The Tragedy The Comedy
7th Sunday of Easter
Rev. Steven D. Spencer
Acts 1:12-26
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. 15 And at this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, 16 "Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 "For he was counted among us, and received his portion in this ministry." 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 "For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his homestead be made desolate, And let no man dwell in it'; and, 'His office let another man take.' 21 "It is therefore necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us-- 22 beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from us-- one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection." 23 And they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, and said, "Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two Thou hast chosen 25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26 And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
INTRODUCTION
There are ten days between our Lord’s Ascension and the Day of Pentecost. The Ascension took place forty days after Jesus' Resurrection and Pentecost took place ten days later, on the fiftieth day after our Lord’s Resurrection. For ten days the apostles would wait for the promise of God to be fulfilled. That promise: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Jesus had "told them not depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise. “For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 1:4-6). Ten days then comes Pentecost.
The eleven apostles gather in an upper room, devoting themselves to prayer and meditation on the Word, no doubt considering all that had happened, but also pondering what was going to happen. This was a gathering of the Church for the eleven were not alone but "together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers" (Acts 1:14). Still there was an empty spot, only eleven where there, where should be twelve. There was an empty apostolic spot ... the vacant place where a man had been. He's gone and what might we likened this to?
It is a tragedy, Consider the response of the hopeless as heard in the words of Macbeth upon learning of his wife's suicide: The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (Act V - Scene V)
What a tragedy! Still there’s an empty apostolic spot in history, Judas has come and Judas is now gone, and he’s not a fictional character written by William Shakespeare, but a real person. A real person has come and gone. This is a reality we all know to well. We read it in the obituaries of the Statesman Journal; we witness it in the empty places in our Church pews. One will come and another will go — whether it be the one in the pulpit or the one in the pew. Thus it was, it is and it will be until the end of history.
The Acts reading assigned for today - for this Sunday between the Ascension of our Lord and the Day of Pentecost provides the opportunity to ponder the differences between “The Tragedy and The Comedy.”
I. The Tragedy
A tragedy, in very simple terms, is when the ending is not, “and they lived happily ever after!” That’s why, in the world of William Shakespeare, Othello is a tragedy for his character, much like King Saul, commits suicide by falling on his own sword. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy. Each of the young lovers, like Judas in the real world, committed suicide. Judas with his plans thwarted is filled with guilt and worldly sorrow for what he had done, Judas looks to make things right but can not do so. He tries to give the money back but doing so doesn’t reverse the betrayal of Jesus. He discovered, as you already know, that sins cannot be undone. There's no way to un-murder someone, or to un-use God's Name in vain, or to un-commit adultery, or to un-skip Church last Sunday. Judas sought to make things right and couldn't do so. He looked to himself for help and didn't find it. What he discovered within was a flood of guilt, overpowering despair, overwhelming hopelessness and the consequences of living a lie. Judas went out from the temple and hung himself, with the self-placed rope throttling his throat and strung-up thus, he was prevented from lifting up his voice and crying out for mercy in sorrow and contrition. For Judas, there's no ... "and he lived happily ever after." In fact, in the life and death of Judas, it is just the opposite, for the Bible tells us that "Judas turned aside, to go to his own place." (Acts 1:25) That’s hell and there's no living happily ever after in that God forsaken place.
What a tragedy. Nevertheless, just because something is a tragedy doesn’t mean that there hadn't been some good times. Times of fellowship, times of hope, times of joy and laughter and communion! That was certainly the case with Judas. He was a follower of Christ, a man who witnesses the miracles of the Savior, who heard the blessed doctrines of Law and Gospel. Judas was one of the twelve whom Jesus sent out to bring healing to the people and to share the gospel. Judas was in the very Presence of God; the very fellowship of Jesus for some three years. He had been called by Christ and as Peter declared, "he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry."(Acts 1:17) Yet, Judas Iscariot became a "guide to those who arrested Jesus" and he betrayed the Lord with a kiss. Judas had been one of the Twelve and yet, at the end of his life, he had lost everything and everyone. Even now he’s in his own place. At the Last Supper Jesus had said, "The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born" (Matthew 26:24). The fact that he had so much and ended up in hell makes this tragedy even more horrible. What a tragic ending.
