Easter, Superstar & Friends, et al



Last evening, the evening of Easter Day, we watched on NBC the 7:00 to 9:30 pm presentation of Jesus Christ Superstar. 


The first time we saw it was live on stage, early 1972 in Columbus, Ohio. Still in her mom's stomach, our Tass was jumping and moving and kicking to the music, which was thunderous loud in the concert hall. Malinda 14 and Joe 11 may have been with us, I don't remember for sure, but I think so. Linda was 35 and pregnant; I was 36, a Navy commander six years from retirement. We may still have the album of 78 rpm records that we nearly wore out playing. Quite different from then, last night's live performance also was spectacular 


but a mirror of the changes in American society in the nearly half-century. The world is changed, and America is greater now than then, in the ways that matter in the kingdom of God. 

For myself, living into all the changes, it seems to me that the greatest and best are the slow-to-come social changes that always have to be forced on people who are afraid others may surpass us, not to overlook extremely rapid technological changes that made, are making, everything else possible. 


Even if, even though, we now seem to be a nation standing at the top of a playground slide ready foolishly to take the plunge that may not unlikely dump us off into hell at best, nonexistence at worst, America as a society of human beings has never been greater than now, for all that is yet grieviously wrong with us. Pray that we don't throw it all away, nor allow our leaders to throw it away in our name, but that we keep working for everyone. Pray we not destroy ourselves from within us by hate, hatred of each other. Pray we not destroy others by our superiority complex, ignorance and arrogance.

Continuing below with today's TGBC reading from Acts, followed by my personal comments.

Above, Flowered cross by Linda. Jesus, Judas Iscariot, Mary Magdalene

Acts 1:12-26 


 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people) and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.’ (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.


This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ‘For it is written in the book of Psalms,
“Let his homestead become desolate,
   and let there be no one to live in it”;
and
“Let another take his position of overseer.” 

So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, 




and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Comment. Several things, none theologically astonishing, I suppose. Matthias, NT Greek Ματθιας (mat-thee-as) is selected to complete The Twelve. Matthias is a variation of Matthew (מַתִּתְיָהוּ <- Mattityahu, gift of YHVH). "Twelve" is to match the number of tribes of Israel?



Again, Luke's focus is Jerusalem, and that's where the disciples are staying until visited by the Holy Spirit. 

Here's a discussion of "a sabbath day's journey"  https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Sabbath-Days-Journey

Luke's story of Judas' fate is somewhat different from that of Matthew, who says Judas threw his reward back at the priests who paid him, went out and hanged himself. What really happened? Depends on whose story you are reading, doesn't it. To the extent anyone asks, "Why is this place called the Field of Blood?" both stories are etiological, eh.

God chooses Matthias over Joseph Barsabbas, called Justus, why? We know nothing about either of them. As with society in general, the eleven simply believed, and all accepted, that praying for God's decision to be revealed in the casting of lots would result in the Lord's will being known. Hey, it worked for those in the boat with Jonah.

DThos+