“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. “
(Matthew 28:19-20 )
It is called in Mennonites parlance, and perhaps by others, the “Great Commission.” Jesus spoke these words to his disciples (according to the writer of Matthew) at the end of his ministry. They are literally the last words that Jesus spoke in the gospel of Matthew. Followers of great leaders tend to remember and fulfill the last instructions their leaders give them. And many times the ending of a story tends to linger even after the listeners have gone on to other things. It is no wonder than that Mennonites (and again, I am sure other faiths would echo these sentiments) say, “We believe that the church is called to proclaim and to be a sign of the kingdom of God. Christ has commissioned the church to be his witnesses, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all things he has commanded.”
But Christ’s final instructions are not the only thing that Matthew records. Jesus also gives his assurance to his disciples, and by implication to us, that the Lord will not leave us but will be with us always. That is good to know when one is setting out to baptize and teach.
I am remembering, gentle reader, the scene from Romeo and Juliet where Romeo and Juliet are saying good bye to each other. It takes several enterings and exitings before they say their final good byes. Juliet bids Romeo good bye saying, “Good night, good night! parting is such
sweet sorrow, / That I shall say good night till it be morrow. “ We must remember gentle reader that when Jesus said good bye to his disciples on earth, that one day he would say hello to them in heaven. That is true for us also.
While Matthew’s version seems abrupt and short, I would readily believe that Jesus took more time parting from the disciples who had been his constant companions for several years. I am sure that parting was sweet sorrow, because only be returning to Heaven could the next stage of Christ’s ministry unfold. We are lucky, gentle reader, for we have never had to be parted from our Lord; God has always been a vital part of our existence.
I encourage you to think about that for a time – what it would be like to say good bye to God, not knowing when you would see the Lord again. It seems beyond imagining! It is no wonder the disciples sought so vigorously to go forth and make disciples of all the nations, especially doing it in the name of their beloved Jesus. One can only hope they took just as seriously Jesus’ promise to be with them always.
May you gentle reader always know the presence of our Lord, and may you go forth sharing that presence with others. Selah!
