Remember A Guy Called Justus?

Remember a guy called Justus? His name was actually Joseph but he was called Justus. And he was also called Barsabbas. Let me give you a hint: he’s a Bible character. If you don’t recall much about him, don’t worry. I’m guessing most people read right past him. I did!

In Acts 1, Peter and the rest of the apostles discuss what to do about replacing Judas. Judas had left the group (and world) quiet violently as he hanged himself in remorse for betraying Jesus. And according to Acts, he “burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out” (Acts 1:18). To replace Judas, therefore, as the Apostles understood it, was to take initiative in restoring the kingdom. Twelve apostles were needed to coincide with the Twelve tribes of Israel.

So as the apostles deliberated, it was decided that the one who would replace Judas must be “one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John tunnel the day when he was taken from us” (Acts 1:31-22). Two men qualified. One was named Matthias, and the other, as you might have guessed by now, was called Justus.

The disciples cast lots and it was determined that Matthias would now be numbered with the apostles. So what about Justus? Nothing more is written of him though he had obviously been a follower of Jesus for quite some time. But then again, nothing more is written of Matthias either. Here is Matthias, one of the apostles now, and he gets no other mention.

We can project that both these men, as they continued to follow Jesus in the days of the birth of the church, served faithfully to the end. It can be assumed that Matthias was praying in the upper room when the Spirit of God came upon all present; filling them (Acts 2:1-4) and empowering them to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Most likely, Justus was there as well. Also, when persecution in Jerusalem became heavy, Matthias probably stayed in Jerusalem while Justus left with the others who scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. (Acts 8:1).

The truth however, is that there is no certainty of whatever became of either Matthias or Justus. Neither one of them, even though Matthias was given the role of apostle, became headliners in Acts. Those roles belonged to Peter, Stephen, Philip, Barnabas, James and Paul. But being a major character in Luke’s story of the dawn of the early church is not the crux of the matter. Consider the words of N.T. Wright:

Part of Christian obedience, right from the beginning, was the call to play (apparently) great parts without pride and (apparently) small parts without shame. There are, of course, no passengers in the kingdom of God, and actually no ‘great’ and ‘small’ parts either. The different tasks and roles to which God assigns us are his business, not ours.

Acts For Everyone (Vol. 1) by N.T. Wright, p. 19.

It’s hard sometimes, not to want to be a Peter or Paul. They get the front page. But what if we are to be a Justus? What if we don’t get picked for a certain ministry or to serve in which we feel we are much qualified? What if our role is one that gets no press? How do we handle it?

I think first and foremost, as Wright points out, we must understand that there are no “small” roles in the Kingdom of God. It is true that there are different roles, but none are insignificant. And each are vital to what God is doing in the world. To serve the person in your neighborhood in whom no one notices is no small thing. To share the gospel and your life with a co-worker whom annoys the rest of the staff is crucial to Kingdom work. To be a welcoming and warm soul to new people who attend your church on Sundays makes an impact.

I pray we serve where God places us! I pray we love those around us as ourselves! These are not small things. In fact, in the economy of God, they are just as important as Peter preaching to a huge crowd in Acts 2. So let’s be faithful where God has placed us!! It’s an important work!

Photo by Brad Helmink on Unsplash