I'm reading through Acts in my one-year Bible and I can't get passed Matthias. He is only mentioned once in the Scripture. So he's a mere footnote. But he is the twelfth apostle. He is the one who was chosen to replace Judas.
According to some traditions, he traveled as far as Ethiopia where he preached in "the city of the cannibals." Maybe that is why I love him. Because I love Ethiopia. We're actually sending forty-five NCCers to Ethiopia next month to help establish a ministry-center to an AIDS colony outside Addis Ababa. In a sense, they are following in the foot steps of Matthias!
But I love Matthias for another reason. Put yourself in his shoes. How would you feel if you weren't chosen in the first round? If you didn't make the first cut? Matthias was part of the larger group of disciples that followed Jesus, but he wasn't originally chosen to be among the twelve. He was a second-round draft pick. He was on the practice squad. And that had to hurt a little. Could have produced some personal doubts or become a seed of bitterness. I know this is conjecture, but he could have walked away. He could have quit. If I'm not going to be on the A team I'm not going to play on the B team. But it's a testament to Matthias that he continued to follow right up until the ascension of Christ. And that is what qualified him to be chosen by the eleven as number twelve.
This is what his life screams: stay faithful. If he had not remained faithful, he would have forfeited a future opportunity that he thought had already come and gone! Now let me speak a word of encouragement to those who feel like you missed the cut: the opportunity may come around again. Stay faithful. Ultimately, if you want to seize that future opportunity, you need to do exactly what Matthias did: keep following Christ!
According to some traditions, he traveled as far as Ethiopia where he preached in "the city of the cannibals." Maybe that is why I love him. Because I love Ethiopia. We're actually sending forty-five NCCers to Ethiopia next month to help establish a ministry-center to an AIDS colony outside Addis Ababa. In a sense, they are following in the foot steps of Matthias!
But I love Matthias for another reason. Put yourself in his shoes. How would you feel if you weren't chosen in the first round? If you didn't make the first cut? Matthias was part of the larger group of disciples that followed Jesus, but he wasn't originally chosen to be among the twelve. He was a second-round draft pick. He was on the practice squad. And that had to hurt a little. Could have produced some personal doubts or become a seed of bitterness. I know this is conjecture, but he could have walked away. He could have quit. If I'm not going to be on the A team I'm not going to play on the B team. But it's a testament to Matthias that he continued to follow right up until the ascension of Christ. And that is what qualified him to be chosen by the eleven as number twelve.
This is what his life screams: stay faithful. If he had not remained faithful, he would have forfeited a future opportunity that he thought had already come and gone! Now let me speak a word of encouragement to those who feel like you missed the cut: the opportunity may come around again. Stay faithful. Ultimately, if you want to seize that future opportunity, you need to do exactly what Matthias did: keep following Christ!
14 Comments:
Great words!
Obviously he had a Kingdom mindset and a servants heart. Not about him but about Jesus and the big picture. Good words to live by.
Mark, great insight and encouragement. Blessings on you! I am praying that God will make you a ready writer today.
I think that our day to day life "screams" at us all the time to give up and throw in the towel. We're not good enough, smart enough, and sometimes it feels like people don't like us! For all of us who were ever picked last for kickball team in elementary school, this was a great word! Thanks!!
i have been a pastor for over thirty years and i have just retired. my son is now my pastor. i don't speak up front anymore but i am my son's resourse person. some would say that i am now a second stringer but i am glad for the priviledge to make a difference no matter which team i am on
Have you ever heard of Mission SOS? They're a phenomenal missions organization based out of Sweden, called to the unreached people groups of the world. Their missions base in Ethiopia is in Harar, the fourth holiest city of Islam.
http://www.missionsos.org/en/mission_bases/ethiopia/
Wow, what a cool thought! Another thought... how about Justus? He never made First Team...and faithful still.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Wow! I needed that today.
I get your blog everyday in my inbox. It's usually the first thing I read.
Today's thought was exceptional! Faithfulness is the key to doing anything for God. In Acts 13:2 I see it as the missing link between Barnabas & Saul's calling and their "separation unto ministry". At least 15 years had passed since Paul had been called (Acts 9). Faithfulness was the path from calling to separation.
Keep up the good work!
I get your blog everyday in my inbox. It's usually the first thing I read.
Today's thought was exceptional! Faithfulness is the key to doing anything for God. In Acts 13:2 I see it as the missing link between Barnabas & Saul's calling and their "separation unto ministry". At least 15 years had passed since Paul had been called (Acts 9). Faithfulness was the path from calling to separation.
Keep up the good work!
Someone once said simple repetition gets old & boring. But it's those simple repetitions that gets the medalists their medals! Sometimes not being able to repeat simple and yet foundational activities is also known as powerlessness. Thank you for this! Your faithfulness to "blog" is truly motivating!
Those are some great thoughts. Many times at church there are those who feel like the sound rounder because their role/function is not public. I think of Paul's words about the body of Christ- not everyone is the mouth, some of us have to be the feet! Anyway, all parts are still a part of the body, all parts are needed.
Was Mathais a second round pick though? I always got the feeling that he was younger, rather than the same age as the Original 12, because he was never mentioned except for the one verse. I've wondered about that...
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