Seventh Easter
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; John 17:6-19; I John 5:9-13
Let's begin this morning with a little more trivia then usual. What do the following names all have in common? Thomas Pinckney (1796), DeWitt Clinton (1812), Rufus King (1816), John Floyd (1832), and Horatio Seymour (1868). If I add a few more names who have the same thing in common I suspect many of you will begin to guess correctly--Alf Landon (1936), Thomas Dewey (1944 & 48), Adlai E. Stevenson (1952 & 56), Barry Goldwater (1964) and Bob Dole (1996). As you may have guessed, these are the names of candidates for the U.S. Presidency who were not elected. They were the ones not selected by the American public. History is written focusing on the names of those who are selected, chosen, or elected. Yet there are the others. The names of those who we often identify by saying, "You know, the other guy that ran, what's-his-name." The names of those we Google to find a one line description that they also ran or were also considered.
We Americans are great believers in the selection process and thrive on the aspirations of being chosen at some time in our lives, if not to be number one, at least to be the chosen one. We love being part of the process of choosing. For the past few years the choosing process has made for top rated television viewing and participation. Tens of millions tuned in this past week to see if Taylor Hicks or Katharine McPhee would be the new American Idol. Interesting to me was the fact that afterwards the media buzzed with not only questions about number one's future but also wondering if Katharine McPhee by finishing second would have the success of another second place finisher named Clay Aiken or slip from the public memory like Justin Guarini becoming just another "what's-his-name" or "what's-her-name."
The Bible is filled with the names of those who were not chosen. Some of the first names are pretty well known to us regardless of which name is favored. Cain and Abel, Abraham and Lot.
But it doesn't take long before the mark of history begins to show favorites. We see it clearly in Abraham's two sons--Isaac, the chosen one carrying a covenant line of descendents who become the Jewish faith from which Jesus and the Christian faith finds birth and Ishmael, the other son, exiled with his mother to the wilderness but who is ultimately claimed as the ancestor of Mohammed and the twelve tribes of Arabia giving birth to Islam.
The story of selection drives the telling of holy history as Jacob is chosen by his deception to receive the blessing from Isaac and his brother Esau is left wanting. There is Joseph who is given the Technicolor dream coat while eleven brothers must content themselves with being the namesakes of Israel's tribes. There are the seven sons of Jesse who receive no recognition from the prophet Samuel. It is the eighth son, David, who is ultimately chosen to be Israel's greatest king.
To be chosen, selected. This is the heart of our first lesson for today. This past Thursday, forty days after Easter, the church commemorated the ascension of Jesus back to his heavenly Father. Forty days after Easter--always a Thursday. So today we are in the same place as our first lesson describes, a gathering of believers in the time between the ascension and Pentecost.
A gathering of believers waiting as they had been told to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
We call it Pentecost and know it arrives next Sunday, but the disciples were waiting. It was at this point that Peter made the observation in our lesson that there was unfinished business to be taken care of. There were no longer 12 disciples because not only had Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus to the Roman authorities but he had committed suicide. Peter was concerned that the number of the disciples who represented the new Israel be equal to the number of the twelve tribes of ancient Israel. Peter declares that a twelfth disciple must be selected. He then sets forth the criteria for selection. Requirements that the choice be someone who had been with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry and also been a witness to the resurrection. Of the 120 or so gathered it is determined that two men fulfill this criteria, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and another named Matthias. It appears that both were equally qualified so the decision is made to cast lots, throw the dice, to see who should be selected. This may seem a little strange to us but some scholars suggest that casting lots was a traditionused several times in the Old Testament as a way of leaving a decision up to fate or the gods or if you are people of faith, the true God. The Bible tells us that in the early days of Israel's faith the ancient Levitical priesthood of Zachary used the casting of lots to select the priest who would offer the sacrifice of incense to God in the temple. It may have been that Peter and the others wanted to preserve this ancient connection or tradition by casting lots. While the selection process may strike us as a bit unusual, I would suggest that what is really surprising is that both men nominated for the position of twelfth disciple is an unknown. Our text reads, "So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus and Matthais." The author of Acts has to give the first guy so many names to tell us who he is because surely he is such an unknown. Both names have never been mentioned any where in scripture prior to this time and will not be mentioned again after the selection process is complete. Both men were apparently followers of Jesus from the beginning and may have served among the 70 Jesus sent out at one point in his ministry. But they are basically unknowns, not unlike a few of the other disciples who we know little about
--James the son of Alphaeus, Judas the son of James, and Simon the Zealot who may also have been named Thaddeus. To the list of unknown disciples we are confronted in Acts 1 with the decision to add one more unknown name--Joseph called Barsabbas or Matthias.
