Matthew 28:16-20 (NIVUK)
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
When I first became a Christian, this passage, ‘the great commission’, was often quoted as one of the defining passages of the church. Since then, other passages have come to the fore, rightly bringing a wider vision of the mission of the church to include social action and care, such as Luke 4:14-21. But this widening of our mission doesn’t negate this call to growth – both growth in numbers through going out and sharing the invitation of Jesus – and spiritual growth – encouraging the church including its new members in continual discipleship.
Father, today I go in your name to work, to play, to school, to my friends, to my family, to the shops…
Leave a Reply