On any lazy Saturday, or Sunday afternoon, if I have a little bit of time to kill, I may turn on the TV, just to see what’s on. The answer is usually: nothing. But there is this small sub-set of movies, and regardless of how many times I’ve seen them, if I find one, I’ll always stop to watch. I don’t know why…but I do. Movies like “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Dirty Dozen,” or “Bruce Almighty.” “Bruce Almighty,” starring Jim Carrey, is one of my favorites. I just can’t help myself; when it’s on, I just have to stop and watch it. Carrey plays a TV reporter named Bruce. And in our story, Bruce is disappointed in how life is going.
Bruce is the kind of guy for whom the “glass is always half-empty.” Everything is going wrong. Nothing is working out. And Bruce complains…a lot. Like a lot. So, one day, Bruce is complaining: “God, why me? Why don’t I get what I want? Why don’t things work out…blah, blah, blah, blah…”
But what Bruce does not “get” is that God really is listening to him. And after an entire lifetime of hearing Bruce complaining, God decides that enough is enough. It’s time for an attitude adjustment. So, God says “fine, you don’t like the way things run around here? Do it yourself.” And “snap.” Bruce has all of the powers (and responsibilities) of God. And…all sorts of comedy ensues…
Now, this movie is just a bunch of silly fiction. But it leads to a question that I think is kind of interesting: If you were God for a day…if you had all the power in the universe to do anything you wanted, what would you do with it? If you had all authority, how would you use it? How would you rule?
Our Gospel story for today is commonly called “The Great Commission.” And though it’s just this short little piece that comes at the tail end of Matthew’s Gospel, really, it is very important. Jesus is teaching his disciples about God’s authority, and who gets it…and how it gets used. In this short piece, Jesus instructs his disciples (and by the way, that’s us,) on what they’re supposed to do next.
The disciples had walked to the mountain at Galilee, where Jesus told them to meet him. And it says that when they saw him there, they worshiped him. Now that isn’t all that surprising. It makes sense given Jesus’ resurrection and all the events that had taken place since then. Clearly, Jesus was the Messiah…the risen one…the Son of God. Of course, they worshipped him.
But then the Gospel says something strange. It says that they “worshipped him, but they doubted.” They doubted? They doubted what? Because if there was doubt in who Jesus was, they wouldn’t worship him, would they?
Here’s what I suspect: When Jesus appeared, the disciples realized what was happening…and that this “guy’s camping trip” up the mountain that Jesus had arranged was actually a farewell. They realized that this might be the last time they see, and talk to Jesus, and I think they got a little bit scared, as in “so…what’s next? How do we do this…without Jesus? How do we do what Jesus wants us to do?”
I think the disciples were doubting…themselves; their own abilities…their own gifts…their own sense of call to carry on and complete the work of Jesus.
The reason that I think this is because of what Jesus said next to the disciples:
I like to think of what he said as the “four-alls.” (as in A-L-L-S) First, Jesus says that:
- He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Then Jesus says that:
- The disciples are to make more disciples from all nations. He goes on to say that:
- They were to teach that we should obey all that Jesus commanded. And finally, Jesus promises that
- He will always be with them.
All authority, all nations, obey all Jesus’ teachings, and a promise that he will always be with us.
In Matthew, Jesus’ last word to his disciples were these four “alls.” So I think they’re worth taking a deeper look.
First, the claim that Jesus has been given all authority:
You and I hear this claim, and we say “well of course…I mean, he is Jesus.” But for the disciples, remember that this would have been a startling…maybe even shocking claim. Because up until this point in our Gospel story, 90% of what the disciples would have seen was the “human” Jesus, that is, the Jesus who walked with them, talked with them, sat around the campfire and ate meals with them, told jokes and laughed with them…was friends with them.
In fact, except for the transfiguration event, which only 3 of the disciples saw, they had never really seen Jesus revealed in all his glory.
