Feast of St Matthias – the Apostle

Today (Thursday 14th May 2020) is the feast day of St Matthias. He is the disciple who was chosen, on the roll of a dice, to replace Judas. (Acts 1.15-end).

The only notable thing about Matthias is his election to complete the number of the disciples to twelve (12 – numbers do matter in the economy of faith).

Strange though, after that, the Christian Bible is silent about Matthias.

Not a word about whatever he did.

No record exists of wherever he went.

Not an allusion to however he fared.

Yet it would be a grave mistake to imagine that Matthias was a loss to God’s Mission. It would be wrong to think he was an inconsequential bet.

The reality is that Matthias’ election and his disappearance into the thickets of Church history (which we celebrate today) reminds us of a great lesson about God’s Mission: It’s never about us. It’s about the whole, the entire, the community, the kingdom of God.

We must, therefore, learn to be content that we are named – whether by chance or design – to fill a gap in the picture-puzzle that is God’s kingdom.

We must be satisfied that in filling any gap, we allow the picture of God’s kingdom to be whole, again, for all who are drawn to it.

In the name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Rev’d. Bùnmi Fágbèmí