For all the unknown saints

 

Reflection 16^th May 2021

 

The story of the choosing of a successor to Judas in our passage from Acts today seems an odd one. Selecting a disciple on a throw of the dice or drawing names out of hat seems a very arbitrary way to select a disciple. Would we select a minister by cutting cards?

Both “candidates” were well qualified for the job. Luke tells us they had both been witnesses to Jesus’ baptism, had seen his ministry, the resurrection, and his ascension to heaven. That is remarkable as no disciples are mentioned at Jesus’ baptism.

They cast the lot and the lot fell on Matthias who became part of the inner circle. (Though after this nothing is heard of him.) As for poor Joseph, also known as Barsabbas, also known as Justus, he’s out. And we don’t hear of him again either. (I’m calling him Justus.) Presumably, Matthias was there on the day of Pentecost as Peter stands with the eleven to preach. And maybe Justus was there anyway?

In terms of the founding of the church Mathias and Justus are almost footnotes. Justus especially. After all we do at least know that Matthias was “elected” to be one of the twelve apostles. But as for Justus? Maybe he was so hurt by not being selected that he walked away from the fledgling church? Or maybe he was just one of those millions of followers of Jesus who are unknown, who aren’t proclaimed as Saints with a capital S but nonetheless are saints in the eyes of Jesus for their service and devotion to him and their love and care for fellow believers?

All of us will have known a Justus in our journeys of faith. That woman or man who never held an office in the church, and yet the person who may have been instrumental in passing on the Good News, the Gospel, to you or to others just by the way they were.

James Moore tells of a scene he witnessed as a minister in a church in Houston America

“Her name is Donna. Donna is a member of our church. She is a mentor in our Kids Hope USA program. Every week she goes to a nearby elementary school to be a friend, encourager, and mentor to a little boy named John. John looks to be 6 or 7 years old. Donna and John have bonded in a beautiful way. Though there is quite a difference in their ages, Miss Donna – as John calls her – has become John's best friend. Once each week, she visits him at school, helps him with his schoolwork… and then "going the second mile" every Saturday, Donna takes John to do exciting things that without Donna, John would likely never get to do – things like the zoo, the museum, the Galleria.

A few months ago, Donna's husband died in his sleep. Little John came to the funeral to support his friend Miss Donna in her grief. At the reception in the Hines Baker Room after the memorial service, John stood beside Donna and held her hand. She had been there for him and now he was there for her. He would not leave her side. It was a beautiful moment and people in the room had tears in their eyes, so touched by John's intense commitment to lovingly stand by Miss Donna, his friend and mentor.

Some of us saw John eyeing the goodies on the reception table – chocolate chip cookies in abundance… and some of us said to him, "John, would you like to walk over here and have some refreshments?" But no, he would not leave Donna's side. "I want to stay here with Miss Donna.," he would say. The love between the two of them was so radiant and powerful in that room.

Also, in the room that day was a man from Chicago. He had flown all the way from Chicago to Houston to be with Donna. Do you know why? Because 38 years ago when he was in first grade, Donna had been his mentor at an elementary school in the Chicago area. He flies from Chicago to Houston every summer to see Donna and to thank her for what she did for him 38 years ago – and then he made this special trip to be with Donna when her husband suddenly died.

 

That man from Chicago says to Donna every time he comes, "I am what I am today because of the love and support you gave me 38 years ago." He says, "Ms. Donna, you were the first person in my life who believed in me." And today little John says to her in words and actions: "Miss Donna, I love you. I know you love me. You are my best friend." Now, where did Donna learn to love like that, to reach out to people in need like that, to make a difference in people's lives like that? By being shown the love of Jesus by someone else”

(From Sermons.com)

 

As a minister myself, I’ve witnessed similar things over the years. People who love others deeply. Who nurture them and just radiate what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. I’ve seen how such people bless others and I have felt how they have been a blessing to me.

 

Revd Richard Lischer wrote a book called Open secret: A spiritual journey through a country church. In the book he described how from college he had been stationed (as we’d say in Methodism) to a small country church. He felt this was beneath hm. He had a master’s degree in theology and was studying for a Ph.D. But over time, he came to realise he met Jesus in that church many times in ordinary men and women who taught him the meaning of “the communion of saints”. He wrote:

 

“The only thing that made us different from any other group or society was the mysterious presence of Jesus in the community. We were his body.”

Justus lost the throw of the dice (or whatever.) But there is nothing to suggest he lost his faith in Jesus. As the book of Acts unfolds, telling the story of the early church, there are hundreds of unnamed people who pass on the story of Jesus. Most of them are even less well known than Justus. Without the “ordinary” people Peter and Paul would have an even bigger task ahead of them. The Justuses took on the story of Jesus and helped it spread. Without the Justuses we wouldn’t be here today.

For all the Justuses and Donnas who have touched our lives and are touching lives even now, thanks be to God!