So now, Jesus is making this startling claim that he has all authority…as much as God the Father. So, when Jesus is sending out his disciples, he is doing so because he can.
Then there is this command to go to all nations. This is an important shift that Jesus makes. Throughout Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus’ ministry was primarily limited to the Jewish people. But here, as Jesus sends his disciples out, the boundaries of his work (and theirs…and ours) has been expanded to include all humanity.
I think it’s critical to note here that Jesus did not say to take “the gospel” to all nations, but rather to “make disciples” of all nations. There is a subtle, but important difference. Jesus is not talking about a shallow evangelism here.
- He’s not talking about simply going, proclaiming and then leaving.
- He’s not talking about the disciples doing things that “check the boxes,” or that make the disciples look, or feel good about themselves.
No, Jesus is talking about a deep, discipleship. Jesus wants the disciples to embed themselves in the lives of the people they encounter in the same way he embedded himself in the lives of his disciples. The disciples are to focus on the other; to help God’s people become devoted followers of Jesus and to model for them how to live out his teachings. This is our third all: to teach God’s people to obey all of Jesus’ teachings.
And then the final “all” is perhaps one of the most comforting statements in scripture. Jesus, who has allauthority, who is there for all people, and who wants the disciples to share all of his teachings, promises to be with the disciples always. Always.
This is a profound promise.
As our Gospel concludes…as Jesus gets ready to leave his disciples, this is how he prepares them…with these four “alls;” these critical instructions. And then he sends his disciples. He says Go! Go out! Out to baptize and make disciples, in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. And we are all here today because those disciples followed Jesus’ instructions.
But what is critical for us to remember, is that this preparation…these instructions…and this great commission, is for us as well. We are Jesus’ disciples. And Jesus tasks us with the same Great Commission. Like Jesus did…like those first disciples did…we too are to take these instructions…take this commission, and to embed ourselves into the lives of those around us…to live as Jesus taught, to focus on the “other,” and through our words and our actions, to be living examples of God’s love and grace with all…all…we encounter. These are Jesus’ instructions and commands for us.
And, to be honest, sometimes remembering…much less following, instructions, can be a challenge for us.
A truck driver was hauling a load of 500 penguins to the zoo. Unfortunately, his truck broke down, so he waved down another truck and offered the driver $500 to take the penguins to the zoo.
The next day, the first truck driver picked up his repaired truck. When he drove into town, he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the second truck driver walking across the road with 500 penguins, waddling single file behind him.
He jumped out of his truck, ran up to the driver and said, “What’s going on? I gave you $500 to take these penguins to the zoo!” To which the man responded, “I did take them to the zoo. But I had enough money left over so now we’re going to the movies.”
Sometimes we don’t fully understand our instructions. Sometimes we are a bit fuzzy about our sense of purpose. Sometimes all of the distractions around us draw us away from what Jesus has commanded of us.
In our Gospel today, Jesus is crystal clear:
- He has all authority…and he has given that authority to you. The authority to lead, teach, live, serve and love.
- It is for all nations, and all people. There are no boundaries that you cannot cross.
- Through your words and actions, you are to teach all of what Jesus has taught you.
- And as you do this, you are not alone. Jesus is always with you.
Jesus makes this bold statement because of who he is and what he did. Jesus went to the cross for you. Jesus was resurrected for you. Jesus lived and taught…for you. Jesus loves you. Jesus went all in…for you.
And because of Jesus’ love, he asks you to go all in as well.
Like those disciples, we too can feel unsure…insecure…even afraid…and we can be distracted and lose our sense of mission. But this great commission is for all the people of God. At its core, the church is to be living out the teachings of Jesus as a witness to the world. And you and I are the church. And we are all in.
Never forget Jesus’ Great Commission. Never forget what Jesus taught. And never forget that final “all:”
“I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” I will be with you, no matter what.
And with confidence in that promnise, we can say: “yes, we are all in.”
Thanks be to God!
Amen.
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