Everything is discipleship
Matthew 28:16-20, NIV - Then the eleven disciples
went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but
some doubted. Then Jesus came to them
and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go 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 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very
end of the age.”
In Matthew’s gospel, this appearance
of Jesus is the first time the eleven have seen the resurrected Christ. This explains their spontaneous worship of
Him when they see Him. They confirm with
their own eyes the reports they have heard that Jesus was raised just as He
said He would be. It also explains the
phrase “but some doubted.” Sometimes, it
is hard to believe even what you are seeing with your eyes, especially when it
is something like a resurrection. I like
that Matthew mentions both the worshipful and doubting responses. If I had been there that day, I hope that I
would have been in the worshipful camp, but I know I am capable of being doubtful
as well. It should be noted that all eleven
of the remaining disciples go on to be prolific leaders in the early Christian
church. Their doubtfulness did not
disqualify them. Onto Jesus’s last instructions which has traditionally been
called “The Great Commission.”
This commission is a monumental departure
from Judaism. While Judaism stressed
that the faith traditions and ways of living should be passed on from
generation to generation within the Jewish family, teaching non-Jews to live
this way was rare and not encouraged. When
Jesus includes “all nations,” this signals a huge shift in focus. All should be taught the ways of God’s kingdom. No one should be excluded. When Jesus says to “baptize” them in the name
of the Trinity, He is signaling that God’s chosen people is no longer just
Israel. All should be brought into God’s
family. As we say in the South, “Y’all means
all.
One of my mentors, Jack Stephenson,
taught me some important principles of making disciples. He really takes that seriously and he expects
all of his staff to take it seriously as well.
When the church Jack was serving was building their new building, they
thought ahead and knew that they would need a power lift to get to all the
ceilings and light fixtures. So they planned to purchase one. The first proposal was to buy a one-person
lift. Jack insisted that they buy a lift
that would hold at least two people. He explained that a two-person lift allows
for discipleship. One person who knows
how to do the job can take someone up with them and show them how to do it. Jack insisted on this everywhere. Every sound booth had to have at least two
chairs. Even though the church had a huge campus, he insisted on having a
volunteer yard crew with multiples of every kind of equipment. He would ask us in staff meetings all the
time, “how is this discipling?” Reproducing ourselves is the Prime Directive
for those who follow Christ. Everything is discipleship.
The Christian life is not just
learning how to love and serve God and people.
It is also teaching others how to do the same. Matthew thought that his gospel should end
on the command to disciple and teach. Furthermore, he stresses Jesus’s promise
to be with us as we fulfill that command.
It begs our final question for the book of Matthew.
Question: Who are you
teaching to do what?
Prayer: Thank you God
for those who have taught us the Christian ways of living. Help us see how we
can teach others what you have taught us.
Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for teachers/disciplers of all kinds today
Video: I Am Because of You
