“Almighty God, You chose Your servant Matthias to be numbered among the Twelve. Grant that Your Church, ever preserved from false teachers, may be taught and guided by faithful and true pastors; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”
[Collect for the Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle]
The betrayer was replaced by the forgotten.
The Church celebrates The Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle on February 24th. Matthias was given the episcopal authority that Judas had forfeited through impenitence and suicide. But who remembers Matthias? What great deeds did he accomplish? To what lands did he proclaim the gospel? None that we are sure of.
The Bible totally forgets about Matthias once he is installed as a bishop of the Church. He is not mentioned again. Even the legends are sketchy. The best guess is that he simply went about the work of the Ministry in a quiet way, baptizing, teaching, and administering the Sacrament as he was called to do.
But Judas is not forgotten. His wickedness has made him famous. And isn’t that always the way? Those who quietly go about being faithful are forgotten. Those who perpetrate great crimes are ever remembered.
Yet, there was no difference between Judas and Matthias as office holders. They both were wicked, lazy, and covetous. Both had been justified by the God who justifies the wicked. Both failed their Lord and betrayed Him and His cause in the world. Matthias was just a less spectacular betrayer, like us, but he was a betrayer nonetheless. His office did not arise from his personal piety, ability, charisma, talent, or stage presence. His office was bestowed as an act of undeserved kindness. The gracious God of Abraham sends sinful humans as pastors to proclaim the life and death of His Son in the world. He called Matthias to repentance and faith and made him an apostle and bishop. God confers the whole power of the Ministry in the preaching of His Word and the administration of His Holy Sacraments.
It is at once shocking and comforting to hear that Judas’ ministry was not dissolved by his wicked death. It almost seems as though it should have been, as though that vile act disproved God’s love and faithfulness. But death cannot defeat life. Jesus lives. The office of apostle and bishop did not depend on Judas or his actions. It did not even depend upon his faith. This devil of a man, Judas, held the office because it was given to him by the ever-gracious Lord Jesus Christ and He has authority in heaven and earth.
When Matthias was elected by God, through the drawing of lots, he was given an already existing office. In some ways every pastor since is in the office of Judas. We all follow Matthias for none of us was numbered in the original twelve. This is as it should be. For none of us is any better than Judas. Only God is good. Only He confers the holy office and its glorious riches. The preachers merely distribute such good things and the goodness of what they distribute does not come from them or their goodness, but from the goodness of God. Of this we should take great comfort: the validity of the preaching and the Sacraments does not depend on the holiness of the undershepherds, but on the holiness of God. It is not unforgivable that Matthias be forgotten, but the Office that God has given and the good He bestows through it should never be forgotten.
The yoke of Jesus Christ, who called Matthias unto Himself, is easy. He is ever ready for us to turn again unto Him, to rest in His gracious forgiveness, to abide in His resurrection. Matthias may have been forgotten to the world, but our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ remembers both Matthias you in His kingdom.
[Collect for the Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle]
The betrayer was replaced by the forgotten.
The Church celebrates The Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle on February 24th. Matthias was given the episcopal authority that Judas had forfeited through impenitence and suicide. But who remembers Matthias? What great deeds did he accomplish? To what lands did he proclaim the gospel? None that we are sure of.
The Bible totally forgets about Matthias once he is installed as a bishop of the Church. He is not mentioned again. Even the legends are sketchy. The best guess is that he simply went about the work of the Ministry in a quiet way, baptizing, teaching, and administering the Sacrament as he was called to do.
But Judas is not forgotten. His wickedness has made him famous. And isn’t that always the way? Those who quietly go about being faithful are forgotten. Those who perpetrate great crimes are ever remembered.
Yet, there was no difference between Judas and Matthias as office holders. They both were wicked, lazy, and covetous. Both had been justified by the God who justifies the wicked. Both failed their Lord and betrayed Him and His cause in the world. Matthias was just a less spectacular betrayer, like us, but he was a betrayer nonetheless. His office did not arise from his personal piety, ability, charisma, talent, or stage presence. His office was bestowed as an act of undeserved kindness. The gracious God of Abraham sends sinful humans as pastors to proclaim the life and death of His Son in the world. He called Matthias to repentance and faith and made him an apostle and bishop. God confers the whole power of the Ministry in the preaching of His Word and the administration of His Holy Sacraments.
It is at once shocking and comforting to hear that Judas’ ministry was not dissolved by his wicked death. It almost seems as though it should have been, as though that vile act disproved God’s love and faithfulness. But death cannot defeat life. Jesus lives. The office of apostle and bishop did not depend on Judas or his actions. It did not even depend upon his faith. This devil of a man, Judas, held the office because it was given to him by the ever-gracious Lord Jesus Christ and He has authority in heaven and earth.
When Matthias was elected by God, through the drawing of lots, he was given an already existing office. In some ways every pastor since is in the office of Judas. We all follow Matthias for none of us was numbered in the original twelve. This is as it should be. For none of us is any better than Judas. Only God is good. Only He confers the holy office and its glorious riches. The preachers merely distribute such good things and the goodness of what they distribute does not come from them or their goodness, but from the goodness of God. Of this we should take great comfort: the validity of the preaching and the Sacraments does not depend on the holiness of the undershepherds, but on the holiness of God. It is not unforgivable that Matthias be forgotten, but the Office that God has given and the good He bestows through it should never be forgotten.
The yoke of Jesus Christ, who called Matthias unto Himself, is easy. He is ever ready for us to turn again unto Him, to rest in His gracious forgiveness, to abide in His resurrection. Matthias may have been forgotten to the world, but our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ remembers both Matthias you in His kingdom.