The Unknown Apostle

Acts 1:15-26

And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias.  And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Acts 1:26

We hear nothing further about Matthias after this point.  Jesus chose him out of all the men who had been with Him since His baptism by John.  We read accounts of the eleven other apostles and what they did so why is there no further mention of Matthias?

Jesus chose him just as He had chosen the other twelve.  I would suggest that not everyone who God chooses will have a high profile and be known by people.  Their deeds may not be recorded for others to read nor their lives be written about.  There may be no social media posts or pulpits for them to preach in.  This does not make their lives any more or less valuable than the other well-known disciples chosen by Christ.  What is important is not how famous a person becomes, how busy they are, how many books they write or even how many souls they win.  What matters is whether they have been obedient to the call of God on their life.  Have they been faithful to do what He has asked them to do?  They may never be recognized for what they have done.  They may never be seen by the world as valuable.  That is not why they do what they do.  We must understand that what we do is of great worth because we do it for Christ.  The value in what we do comes from our delight in obeying our King. There will always be more Matthias’s in God’s Kingdom than Peters, Johns or Pauls.  Our lives do not have meaning because the world tells us so, our life is meaningful because God has said so.  He has declared it time and time again in the scriptures.  We are to find our joy not in being known by the world, but in being known and loved by God. 

Many want to have the recognition and the power of a Paul but the question we need to answer is, am I be content to be chosen as a Matthias?  Let us purpose to be persistently faithful in all that our Saviour asks us to do so that our lives may glorify Him.

Jeanine Soligo

Child of God, lover of the Word, purposeful in pursuing God's Presence, passionate about equipping people to hear God's voice and encounter His love. Jeanine alongside her husband Michael are on the Eldership team at The Bridge Church for All Nations and together they oversee Prayer Ministry and Freedom Session.