Friday, February 19, 2010

replacement

Good morning folks,
There's a lovely symmetry to having twelve apostles: there are twelve tribes of Israel, and there are twelve apostles. Jesus chose twelve out of the many people following him for special positions of leadership. The trouble is, one of those twelve betrayed Jesus and is now dead. The other apostles decide that the position should be filled so that the twelve apostles can be restored. This is the story of how that happens. It's a useful insight into how the early church begins acting after Christ's ascension into heaven. They seek God's guidance through prayer and they trust that God will guide them.

A couple of side notes: a Sabbath day's journey reflects the Jewish practice of not walking more than 2000 cubits (about a quarter of a mile) on the Sabbath as part of the obligation to rest. This passage gives one version of the death of Judas; Matthew's Gospel gives a different version. Matthew says Judas went back to the Jewish counsel after Jesus' death to return the money, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." The counsel says, "That's your problem," at which point Judas throws down the money and goes to hang himself. Since they can't put blood money in the temple treasury the counsel uses the money to buy a field for the burial of strangers. The stories are pretty different, but the interesting thing is that in each case Judas's death is associated with a field that comes to be called, "Field of blood."

Now that there are again twelve apostles, the church is ready to move forward in ministry. Thanks be to God that the Spirit still leads the church forward when we seek that guidance.
God bless,
Sam

Acts 1:12-26

12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. 13When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

15In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, 16“Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— 17for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

20“For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his homestead become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it’; and ‘Let another take his position of overseer.’ 21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” 23So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

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