The One Not Selected
Some students of the Bible, including children, are able to name the twelve men whom our Lord chose to be His apostles. Some are also able to name the man who was chosen to be an apostle after the defection and death of Judas. That man’s name, of course, was Matthias.
Do you remember that Matthias was one of two men suggested? Whatever happened to the other man?
Here is what we know about him from scripture. His name was Barsabbas. He was one of two men considered to join with the other eleven apostles after the death of Judas. When the selection was made, he was the one not selected.
That’s it. As far as I can tell, that is all we know about Barsabbas. There are some extra-biblical sources where we can find information and/or traditions about him, but the material in Acts 1 is all that the Bible tells us. There is another man by that name mentioned in Acts 15, but the man in Acts 1 is “Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus” (v. 23 ) and the one in Acts 15 is “Judas called Barsabbas” (v. 22).
We are not told if the man who was not selected to be an apostle found a way to serve in some other capacity. If he did, we are not told about how he served. We are not told about his attitude if he did serve. Again, we are told nothing about him other than the fact that, although he met the qualifications to be an apostle, he was not selected.
I would like to think that Barsabbas did not “pack up his marbles and go home” since he wasn’t chosen. Surely, a person who was so close to being an apostle wouldn’t behave in that manner, would he?
There are many question marks about Barsabbas. There are things I would like to know about him. As I think about him, though, I’m not as concerned about the question marks I have about him as I am about the question marks I have about me.
If we will be honest with ourselves, most, if not all, of us have had an experience similar to that of Barsabbas in some area of our lives. It might have happened fairly early in life. Maybe there was a part I wanted in a school play or a position I wanted to play on a team. Regardless of how much I wanted that role or position, it went to somebody else.
Maybe it kept happening as I moved through life. Maybe the person I wanted to date didn’t want to date me. Maybe some formal or informal “group” in school didn’t include me. Later in life, maybe somebody got the job or promotion that I wanted and for which I thought I was qualified – maybe even more qualified than the person who got it.
It could even happen as I try to serve the Lord. While I have the desire and believe that I have the ability to serve in some particular capacity, others may disagree.
It seems to me that a significant part of my character is on display when I’m the one not selected. I can either demonstrate that I believe that the cause is more important than I am or that I believe that I am more important than the cause.
History (yes, even church history) provides many examples of instances in which people became discouraged and quit due to the fact that they were overlooked for some position of responsibility and/or service. We can also find a number of examples of people who, in spite of their disappointment, continued to serve.
I hope that I’m in that last group. I hope that I’m mature enough to realize that “it’s not all about me.” I especially hope that I realize that when it comes to the greatest cause the world has ever known – the cause of Christ.
Here’s what I know. I know that the book of Acts records that the cause of Christ flourished regardless of whatever became of Barsabbas. I also know that it will do the same today with or without me.
I might need to “get over myself” and just determine to be more faithful in my service to the One whose name I wear. If I truly am what I claim to be, His name is the only one that matters anyway.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9-11)
AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
