The Great Commission – April 4

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 146, 147; PM Psalm 148, 149
Exod. 13:3-10; 1 Cor. 15:41-50; Matt. 28:16-20 

Following the joyous celebration of Easter, the clergy and staff at Saint Stephen’s took a few days of rest and paused daily reflections earlier this week. We now will resume our posts and appreciate that you join us in study of Holy Scripture, prayer, and reflection.

The retelling of Jesus’ life and ministry through Matthew’s gospel ends with Jesus saying to his friends, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” I am touched by the promise of faithfulness and closeness. The promise of presence is reassuring, when that one who remains is a source of stillness and healing and nourishing and unbounded love. That is what made letting go of Jesus so painful to his disciples.

Perhaps you have lost a dear one in your life – someone who radiated positive energy and light. If so, you know that chasm of longing that gapes open in your chest. The tears and the fears that swirl in a perpetual storm of loss. And you feel stuck. Or frozen. I have been there, and it is so hard. Jesus says to each of us, “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus is with us. Jesus knows that loss is hard. He knows the deep feelings of disappointment, separation, and longing. And he knows that loss is not the last thing. You see, his message of proximity is more powerful than simply an “I will abide with you” promise. He tells them how to keep living in faithfulness.

Jesus appears to the eleven remaining disciples on the mountain and gives them what is called the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). They all worship him, and Matthew tells us that some have doubts. Nevertheless, Jesus begins with a statement of power: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” If anyone else were to say those words, they would be met by cries of, “Blasphemer! Blasphemer!” We know of the works of Jesus of Nazareth and the holy truth he brought forth in his ministry.

With this opening, Jesus undergirds the heart of the Great Commission, issued to those who have deep faith and those who have little: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” He commands them to go tell others of their experiences. Tell others what they have seen and heard and tasted and felt. The disciples are to do this through baptism and through teaching them to obey everything Jesus told them to do. Through water and word, there is new life. There is hope and renewal.

And Jesus closes with that promise of remaining near: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The resurrection hope delivered to us by Jesus is powerful because it is deeply woven into the threads of love and loss. It is powerful because it is a reminder that the pain of death is not futile. Resurrection hope transforms loss from devastation to a space of potential that is not yet understood or realized. And it is not simple, or meant to diminish the reality and gravity of grief.

Why else would Jesus make the promise to remain with us? Because he knew the work of talking of our loss through the lens of faith and belief in God is taxing. It is vulnerable. It is dangerous. It is incredibly hard. It empties us out…so that the salvific love of God will lift us up, building us with strength upon strength.

Resurrection hope is no easy task or immediate fix. Take courage in the light of Easter joy. You are not alone. Keep leaning on Jesus as you tell your stories of faith. And shine on, friends.

In the joy of the Risen Christ,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Reread the Great Commission slowly (Matthew 28:16-20). Listen for what words resonate with you. Listen for the ones that trip you up. Where do you feel God calling you to pay attention? How is the Easter hope of Jesus' resurrection real to you in these words?