Sunday 18 May 2008

Background

At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus bids his disciplesfarewell, but with carefully thought-out orders. The turmoil inJerusalem, following the events of Easter week and afterwards, hasdriven the disciples back to their provincial homes in Galilee. Arethey to pause a while then return to Jerusalem? No, indeed they arenot. The command is to go and make disciples of all nations.

Is this a project whose aim is to make every human being,regardless of nationality, a disciple of Christ? Or does thisstatement mean that the Christian mission is to the entire world -no nation is excluded from it? Like John Wesley's memorable saying,"The world is my parish", these words can be taken either way. AnAnglican parish priest holds what is called "the cure of souls" -responsibility for ministering to anyone in need in the parish. Itis a responsibility that, tragically, has cost some theirlives.

But Jesus goes on in Matthew's account of events, to issue an evenmore remarkable order - baptise them in the name of the Father andof the Son and of the Holy Spirit. To a modern eye this looks likethe first recorded statement of the doctrine of the Trinity, bynone other than Jesus himself. But that doctrine was being arguedabout long after the Gospel was written, and didn't take its finalform until centuries later. There are clear signs elsewhere in theNew Testament that this uniquely Christian insight into the natureof God was still very much a work in progress.

This is not the place to argue the case one way or the other.Suffice it to say that for Matthew, the objective was to makedisciples from all nations. Until this point only the 12 (now the11) were 'disciples'. (Read Acts1:12-26 to see how the 11 became 12 again.) From now onthe door would be open and the welcome mat rolled out for all to bebaptised and join them.

To Ponder

We prefer to take on projects whose end-point wecan see. How big is your vision of God's call for you?

Jesus' command was to go forward, not to workonly in familiar territory or rely on established good practice.Are you ready for that?

When God invites us into fellowship God alwaysgives us room to say no and walk away, but God still loves us. Asyou respond to God's call for you, are you ready to watch peoplewalk away, but still love them?