The Great Commission

 

 

 

Let’s face it when we hear the gospel of the "Great Commission" in (Matthew 28:16-20), we may not necessarily feel inspired or encouraged but instead just a little guilty. Why? Because we somehow do not consider ourselves as being "called" or sent to "bear witness" to our faith and, even more, do not feel equipped to do so. So when we hear Jesus' very clear instructions we are reminded of one more thing we called to do but often do not … a sure recipe for guilt. 

As adults, much of our identity is related to our areas of competence -- at work, at home, in volunteer activities or hobbies. When we find ourselves in situations where we do not feel competent, our anxiety level escalates. (Psychologists tell us, that this is why adults have a hard time learning a new language or musical instrument; it's not that our brains are too old or incapable of learning something new; it's that we don’t like feeling incompetent and so quit before we even try.)

How often have we been invited to make connections between our faith and our daily lives or to share that faith with others? Perhaps it’s because we’ve rarely been asked, let alone shown how to do these kinds of things even in the relatively safe confines of church let alone in more threatening situations outside of church. It’s just that we don't feel competent to be part of anything remotely resembling Jesus' Commission.

These few short verses in today’s Gospel summarize our calling and are such an important text in the context of Matthew's gospel. Too often it is assigned as a reading for Trinity Sunday and seems to get lost in “dogma.” However, it clearly proclaims the supreme authority of Jesus, as being one with the Father and having no earthly equal. It also reminds us that we are “commissioned” to love one another as Jesus did and remember that God, through the life of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, is with us until the end of time.

Yet let's admit it, most of us feel a little guilty when we hear Jesus' instructions. More than that, most of us don't have the foggiest idea of what it would look like in everyday life to implement his instructions. So after acknowledging where we are, 

So how can we go about gaining a sense of competence and confidence to help us  share our faith? Perhaps it starts with moving to a more participatory style of Christian formation in which we reach out to one another, inviting our hearers to do more than just hear but to respond to the word proclaimed in our services and revealed in our daily lives. And maybe, over time we will be inspired to share these revelations and proclaim the Word with our own “gift of tongues,” and in and by our actions. How good are we at doing what we are told? How good are we at not allowing arrogance, negative patterns from the past, and doubts to hold us back from making disciples for Jesus Christ? We can't afford to wait until we are perfect and conditions are optimal to become and make disciples. Some people who call themselves Christians can't bring themselves to share their faith. They remain forever trapped on the mountain depicted in the scene from Matthew, mired in their doubts and excuses.