Matthew 28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
And now, at the very close of Matthew’s Gospel, comes, not just a command, but a commissioning. I think that distinction is important.
When someone commands you to do something, it is all on you. You must either obey or disobey, succeed or fail, but no matter how it turns out, it’s on you. Even the consideration of whether you have the capacity to do it doesn’t necessarily factor into the equation of commands. You have been commanded, and now you must obey.
Commissioning, however, functions differently. When you are commissioned you are not merely commanded but also equipped, empowered, and given the necessary authority to accomplish your duty. Police officers and leaders in the military, for instance, are give many commands over the course of their careers, but before those commands come, they are commissioned into their offices – that is, invested with the necessary authority and support to accomplish their mission.
In fact, that word – mission – is at the heart of the matter. “Mission” comes the Latin word for sent, as in “being sent with a purpose.” Adding the Latin-derived conjunction for “with” – com – means that to be com-missioned is more like being “sent along with” someone else’s authority and trust. To be commissioned, then, is to be entrusted.
And that’s what’s going on here. Jesus is entrusting the disciples with the mission once entrusted to him: to go into all the world and share the good news of what God has done – and is still doing! – in and through Jesus. Not only that, but to invite those who hear and receive the good news to become followers – disciples – along with them. And not only that, but also to baptize those followers and similarly commission them into the work of making God’s kingdom manifest in this world by working for the good of all people and sharing the story of God’s great love for the world.
That’s why this scene is called “the great commission,” as the disciples are now entrusted with Jesus’ own work. And that “great commission” – to share the news of God’s love in word and deed and to invite those who receive it to be fellow followers and co-workers – continues today.
But there’s one more thing happening here as well. Jesus also promises his presence. That he will be with them, accompany them, strengthen and console them as needed, from this day forward until the end of time. And that promise – along with the commissioning – is ours as well. In this way, Matthew’s story comes to an end, but the story of the Church – and our story in the Church – just gets started. For you have been called, commissioned, sent, and promised Christ’s own presence, unto the end of time. Now that’s the way to end a story!
Prayer: Dear God, you have entrusted us with your good news and promised to be with us always. Let us be faithful to this charge, reaching out to all the world in words and deeds of love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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