Before we move on I want to make one thing perfectly clear. That's the ending each of us deserve and to which we were headed - like being swept away by a raging flood whose waters head into a never ending abyss. Each of us is, by nature, are sinful and unclean, enemies of God and suitable only for our own place. Moreover each of us has and does sin against God in our thoughts, our words, and deeds - by what we have done and left undone - whether by our weakness or by our will or by our ignorance. Each of us is without excuse. Each of us is conceived into history with all the makings for a tragic ending.
Now, I want to make a second thing perfectly clear also. God would not have it be so. He Who is holy, just and righteous --- is also benevolent, merciful and gracious ... "He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1Timothy 2:4). And that leads us to the comedy.
II. The Comedy
A comedy in simple terms is where the ending is, "and they lived happily ever after." This doesn’t mean that a comedy is void of times of trouble or hurt and awful pain and soul wrenching sorrow and bitter tears. For example, when the Christ is betrayed and denied - when the Son of God is crucified and suffers the penalty and consequences of all the sins and transgressions of the Law, by every person that has lived or will live - when Jesus, in thirst of body and soul, is mocked by man and forsaken by God the Father - when His lifeless limbs hung stretched out on the cross - when His breathless body was pierced with a spear and blood and water flow from His side, and when He is then taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb - well, ... there were all the trappings of a tragedy in the eyes of this world. There appears to be no ending where they lived happily ever after. For two days and two nights any suggestion that what had happened was part of a comedy would be considered ludicrous and tactless and vulgar.
Yet, on the third day Jesus the Christ rises from the dead and the perceived tragedy continued as the Divine Comedy, planned from before the foundation of the world and is brought forth to fulfillment in time. At the tomb, Mary's tears turned from ones caused by Good Friday sorrow to ones brought forth by Easter joy. Her sadness becomes gladness.
This Good News of Christ crucified and risen is the hope of life in a world of death. The truth that Jesus paid the price for all sins and rose again from the dead is what turns this tragedy of man into the Divine Comedy. Jesus would have all to hear His message of sin and grace - of Law and Gospel - of condemnation and forgiveness. Jesus would have this message go out to the all the world to hear. For the Lord God Almighty desires all to be with Him in Paradise, even though there are those who turn away or who, like Judas, fall away and are lost forever - even though it be one of God's own spokesmen, like Judas, who "was allotted his share in this ministry."
Conclusion
But still, there’s was that empty apostolic spot in history, for Judas has come and Judas has now gone. Christ would not have such a condition continue for He wills that His Church hear the Word and receive the Sacraments. So Peter, quoting the words of the Psalmist says "His office let another take,"(Acts 1:20) Peter goes on to say: "it is necessary to chose 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 until the day when He was taken up from us - one of these men must become with us a witness to His Resurrection.” So And they chose on Matthias; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles."
As time went on the Apostles departed this life one by one and entered eternity where these faithful men live happily ever after with the Lord, as did a great number of those who heard the Good News. So there came a time when no more men qualified to be apostles. But Christ did not leave His Church. Through the Pastoral office He continues to provide faithful men to speak the Word and distribute the Sacraments. These men are to preach His Word that many may hear the Law, which always accuses the Old Adam that they might repent. And to preach the Gospel which comforts the contrite sinner so that many may be part of the Divine Comedy and not end up in a tragedy of their own doing.
People come, and people go when their part is ended. But God is faithful, and with Him (Pointing to the Cross T ) there is: “living happily ever after.” For He has forgiven all your sins, in the name of the Father and of Son and of the Holy Spirit. For in Jesus there is always a happy ending, now and even forevermore. In Jesus name, Amen!