They aren’t mentioned in the Gospels, nor are they mentioned in the Epistles. We don’t know their stories, their points of view, their failures or successes, what they said to Jesus, or what He said to them.
But they were there from the beginning. They saw John baptize Jesus in the Jordan River and then they saw His miracles, His triumphs and troubles. They served alongside Him. They learned from Him. They were likely also praised and rebuked by Him.
Justus and Matthias. The two men up for consideration to replace Judas after his death.
When Peter stood amongst the disciples in Acts 1 to announce the need for Judas’ replacement, the one requirement for the replacement was that the candidate had to have been with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry, His baptism, and then to the day of His ascension. The candidate had to be a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.
Most Christians can name some or all of the twelve disciples. Kids are taught songs to memorize their names, and storybooks often tell the tales of these men who walked with Jesus. For some reason, however, Justus and Matthias, despite having walked with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry to the end, never got any accolades. They didn’t get the title of being one of the twelve, they didn’t get any letters included in the Bible, and they didn’t get their stories told. They served in the shadows.
And that’s okay.
Jesus taught on more than one occasion that humility is a virtue and that one should not seek public honor. This isn’t to say that public honor is a sin (Proverbs 27:2), but it is to say that one should not seek such honor. One should likewise not feel shame by serving in the shadows.
Jesus taught on more than one occasion that humility is a virtue and that one should not seek public honor.
Vanessa Taylor
In His sermon on the mount (Matthew 6), Jesus spoke of three occasions in which one should serve privately rather than publicly: in prayer, in fasting, and in giving. By doing so, one would receive a heavenly reward as opposed to the earthly reward of their fellow man’s admiration. Furthermore, in Matthew 23, Jesus spoke out against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, pointing out their desires to be seen and honored by men:
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:5-10 NIV)
Jesus warns against the desire for public admiration and praises the act of serving in the shadows.
Jesus warns against the desire for public admiration and praises the act of serving in the shadows.
Vanessa Taylor
If you feel like you are serving in the shadows—laboring in a ministry that feels unseen or unappreciated—there are four things you should know:
1. Jesus sees what you do when nobody is looking.
This can sound like a threat to get somebody to straighten up, but it is the opposite. When Jesus preached to do one’s alms in secret and to enter a prayer closet when you pray, He said, “…thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly (Matthew 6:6 KJV).” Jesus sees the sacrifices you make that nobody else knows about. He sees the pressures you deal with and the tears you cry. He hears the prayers you make, requesting strength to keep going. He has not overlooked you; on the contrary, He has seen every part of your service.
2. Even if people don’t seem to notice your contributions, your ministry is affecting somebody.
When the eleven disciples in Acts 1 had to choose a replacement for Judas, they knew which men had been there from the beginning. They didn’t have to ask others for input on who might be eligible. No, despite Justus and Matthias not being part of the original twelve and despite them not getting airtime in the Gospels, the other disciples knew who the two men were and they were also aware of their service. You may feel unimportant in your role, or possibly in your lack of an “official” role, but you are still valuable and your life is still a ministry to others.
3. Lesser-seen ministries are not inferior to well-seen ministries.
In 1 Corinthians 12:22, the Apostle Paul is comparing the members of the church to a body, and he says, “…and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.” Verse 24 and 25 continue, “…while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”
God is no respecter of persons, and all Christians stand equal at the foot of the cross. There aren’t honorable ministries and non-honorable ministries, even if it might sometimes feel like it. The church custodian is not inferior to the senior pastor, and the worship leader is not superior to the sound tech. The person who hands out Goldfish crackers to the kids is just as valuable as the person who gives the sermon, and the one who serves with no title is just as needed as the one who is called Bishop. All parts are equally needed, valuable, and seen by God.
4. You matter.
Servant of God, you matter. You are not a throwaway. You are not someone used simply because there is nobody else. You are not overlooked by God. You are not forgotten. You are valuable. You are appreciated. You are needed. You are loved. You matter.
Whether you serve in the spotlight or in the shadows, you matter.
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