And the lot fell to Matthias. For all we know from history, it could just as easily have been Joseph called Barsabbas. To come that close to being one of the twelve in the end made little difference to the history of faith. Neither name is ever mentioned again in the Bible. But then most of the disciples are never mentioned after this. The history of the early church is selective in the stories it recalls. Traditions eventually assign various mission directions to each of the disciples and eventually the church grants each disciple status as a saint with their own special commemorative day and traditional stories. The Orthodox Church actually grants special status to most every name associated with Jesus thus even Joseph called Barsabbas has a commemorative day of July 20. It is just assumed that anyone who walked so faithfully with Jesus for all those years and witnessed the resurrection must have some special standing before God. We have few if any historical facts about most of the disciples and early followers. All we know for sure is that the faith grew. Something these early Christians said or did attracted others to their community of faith, attracted followers to Jesus.
Herein lies the meaning of this text for each of us. The unknown faithful who walk with Jesus and witness to the power of the resurrection. The gospels are filled with the unknowns who bring the kingdom of God close beginning in the time of Jesus. There was the unknown widow offering up her two last coins in the Temple. The "what's-her-name" who exhibits the true meaning of trusting God to use what gifts we have to offer. We know her not by name but by her actions. Or the unknown man who loaned Jesus his donkey on the first Palm Sunday because it was clear "The Lord has need of it." Similarly the unknown owner of an upper room offers a place for the disciples to celebrate with Jesus the Passover and his Last Supper. Those who are remembered not for their name but for their deeds.
History is filled with those who are the unknowns. On this Memorial Day weekend it is important that we remember the unknowns of history who acted out of conviction and faith, duty and responsibility. Our world is made the better because of those who knew that it was more important to act then to be known. That is the great strength of our faith. Peter and the other disciples tried to select the disciple by setting forth their criteria that would enable them to select a disciple who would have standing throughout all history as one of the twelve. His name is barely remembered. Most Christians asked to identify a twelfth disciple would probably name someone who would not even begin to meet Peter's criteria. This disciple was chosen by God and only God through a blinding revelation on a road to Damascus. The apostle Paul became perhaps the greatest of all those who led the early church and he did not fit any of the selection criteria established by Peter.
So it is, also, for each of us. God chooses us, we do not choose God. We may have our criteria for what our faith should be like, what our faith should look like and how God should relate to our world. But in the end, ultimately, sooner or later, we discover that God does the choosing
and it is not always the way or the ones we would choose. It begins in Baptism. For most of us a choice we had no control over. In our baptism we received the initial mark of the cross that we carry each day. The question is not the choosing. The challenge is in the responding to being chosen. Last Sunday, another group of young people reaffirmed the faith into which they had been baptized and confirmed their promises to follow Christ. Next Sunday we will be reminded again of the power of the Holy Spirit to call forth people of faith to new ways of seeing the world, living in the world, serving others in the world. That after all is what Jesus was speaking about in our Gospel lesson for today when in the final hours before his death he prays to God on behalf of all those who would come after the disciples. Jesus prayed for each of us. The unknowns of the future faith. The unnamed followers who are yet to be known by words and deeds. Yet Jesus linked us to a great faith tradition--a communion of saints--who stand in mysterious progression linking past, present and future.
We live by faith. We believe that God has called each person to be and do that which brings life and light to the world. We believe that Jesus made us disciples of this truth and the Holy Spirit empowers us to fulfill our calling. Unknown even to those around us we are nevertheless known to God. And that is the ultimate and eternal purpose of our lives.
The ancient legend is told that Jesus ascended into heaven. There he met the angel Gabriel who asked him, "Now that your work is finished, what plans have you made to insure that the truth you brought to earth will spread throughout the world? What is your marketing plan?" Jesus answered, "I called some fishermen, a tax collector and some enthusiastic young men and women to walk along with me as I did my Father's will."
"Yes, I know about them," said Gabriel, "but what other plans have you made to guarantee results?"
Jesus replied, "I taught Peter how to step out in faith, revealed the kingdom of God to James and John, taught Thomas how to get in touch with his doubts, and showed them all the power of life over death. I told them to go and be my witnesses."
Gabriel was clearly frustrated by the reply and finally said, "That's all well and fine but the world is very large. Surely you must have plans to spread the word all over the world in different languages and ways."
Jesus said, "I do. Those who hear and see and believe will share the truth and do my will. There is no other way, no other plan."
History demonstrates the truth of this legend. Jesus has no other plans for insuring his truth be spoken and his will be done than for each of us and the rest of the unknown, unnamed communion of saints to do it.
In our memorial garden across the way there are plaques that have been placed to name those who have served the church. But there are far more blank plaques then there are names. I think this is fitting truth. For the church consists of so many more unknowns chosen by God, named only by God, declared saints by God. Matthias was the chosen replacement disciple. But I am confident that Joseph called Barassas did not leave the faith community. He already had his place. The faithful follower who awaited the next calling God would send his way.
Our world consists of those who are known and unknown, the famous and the common, the winner and the loser, first and second. Such is our world. But God seems to know no such world. God chooses each of us with our own special calling. There is no other plan. This is the one truth that unites us all. Makes us one in Christ. We have been chosen.
The lot has been cast and the name that is named before God is ours.
Amen