Acts 1, the parable

to listen to the parable, click here

 Another parable* 

“The kingdom of God – is it like this?” the man asked:

When they were pretty sure Jesus was gone and gone for good, his disciples gathered in Jerusalem. They went into a meeting room where they were staying, Peter, and John and James, Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. And they sat down with Mary, Jesus’ mother, and some of his brothers; and there were other women present. And wine.

     Andrew drew his finger around the rim of his glass until it began humming, and they all fell silent. Then, Peter began talking, as usual, the proud speech of a man who thought of himself as one who had pulled himself up by his own sandal-straps.

     “Brothers,” he said, “and sisters: The Scriptures had to be fulfilled concerning this Judas, the Iscariot: That any man that buys a field with the reward of his wickedness, may he trip and fall, and may his gut burst open and his bowels gush out – the will of the Lord! That his shame become known to all Jerusalem and his field be called Blood – the will of the Lord! That anywhere he live become a place of desolation for ever and ever. Let the people say . . . .” And the people shouted out, “The will of the Lord!” Peter went on, “And that his office among us be taken up by another. All of this is in the Scriptures. Who has eyes and can read, let them find it.”

     “The will of the Lord!” the people said again.

Peter held up his hands: “That means we need to find a replacement,” he said, “ – the will of the Lord! – someone that is familiar with our story.” And two were nominated: Joseph Justus, also called Barsabbas, and Matthias, who had only the one name.

Robert Wagner as Matthias and William Bendix as Justus
in the movie, Acts, Chapter 1

     And Peter asked Andrew to say a prayer, knowing that his brother would defer to him. So Peter prayed, “Lord, thou knowest the hearts of all men; show us which one of these two thou hast chosen,” and there were scattered “amens” as Peter paused; but he pressed on: “Show us which of these thou hast chosen to fill Judas’ place in this ministry and apostleship, who took a bribe and bought a field and whose stomach burst so his guts were strewn far and wide, in Jesus name.” Then, all said “Amen!”

     Andrew had some holy dice, and they threw them. And they spelled out Matthias, and he became the new Judas. And Joseph Justus, also called Barsabbas, went home to his mother and brothers and sisters, and later they all went another way.

     This was when Tiberius was Caesar and Lucius Pomponius Flaccus governor of Syria.

“Is the kingdom of God like this?” the man asked again. And he turned and went another way.

05.29.17

­­

_______________

* from Acts 1. Part of the TRV parable project. For more selections of the TRV (Ted Riich Version of the Bible), click here.