Montgomery Alabama. December 1, 1955 early evening. A woman in her mid-forties boards a bus. She carries herself in a dignified manner. You would not know from looking at her that she has been stooped over an ironing board all day. Her shoulders ache and her feet are swollen. She tasks a seat on the bus.
As the bus moves through the streets of Montgomery, Alabama, it fills with people on their way home from work. After a few stops, the driver turns to look at the woman. He tells her that she needs to move so that a white person can take her seat.
With one word, Rosa Parks changes the course of American history. Just one word, spoken quietly. She just said,
"No."
When the policeman came to arrest her, she told him that this did not make sense, that it wasn't fair. He told her that he agreed, it wasn't fair, but it was the law.
Later that evening, thousands of people would gather at a Baptist Church in a poor section of Montgomery. At that church, Dr. King would say, "There comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression."
There comes a time in the life of a person.
Two thousand years ago, one hundred and twenty people met together in a room. They all had known and loved Jesus and he was gone. After appearing to them in joyful encounters, he had been lifted out of their very sight. And they had no idea what they were to do next.
Peter addressed the group. "Jesus chose twelve of us but now there are only eleven. Judas Iscariot has left us for good. We must fill his seat at the table, so that there are twelve once more." The number twelve was sacred. There were twelve tribes of Israel. So there must be twelve to continue Jesus' work in the world.
Peter says, "We have discussed this matter and identified two men who could fill this seat. One is Joseph or Barsabas, sometimes called Justus, and the other is Matthias."
I can just picture Matthias, standing there in the middle of the crowd, thinking, "Who, me?
What about that guy over there?
I didn't know Jesus well enough.
I am not ready.
This could be a lot of work.
Where is the door?
There comes a time in the life of a human being...when God asks you to do something, to serve. And you must decide if you are going to step up to the plate.
The name Matthias is the same word as disciple in the ancient Greek. A disciple is literally one who learns, one who sits at the feet of a master and absorbs. An apprentice.
I believe that there are three basic stages in the life of a Christian. The first is baptism, when God opens the kingdom of God to us and our resurrection life begins. Though God welcomes us, we must spend a lifetime saying yes to that invitation.
The second stage is that of this disciple. When we realize that we want to devote the time and energy to learn about Jesus, to try to imitate him. So we attend worship, we study and read. In order for the discipleship stage to be complete, we must also join a small group of fellow believers, where we can honestly speak about our joys and sorrows.
Then, at some point, God will invite us into the third and final stage of the life of faith. This is the life of the apostle. The word apostle means one who is sent. The twelve were called disciples during Jesus' life on earth, but after his resurrection and ascension, they became known as apostles. Because God said, "Time's up. It's your turn. I need you to do my work in the world."
The invitation that the spirit makes for a person to become an apostle happens completely individually and often unexpectedly. Rosa Parks had no idea that she was to start a Civil Rights movement that would rage to the Supreme Court itself. Matthias had no idea he would take his place at the table. They were just being faithful when the moment came. It was just their time.
So we must study, pray, worship, give and watch for the moments when something is asked of us, when we are sent.
Helen was born and raised in Germany. At the age of 23, she fell madly on love with an American graduate student. When he asked her the marry him, she was thrilled. Then they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio.
At 23, Helen was living in a foreign country with a man who she did not know so well. Soon, she was pregnant with their first child. A baby girl, she was born healthy and extremely demanding. Helen felt both exhausted and alone.
As a baptized Christian, Helen knew enough to find a church. She loved that place. People held her baby and asked her how she was doing. She felt loved.
There was an apostle at that church. Her name was Sarah. Every week, she was sent by God not very far away, to the nursing home near the church. There she brought communion to people who were to frail to come to church.
At the nursing home, Sarah met Brigette. Brigette was an elderly widow. She had recently lost her husband. They had been married for over fifty years. After his death, Bridgette stopped speaking. The staff was at a loss and asked Sarah to pray for her. They happened to mention that Bridgette was born in Germany and her family had immigrated to the US when she was in high school.
As Sarah was praying for this silent woman, Helen's face came to her mind. She remembered the new young woman from Germany. So Sarah approached Helen after church the next Sunday and asked her to come to the nursing home.
And Helen had all the same thoughts as Matthias, "Who me? I am managing a toddler! I am exhausted all the time! Someone needs to care for me! Where is the door?" But Helen did not speak all these thoughts. She just agreed.
Helen entered Bridgette's room later that afternoon. In German, she introduced herself and told Bridgette how happy she was to meet her.
It was like a river of words exploded from Bridgett's mouth. She could not stop talking and crying in her native German.
Helen ended up visiting Bridgette every day. Bridgette found a reason to speak, a reason to live. And Helen learned how to be a good mother.
A moment will come for you too. The moment of an apostle. Will you let yourself be sent?
