Acts 1:9-11 It was not long afterwards that he rose into the sky and disappeared into a cloud, leaving them staring after him. As they were straining their eyes for another glimpse, suddenly two white-robed men were standing there among them, and said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has gone away to heaven, and some day, just as he went, he will return!”
12-14 They were at the Mount of Olives when this happened, so now they walked the half mile back to Jerusalem and held a prayer meeting in an upstairs room of the house where they were staying.
Here is the list of those who were present at the meeting: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (also called “The Zealot”), Judas (son of James), and the brothers of Jesus. Several women, including Jesus’ mother, were also there.
15-20 This prayer meeting went on for several days. During this time, on a day when about 120 people were present, Peter stood up and addressed them as follows:
“Brothers, it was necessary for the Scriptures to come true concerning Judas, who betrayed Jesus by guiding the mob to him, for this was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David. Judas was one of us, chosen to be an apostle just as we were. He bought a field with the money he received for his treachery and falling headlong there, he burst open, spilling out his bowels. The news of his death spread rapidly among all the people of Jerusalem, and they named the place ‘The Field of Blood.’ King David’s prediction of this appears in the Book of Psalms, where he says, ‘Let his home become desolate with no one living in it.’ And again, ‘Let his work be given to someone else to do.’
21-22 “So now we must choose someone else to take Judas’ place and to join us as witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. Let us select someone who has been with us constantly from our first association with the Lord—from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us into heaven.”
23-26 The assembly nominated two men: Joseph Justus (also called Barsabbas) and Matthias. Then they all prayed for the right man to be chosen. “O Lord,” they said, “you know every heart; show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas the traitor, who has gone on to his proper place.”
Then they drew straws, and in this manner Matthias was chosen and became an apostle with the other eleven.
By this point, there’s no doubt that Peter is a leader with a personality that can flatten almost any opposition. It’s said that “nature abhors a vacuum,” and the same thing can be said of Peter. Judas Iscariot is dead and gone; now the disciples MUST replace him as quickly as possible….or should they? Notice the language Peter uses: First, Peter quotes Scripture and then states that “we MUST choose someone else to take Judas’ place…” Oh really, Peter? Is this a decision over which you have prayed or are you coming up with this on your own? Employing Scripture to bolster one’s position is nothing new for the religious leaders have been doing that for centuries.
There is nothing to suggest that Peter and the other disciples have actually reached this decision through earnest prayer. True, they have been engaged in prayer meetings; however, those of us with experience have endured prayer meetings that consisted of “too much thunder and not enough rain.” It’s far more likely that Peter has gotten this bright idea and others are simply willing to go along with it. “Sure, Peter, sounds good. And you certainly have Scripture on your side.” But the question is this: Does quoting Scripture allow us to impose our will on God?
Notice that the other disciples never say, “Let’s go off and pray about whether or not God wants us to replace Judas at this time.” Peter is pushing an agenda with the best of motives, and the others are merely allowing themselves to go along. The only time Luke records the disciples praying over this situation is after they have already selected two candidates and are now asking God to control the chance decision. (Incidentally, while this translation speaks of drawing straws, it’s far more likely that the disciples might have thrown dice to choose Judas’ successor.)
Eventually Matthias is chosen. But after being chosen, Matthias fades into obscurity. Some people claim Matthias is actually Nathaniel, the believer spoken of in the Gospel of John. Others dispute this. Nobody seems to know exactly where Matthias preaches or what happens to him. Some people claim he is stoned and beheaded in Jerusalem while others claim he is martyred somewhere else. God undoubtedly uses Matthias; however, he remains a shadowy figure.
The Scripture Peter quotes is correct; however, Peter’s interpretation is wrong. God already has another disciple selected, even though at present he’s bending every effort to annihilate Christians. Eventually the Apostle Paul becomes a believer, traveling throughout the Middle East, preaching and teaching, and writing much of the New Testament.
I love studying about Peter, for he reminds me so much of myself. Peter is a fisherman, a man of action, and the kind of guy who will always make things happen. Peter’s motto is “If you want something done right, do it yourself!” And Peter is going to fix the gap in the twelve apostles, even if it’s not time as yet. There’s nothing wrong with Matthias, save for the fact that God already is preparing Paul to become the substantive twelfth apostle. No matter how hard Peter tries, God simply proceeds to call Paul and to give him a ministry that remains a model for all of us.
What if Peter had not forced this decision but had allowed God to handle it? Eventually, God would have brought Paul in. Did Matthias live long enough to witness Paul’s conversion and subsequent ministry? Perhaps not. It would have been quite difficult for Matthias to see Paul’s rise in the church.
What can we learn from this story? God has His timing, and His ways are perfect. We are impatient and want everything tied up neatly right now. But how many times have we missed God’s best because of our impatience? May God help us so that we will wait for Him and not rush, for when we rush, we can make mistakes.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust Your timing and to wait for You to guide us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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