by Dr. H. Alden Welch
Leonia United Methodist Church,
NJ
April 21, 2001
Scripture: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
According to
Luke, the first order of business following the resurrection of Jesus
was the selection of someone to replace Judas. Two names were put
forward: Justus and Matthias. Both had been early followers of Jesus.
Both had been witnesses to the resurrection. Paul tells us that the
Risen Lord appeared to more than 500 persons, Justus and Matthias
apparently among them. Both were qualified and ready and willing to
serve. But there was only one vacancy; only one could become a member of
the Twelve. A choice had to be made.
The selection
was made by the casting of lots, a method employed throughout biblical
times. Names or symbols were written on small stones or pottery shards
which were then placed in a jar and swirled around until one of the pieces or
lots flew out.
That may seem a
poor way to make an important choice or decision, but I am not sure it
is any worse than some of our modern methods, such as election campaigns
that go on for months and cost millions. Casting lots certainly was quicker and
cheaper!
And to the
ancients, this was more than simply drawing straws or rolling the dice.
They believed that in casting lots they were giving God a chance to influence the
outcome.
Casting lots
was used by rulers and ordinary folks to make all kinds of decisions and
choices. It was the method used by Joshua to decided which tribe got
what part of the Promised Land. (Have you ever wondered why parcels of
land in a subdivision are called lots? It goes back to this biblical method of dividing the
land.)
The casting of
lots was used to choose the first king of Israel. (I Sam. 10:20) It was
used to select and assign the temple priests. (I Chron. 24-26) When
archaeologists excavated Masada where in 73 A.D. the last of the Zealots
chose to take their own lives rather than surrender to the Romans, they
found the lots they cast to decide who would go
first.
And so casting
lots was the method used to select a replacement for Judas. The
names of Justus and Matthias were written down. A prayer was said, the
jar swirled, and out flew the name of Matthias. Only one could be chosen
and only one was. Matthias became an apostle; Justus did not. Such were their lots in life.
Our
Lots In Life Differ
Like
Matthias and Justus, our lots in life differ.
Some are male;
some female. Some are tall; some short. Some are thin; some
"full-figured." Some of us can carry a tune; some should
remain silent. Some of us have strong constitutions; others are less
robust or in poor health. Some of us have lived in one place all of our
lives; others have changed jobs and moved around. Some of us have large
families close by; others have few relatives and live alone. Some of us
have done well financially; others can barely make ends meet. Some of us
have been lucky in love; others disappointed. No two persons have exactly the same lot
in life.
This does not
mean that some are better than others, or that God favors some of us
more the rest of us. Just that we are unique individuals whose genes,
circumstances, choices and journeys have brought us to the place where
we now find ourselves. Many things have influenced the paths our lives
have taken,who we are and
where we find ourselves, for good or ill. In some of these things, we
have had a say and a choice. Sometimes, we need to be reminded of
Shakespeare’s words, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our
stars, but in ourselves."
Do you know the
Serenity Prayer?
God grant me
the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to
change the things I can change;
and the wisdom
to know the difference.
We need to have
the courage to change those things we can change, things that will make
life better for ourselves and those around us. But we also need to
accept those things we cannot change. We can learn from past mistakes,
but we cannot change the past. We must live in the present, but we
cannot stop the passage of time. We should plan for the future, but no
one knows what the future holds. We get to make some choices in life and
sometimes we get a second chance, but most of the time we have to live
with the choices we make.
And sometimes
things happen over which we have no control. To a large extent, our
happiness and success depends not on the choices we make or what we
decide to do, but on how well we cope with what life throws at us. It
may not seem fair or right, but that's the way life is, and it does no
good to worry and fret about it or to wish that we could have someone else's life or
they our's.
Jesus
understood; he was ever the realist. He said, “In this world you will
have tribulation…” And he counseled his followers, "Do not
worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow
will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for
today." (Matt. 6:34) And he lived that way himself, right to the
end.
Enjoy
Your Blessings
So out flew the name of Matthias. It was Matthias' lot
in life
to become one of the Twelve. He was chosen; he was promoted; he was blessed.
Matthias did not boast but neither did he protest. He was glad to have the
opportunity to be an apostle. He accepted without hesitation and served
the Lord with gladness.
And sometimes
that happens to us; sometimes we are among life’s winners. When we
are, we should not be embarrassed by it. If you are in good health,
wonderful! Enjoy! If you have or had wise and loving parents—and I
certainly did--be grateful—no one gets to pick their parents. If you
have a good marriage, consider yourself blessed! Much of the time most
of us are not easy to live with. If your kids have caused you very
little grief, have made few mistakes, consider yourself lucky—we live
in a world where it is easy for kids to get into trouble. If you have a
good job and satisfying career, if you have not had serious financial
problems, if you have a caring family and supportive friends, rejoice and be glad; you are among the
fortunate ones!
And whether any
of this things are so for you, all of us should be grateful that we live
in this country with all of its bounty, opportunity, and freedoms and
not in some poor third world country or a land plagued by war. And most
of us are here simply because we were born here. No one gets to choose
where or when he or she will be born. I do not for a minute believe that
God decide who should be born where or when as a way of punishing some
and blessing others. So where we live gives us no cause to feel
superior, just grateful. Those of us living in this great land are among
the fortunate.
As Christians,
we should always be joyous receiversand thankful to God for all of our
blessings. Have we earned
or do we deserve these blessings? Probably not, or at least not any more
than others who have lived exemplary lives and yet have not been so
blessed. But neither should we feel guilty. When we are the lucky ones,
we should be grateful, not boastful, and consider our good fortune and
blessings not as somehow our due but as an opportunity to do some good
for others and for God
Trust
and Serve God
But what if your lot in life seems more like that of Justus
than Matthias? What if you have not been as successful, or as fortunate,
as
healthy, as blessed as others? What if, time after time, you have been
passed over, left out or left behind? What then? I am
sure that Justus was disappointed.
He had been loyal and faithful. He had taken risks and made sacrifices.
He was highly thought of; he deserved a
chance.
I could
understand if he had become angry, even bitter. What happened to him
doesn't seem fair. I would not have been surprised had he said,
"Well, that's it. If I cannot be one of the apostles, then I am
going to find something else to do with my life." Had he quit as a disciple and dropped out
of the church.