before the Lord and ask Him to show you if there is some new thing He wants you to do for His praise and His glory.
PRAYER: Father God, we thank you for the example of Matthias! We thank you that you call the humble and the obscure to do your bidding. Lord, here we are. Please use us as you see fit. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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